Ronda Rousey Beats Nikki Bella to Retain Raw Women's Title at WWE Evolution 2018

Ronda Rousey remained undefeated by beating Nikki Bella to retain the Raw Women's Championship at WWE Evolution on Sunday night.

Bella became another victim of Rousey's armbar. She threw everything at the champion, including the Rack Attack 2.0, and it wasn't enough to keep Rousey down. Once Rousey got a hold of Bella's arm, the result was inevitable.

Reaction toward the match was generally positive.

Sunday's match marked Rousey's second title defense since beating Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam in August.

After the former UFC star initially won the title, she celebrated in the ring with Natalya and The Bella Twins.

That led to a partnership between Rousey, Nikki and Brie Bella, as they feuded with The Riott Squad leading up to WWE Super Show-Down in Melbourne, Australia.

Rousey and The Bellas teamed up to beat Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan Down Under on Oct. 6, but their friendship soon imploded.

On the heels of beating The Riott Squad in a rematch on Raw, The Bella Twins attacked Rousey from behind and left her lying in the middle of the ring.

It was then announced that Rousey would defend the Raw Women's Championship against Nikki at the all-women's WWE Evolution pay-per-view.

There were seemingly some mixed feelings among the WWE Universe regarding the company's decision to place Bella in such a high-profile match having wrestled sparingly in recent years.

Although it can be argued there were so many more intriguing matchups for Rousey available to WWE, Nikki is the longest-reigning Divas champion in history, which created a built-in storyline that the creative team was able to utilize.

In many ways, Rowdy and The Bella Twins are polar opposites in terms of how they are perceived by hardcore wrestling fans.

While Rousey has largely been embraced because of her hard work and dedication, there is a level of disdain for Bella since she stars in a reality show and originated in the era of the diva.

The Bella Twins have worked hard to get to their current position in their own right, but the fan perception worked to their advantage when it came to fueling their heel turn.

Ultimately, fans got what they wanted with Rousey retaining the title, and she may now be free to move forward and pursue some of the dream matches the WWE Universe has been clamoring for.

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