Could Ronda Rousey return to wrestling after Gina Carano fight? | Opinion
Ronda Rousey returns to the MMA cage tonight against Gina Carano on Netflix, but a return to the wrestling ring could still be in the former WWE Champion’s future.
As for what Rousey has said about what comes after tonight, she seems pretty intent on being the “Dana White” of MVP MMA. She certainly has a history of building up financially lucrative fights. Provided her bout with Carano is as successful as Rousey believes it will be, Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian might consider giving her the role.
Rousey will likely be back in wrestling eventually, but how things shake up with MVP MMA could determine where we see her next.
What’s next for Ronda Rousey after Gina Carano fight?
Will Ronda Rousey return to WWE?
Although she has been very critical of her final run in the company, and of TKO’s handling of the UFC, a potential return to WWE is not out of the question for Rousey.
During an interview with Complex to build up her fight with Carano, Rousey did not have kind words for Vince McMahon, but did say she’d always been “Team Triple H” and had been a big proponent of him taking over.
“I’ve heard it’s been much better since (Triple H’s) taken things over, but unfortunately I didn’t get to experience it,” Rousey said.
That comment just opens the door enough that the two sides could have discussions. If Rousey decides to make a little bit more money with one more WWE run, the option is there for her.
However, all of this depends on Rousey’s potential future involvement with MVP MMA.
Will Ronda Rousey return to AEW?
Given the TKO/UFC conflict with MVP MMA, a Rousey return to wrestling is probably more likely to occur in AEW.
It felt as though the angle at AEW Revolution with Toni Storm was meant to lead to more, but that never materialized following Storm being written off television. However, reports after the show stated it was just a one-off to promote the Carano fight.
Rousey has said she had a good time in the role.
“One thing I really love about AEW is that it’s not PG like WWE. So I can walk in there and flick everybody off and walk out and laugh with my best friend and have a great time. I didn’t feel as edited as before. So yeah, it was a good time,” Rousey said to Complex.
She definitely seemed like she was having a good time when she joined Marina Shafir in giving Jon Moxley a few chops before his match as well.
It sounds like Rousey had the kind of fun during her one AEW appearance that she didn’t have in WWE. Whether that leads to doing more in the future remains to be seen, but something feels unfinished between her and Toni Storm.
Will Ronda Rousey disappear into the sunset after Gina Carano fight on Netflix?
Rousey has two young kids and sounds like she wants to have more of them. She’s often spoken about wanting to disappear into the sunset with a large family.
“I feel like I gotta grow up. I gotta grow up and go have some more kids, and go to some soccer matches or something,” she said to ClutchPoints recently (transcription credit: Fightful).
It just seems that there is always something to pull her back into the spotlight, though.
Rousey knows the impact she has on any industry she touches. Nothing sums it up better than this quote from her recent interview with Sports Illustrated.
“I’m very aware that women are headlining WWE because of me,” Rousey said. “That women are headlining and making big paydays in boxing because of me. In bare-knuckle boxing, in full-contact karate, in everything that’s a contact sport. I’m very, very proud of seeing all the success the women are having, because I was able to prove their commercial viability, and everyone’s trying to recapture that lightning in a bottle.
“I’m so happy to see it. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully understand the scope of those ripple effects — nor anybody else — but that’s not why you do it. I’m very, very proud, and it’s very cool to see. I’m glad it’s got to the point that things are so different that people forget how it used to be. I’m not mad at that. I’m proud.”
Rousey knows the impact she can have, and I don’t think she’s done making it.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.