Ronda Rousey: ‘I’m very aware that women are headlining WWE because of me’
As she returns to mixed martial arts for one more fight, Ronda Rousey is comfortable with the legacy she’s already secured.
Rousey told The Takedown on SI that she’s “very proud” to have made a big impact for women across combat sports. That includes WWE, where Rousey believes women are headlining shows because of her. She proved her drawing power in the UFC before ever getting into pro wrestling, then joined WWE for two separate stints.
“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 participated in the first-ever women’s match to main event WrestleMania, facing Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match in 2019. That marked the end of her first WWE run, but she later returned from 2022-2023.
This Saturday, Rousey battles Gina Carano in Netflix’s first live MMA special. Rousey views the dream matchup as the perfect way to end her time in MMA and claims she is not planning to fight again after this.
Saturday’s event is taking place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California and will stream live starting at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.