The following editorial was written by Neil Raymond and does not reflect the opinions of WrestleZone as a whole. We encourage you all to discuss Neil’s thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this post or by tweeting him @NeilfromNYC
Ronda Rousey made headlines when she signed with the WWE earlier this year. The most successful female fighter in UFC history, Ronda was a household name and a huge addition to the WWE’s women’s division on the RAW brand.
From the start, she was treated as a big deal, and was put into a major program at WrestleMania 34. In her debut match she teamed with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at that event. There were some obvious issues on the way however, Ronda didn’t seem to be particularly good on the microphone, and clearly needed to be part of a tag team match to have a guaranteed decent in-ring performance.
After WrestleMania, she began appearing almost every week on RAW, but not wrestling. Her next match was a no contest with the then RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax at Money in the Bank, she was “suspended” the night after. She now had a total of just 2 televised matches in 5 months!
Ronda Rousey seems to be receiving the same treatment as Brock Lesnar, the problem is that Ronda Rousey is not Brock Lesnar. Brock was a former 3-time WWE Champion, Royal Rumble match winner and face of the company well before he first stepped into the UFC octagon. He wrestled full-time for the WWE from April 2002 to March 2004 and was already over with the fans as strictly a WWE superstar. Ronda has never been in the WWE before. This is a major roadblock for her because the backlash that Lesnar is currently getting for his sporadic appearances and a monotonous Universal Title reign is headed her way.
What happens if Ronda wins the RAW Women’s Title and then defends it once a month on pay-per-view, without ever wrestling on RAW? How long before her babyface reactions turn to boos?
Next Page: Why Ronda Rousey Is On A Collision Course For Backlash w/ WWE Fans (cont.)
