Ronda Rousey Match Almost Scrapped Due To “Political Reasons”

Ronda Rousey almost had a huge match cancelled due to political reasons.

The former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion spent five years with WWE after joining the company in 2018, earning immediate plaudits from critics for a her debut performance in a classic encounter at WrestleMania 34 that saw the California-born star team with Kurt Angle to defeat the pairing of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

Rousey departed WWE shortly after falling to defeat at the hands of Shayna Baszler at SummerSlam on 5th August 2023. The former WWE Tag Team Champion would soon make a number appearances on the independent circuit for the likes of Lucha VaVoom and Ring Of Honor. One big name bout, however, almost didn’t happen.

During a recent appearance on ‘Talk Is Jericho‘, current AEW star Marina Shafir revealed that a match that saw her team with Rousey to face Athena and Billie Starkz at Wrestling REVOLVER Unreal on 16th November 2023 was close to being shelved for an unspecified political reason:

“Sami Callihan has a promotion, Wrestling REVOLVER, I got them (Ronda Rousey & Sami Callihan) connected and they figured out that they’re gonna do a charity show.

Charity show happens. It was very chaotic. There was just some political things going on. I’m not going to talk about it but, it was almost not going to happen, and we pulled some strings, made it happen.

But then the very next day was when we ended up wrestling Athena and Billie (Starkz) on Ring of Honor.”

Ronda Rousey Could Make WWE Return

Despite having harsh words for many former and current WWE Executives following her departure from the company, it is understood that Ronda Rousey would be welcomed back in future.

The outspoken Rousey slammed the likes of Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard in tell all book ‘Our Fight’, released in April 2024, but remains on good terms with many within the company and it is believed that both sides could be open to a conversation about a return at some stage.

H/T: Post Wrestling for the above transcription.