WWE Star Enjoyed Ronda Rousey Matches Despite Intense Pressure
One WWE star welcomed the pressure of wrestling Ronda Rousey.
After signing with WWE in late 2017, Ronda Rousey set the wrestling world on fire.
The former UFC star made her debut in an acclaimed match at WrestleMania 34 and became one of the first three women to headline WrestleMania a year later before going on hiatus. During that first stint, Rousey’s matches were routinely praised and her star shone as brightly as ever.
However, when she returned in January 2022, fan apathy quickly set in and she was often criticised for her perceived lack of effort and care.
The former Women’s Champion left the company for a second time following SummerSlam 2023 and has been openly critical of Vince McMahon and several members of WWE management since.
However, Ronda Rousey hasn’t ruled out a part-time return, even if her full-time days are over.
Despite fans regularly speaking negatively of Rousey’s second run with the company, one of her former opponents felt differently.
Ronda Rousey Was “Amazing” To Work With
During her WWE career, Ronda Rousey shared the ring with Raquel Rodriguez on no less than 15 occasions, and it seems those matches made an impact on the former NXT Women’s Champion.
In a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, Rodriguez looked back on her career to date and spoke glowingly about her matches with Rousey. The WWE Raw star said it’s “mind-blowing” that she got to share the ring with the UFC legend.
“When I first got called up to main roster to work with Ronda, I was like I felt the pressure for sure, and when I talked to people about being able to work with her and how amazing she is. It’s always mind-blowing to me still that I got that opportunity to be in the ring with her and work with her and know her and put on what was a really good match.
It was a really good mix up that we had,”
Back in January, Ronda Rousey gave birth to her second child Liko’ula Pā’ūomahinakaipiha Browne. Although she left the door to pro wrestling open, she’s admitted her desire for a large family means she’ll never fight professionally in MMA again.
H/t to Fightful