Ronda Rousey has credited herself as a major reason women now headline WWE shows, pointing to her influence across combat sports and professional wrestling.
Speaking to The Takedown on SI as she prepares for a return to mixed martial arts for one final fight, Rousey said she is proud of the impact she has made on women’s opportunities in multiple fighting disciplines, including WWE. She believes her success helped prove the commercial value of women’s combat sports athletes.
Ronda Rousey – “Women Are Headlining WWE Because of Me”
“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 first made history in WWE when she competed in the first women’s WrestleMania main event in 2019, against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a triple threat match. That bout marked the end of her initial WWE run before she returned for a second stint from 2022 to 2023.
Outside of WWE, Rousey built her reputation as one of the biggest stars in UFC history before transitioning into professional wrestling. Her crossover appeal helped elevate mainstream attention on women’s combat sports.
She is now preparing for one final MMA appearance against Gina Carano in Netflix’s first live MMA special. Rousey has stated that the matchup will serve as the final fight of her career.
The event will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and will stream live at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Ronda Rousey Says Women Are Headlining WWE Because of Her
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