Ronda Rousey shocked the world when she made a surprise appearance after the 30-woman Royal Rumble match last Sunday. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight champion may not have entered the historical Royal Rumble match as a participant, but she received a huge ovation just the same.
It was later revealed that Rousey had signed a full-time deal with the company in spite of the fighter denying her involvement with the company. Rousey had teased her in-ring debut by pointing at the WrestleMania sign high above the Wells Fargo arena after the match, indicating that there is no better time and place for her to wrestle than in "the grandest stage of them all."
The company is well aware of her massive popularity and is willing to use it to their advantage, as Rousey wrestling her first match during WrestleMania 34 would surely boost the star power of the event.
Not all who witnessed the momentous occasion were thrilled, though. While there were members of the current roster thrilled to have her on board, Ronda's apparent special treatment signing seemed to rub a few superstars the wrong way.
Nia Jax, for instance, feels that Rousey's arrival negated the historical importance of the first-ever 30-woman Royal Rumble match. She expressed her disapproval by tweeting: "Cool she's here...I guess 30 women making history can just be forgotten."
Sasha Banks also made no attempt to hide her displeasure. In a recent interview by SiriusXM's Busted Open, "The Boss" made it known that she is not thrilled by Rousey joining the business.
"My feelings, and sorry to do it to you guys, but you know - I have nothing nice to say so I can't say anything at all. So that's it. I have nothing to say about it, nope. I've got nothing nice to say, I'm gonna keep at that. You're not gonna get nothing out of me."
Smackdown Live superstar Natalya, however, has a different tune regarding the matter.
"With Ronda, yes, she absolutely does have to prove herself, but I know Ronda personally, I'm friends with her. Ronda has expressed that she more than anything wants to prove herself and she really wants to bring even more attention to the women of WWE, and I think it's going to be incredible for all of us," Natalya said in a statement on "The Trend with Rebecca Granet."
There may be apprehensions if Rousey indeed has what it takes to hang with the WWE's elite, or if she will be able to coexist with everyone in the locker room. But given Rousey's determination to prove that professional will be her life from now on, it does not seem like "Rowdy" is going to have too much trouble.
