Report: Ronda Rousey ‘Finalizing’ A Signing With WWE

The WWE has been interested in signing former UFC star Ronda Rousey for the better part of a year, and it appears that a deal between both sides is close.

There’s no doubt that Vince McMahon is always interested in adding high-profile athletes to work with the WWE, be it a one-off appearance or something more. In the case of Ronda Rousey, the WWE has been looking for “something more”, and they’ve been recruiting the real-life wrestling fan pretty hard. She had already appeared at WrestleMania in the past in an appearance with “The Rock”, getting one over on Stephanie McMahon in the process (this, of course, is a rarity).

Per two sources close to the USA Today’s Martin Rogers, Ronda Rousey is “finalizing” a deal with the WWE, and the USA Today calls a deal between both sides “imminent”.

This is huge news for all parties involved, and wrestling fans will immediately speculate about Rousey’s WrestleMania booking. I’ve seen Pro Wrestling Sheet’s Ryan Satin throw out the idea of Rousey ending Asuka’s streak at WrestleMania, and the reactions to the suggestion were mixed.

IF Rousey signs with WWE prior to WrestleMania 34, a more likely match would involve her and the Four Horsewomen. Shayna Baszler made it all the way to the finals of the Mae Young Classic, and both the Four Horsewomen of MMA and the Four Horsewomen of WWE were in attendance. Throughout the Mae Young Classic, the quartets traded barbs and were seemingly building towards a big-ticket confrontation.

Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but Rousey is legitimately a huge name who can attract a wide audience in WWE regardless of what she does. Furthermore, she isn’t just an attraction as a former UFC star, because, again, she does love pro wrestling and knows plenty about it. She could feasibly become a great pro wrestler in the ring, and based on how genuine she is in interviews, Rousey could easily be a relatable character in WWE as either a heel or babyface.

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We’ll see if any more news on this reported deal is out there, but I’m not surprised to see this report from USA Today. Something has been in the works for quite some time, as Rousey has even been getting trained by the master himself, 205 Live’s Brian Kendrick.