WWE: Smartly venting about Ronda Rousey can lead to bigger, better things

When Ronda Rousey interrupted Asuka after she won the inaugural WWE Women’s Royal Rumble, some in the women’s division expressed their displeasure with the timing of her arrival. That angst is smart as it could lead to a high-profile matchup with the former UFC champ.

WWE Superstars Nikki Bella and Nia Jax expressed themselves publicly via Twitter, after Ronda Rousey appeared at the conclusion of the Royal Rumble on Sunday, Jan. 28. Well wishing was far from their minds.

Sasha Banks responded (or didn’t respond) when asked about Rousey’s arrival into WWE.

Rousey surprised the world by entering the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, after Asuka won the first WWE Women’s Royal Rumble. She stood in the ring with the history making Asuka, SmackDown Women’s Champ Charlotte Flair and Raw Women’s Champ Alexa Bliss.

Did it take away from Asuka’s moment?

Well, fans inside the building erupted with approval when Rousey burst through the curtain. Others on social media and some in the WWE locker room — like Banks, Bella and Jax — shared a different vibe.

ECW and WWE alum Al Snow, who is in his fourth decade (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s) wrestling and/or working behind the scenes, discussed the situation when a star from another field enters the pro wrestling picture.

I think Asuka celebrated two big moments that night — one winning and the other standing with Bliss, Flair and Rousey. Quite the picture and a mainstream media coup. Rousey’s shocking appearance (and later announcement she signed with WWE) was the talk of radio, TV and social media that night and the next day. Plenty of photos and videos of Rousey with Asuka, Bliss and Flair.

If others on the main roster feel Rousey will take away their spot, then the best thing to do is attack. Go on the offensive, like Nikki Bella and Nia Jax did or even how Banks did it.

Pro wrestling fans still love the drama, and when it’s somewhat real (within reason), even better.

Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, Edge and Matt Hardy, CM Punk and the McMahons, Batista and Booker T, Daniel Bryan and Miz, Corey Graves and Enzo Amore, etc., etc.

With some of the angst displayed for all to see, it makes a match between Rousey and Sasha Banks or Nikki Bella or Nia Jax very interesting.

Look, you want to stand out in this business, and on that Royal Rumble night, Asuka, Bliss and Flair were the ones standing out with Rousey — not Banks, not Bella, not Jax.

You know Rousey is now the big play in the women’s division of WWE. She is the next step in this evolution process of women in the company — a legitimate bad ass with mass appeal in WWE.

Working a match with Rousey is a high-profile spot on the show and a mainstream attention grabber, which becomes a very good pay-day, especially if it’s WrestleMania.

The revolution of the evolution of women in wrestling in WWE is traced to Fabulous Moolah and Wendi Richter and Lita and Trish Stratus and Chyna and Beth Phoenix and Natalya and Awesome Kong and Gail Kim and Sara Del Rey and others who delivered, whether for WWE or elsewhere…like UFC.

Dominating UFC while elevating women in sport by headlining UFC pay-per-views, Rousey changed how people defined women in physical sports, and that assessment changed her life.

Rousey is preparing for the next challenge, and that’s wrestling for WWE. She already has some traits.

A lifelong pro wrestling fan, she is a huge name in and outside the octagon and parlayed her athletic success and mainstream appeal into appearances on TV shows and roles in movies.

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WWE is sports entertainment, and its superstars are sports entertainers who wrestle as well as partake in other facets of entertainment away from the ring.

Whether the WWE locker room accepts her or not, she is a sports entertainer and a big enough star to take WWE’s women’s division to new heights.