Rousey shifts to wrestling with surprise Royal Rumble cameo
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Ronda Rousey’s next bout in the ring won’t come in mixed martial arts but in the world of professional wrestling.
The biggest superstar in women’s MMA officially made the jump to WWE on Sunday night with a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble in Philadelphia.
The former UFC bantamweight champion also told ESPN that she’s fully committed to wrestling and not just planning cameos at WWE’s biggest events, saying: “This is my life now. Yeah, they have first priority on my time for the next several years.”
Rousey appeared to roaring fans Sunday night after the women’s Royal Rumble in Philadelphia, challenging winner Asuka to fight at Wrestlemania in April by pointing to a sign as Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” blared through the arena.
Rousey had previously ruled out an appearance at the Royal Rumble but had frequently met with WWE executive Paul Levesque, better known as wrestling superstar Triple H, to discuss her interest in a deal.
FILE – This July 15, 2015, file photo shows mixed martial arts fighter Ronda Rousey working out at Glendale Fighting Club in Glendale, Calif. The former UFC champion Rousey could soon make the move to WWE. She’s met with WWE executives and has seemed excited about the possibility of becoming a wrestler. Rousey may not debut at one of WWE’s signature events this weekend in Philadelphia because she’s filming a movie in Colombia. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 30, 2016, file photo, Amanda Nunes, right, connects with Ronda Rousey in the first round of their women’s bantamweight championship mixed martial arts bout at UFC 207, in Las Vegas. Rousey is in South America to film the action thriller “Mile 22” with Mark Wahlberg and John Malkovich. She has not fought since she suffered a 48-second loss to Nunes at UFC 207. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 30, 2016, file photo, Ronda Rousey stands in the cage after Amanda Nunes forced a stoppage in the first round of their women’s bantamweight championship mixed martial arts bout at UFC 207 in Las Vegas. The former UFC champion Rousey could soon make the move to WWE. She’s met with WWE executives and has seemed excited about the possibility of becoming a wrestler. Rousey may not debut at one of WWE’s signature events this weekend in Philadelphia because she’s filming a movie in Colombia. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
