In a recent interview, Charlotte Flair gave her opinion on the importance of Ronda Rousey in the WWE, stating that the women’s division doesn’t necessarily “need” Rousey within its ranks.
Ronda Rousey made headlines around the world when she debuted at the Royal Rumble PPV event in 2018, leaving behind a lucrative UFC career that saw Rousey thoroughly implant herself onto the combat sports Mount Rushmore of competitors.
After confronting Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair and Asuka, Rousey soon made her presence felt. The UFC Hall of Famer was quickly elevated to the top of the women’s division, making her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 teaming with, WWE Legend, Kurt Angle against the team of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a highly praised debut match. Rousey would go on to capture the Raw Women’s Championship within her first year with the company, defeating Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam 2018 in under four minutes.
Rousey would make her last appearance with WWE during the main event of WrestleMania 35, during which Rousey would drop the WWE RAW Women’s Championship to ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch. The inaugural UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion has since stated her dislike of WWE’s intense travel schedule as a key factor behind her absence.
In a recent interview with Vicente Beltrán of ViBe & Wrestling, Charlotte Flair offered her thoughts on Rousey. Flair admitted that whilst Ronda is a definite strength to the woman’s, they can strive without her:
“Need is a very strong word. Do I think Ronda would add to the division? 100% but need? No. We have an incredible roster of already established stars and some of them are on the rise so ‘need’ I think is a strong word, but do I think she brings a lot to the table? 100%.”
Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey battled each other in an intense rivalry during 2018. The pair would clash numerous times, including a physical bout at Survivor Series, which saw Rousey defeat Flair via disqualification.
Charlotte Flair recently returned to WWE in December, following a six month hiatus. She is currently one of twelve Superstars announced as an official participant in the Women’s Royal Rumble match.
Ronda Rousey’s WWE contract reportedly expires on April 10th, 2021 and whilst there are no official plans regarding a potential return for ‘The Rowdy One’, internet speculation has been running wild regarding a potential appearance at the upcoming Royal Rumble event. Ronda herself has even addressed these rumours, in a light-hearted Twitter post sharing a screenshot of the online odds of her return:
“Best way to make a profit since r/wallstreetbets did that stuff with GameStop I don’t understand #RoyalRumble2021”
The 2021 Royal Rumble Event takes place Sunday, January 31st 2021.
A full card run down and Live Results & Analysis are available at ITRWrestling.com.