While WWE’s Survivor Series WarGames event was generally well-received last week, one match on the card that received a lot of criticism from fans online was the SmackDown Women’s Championship match between Ronda Rousey and Shotzi.
After making her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34, tagging with Kurt Angle against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, Ronda Rousey was widely praised by fans and critics alike and enjoyed a successful rookie year in the company before taking a hiatus after WrestleMania 35.
But since returning to WWE at January’s Royal Rumble event, the former UFC star has struggled to reach the same level she performed at during her initial run.
“This Was The Single Worst Match I Have Seen In I Don’t Know How Long” – Former WWE Writer On Ronda Rousey’s Survivor Series Match
Former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. recently reviewed Survivor Series WarGames 2022 on his ‘Wrestling With Freddie’ podcast and was less than impressed by Ronda Rousey’s performance against Shotzi:
“Ronda Rousey versus Shotzi. This was the single worst match I have seen in I don’t know how long and it was not Shotzi Blackheart’s fault. Shotzi did her thing in this … [Shotzi] carried Ronda through this whole match. She did everything a wrestler could do to make the other wrestler look good. But, it takes two to tango … Ronda is regressing, she is not progressing. Her work is not getting better. It’s getting worse. She blew a DDT that should have been the spot of the freaking night.”
Prinze Jr. continued:
“[Ronda’s] either not taking time to work with people … or, she can’t do it. If it’s the latter, which means she can’t do it, then why is she there? And I don’t think it’s that. She’s obviously athletic … It was legit unwatchable.”
Despite the criticism, Ronda Rousey recently described her latest WWE run as “easier” than her first.
H/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.