During his recent podcast, the always-outspoken Jim Cornette shared his thoughts on the recent match between Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey on WWE SmackDown.
Cornette praised Charlotte’s performance, while also noting that if it were not for Rousey’s preexisting name and reputation from the world of MMA and UFC, she may not have been on television.
Rousey has come under criticism from WWE fans this year, since her surprise return to the promotion at Royal Rumble, where she won the show’s titular match to secure a showdown with Charlotte at WrestleMania.
Having lost to Charlotte at WrestleMania, Rousey won the rematch the following month at WrestleMania Backlash and embarked upon a run as SmackDown Women’s Champion. But Rousey’s performances were widely criticised by fans, who felt she was disinterested and not performing at the same level as she had during her celebrated 2018-19 run.
Ronda Rousey “Looking Like She Doesn’t Give A S–t” – Jim Cornette
Cornette described the match as a “huge pop” and praised Charlotte for her in-ring skills and ability to connect with the audience, while also criticising Rousey’s in-ring promo and overall lack of enthusiasm. He stated that:
I was first one to admit that Ronda Rousey was a big f—–g name when she first started this thing and she deserved that debut at WrestleMania. But between cooling off and just looking like she doesn’t give a s–t . . . And Charlotte comes out and the people are roaring and they’re up and she gets in the ring and they’re face to face and Ronda not only botches the promo, like 30 seconds, and she couldn’t get that out but she threw it away. She didn’t get the name of the pay per view right or whatever the f–k.
The match itself was a highly anticipated showdown between two of WWE’s top female wrestlers. Charlotte made her surprise return to the ring, much to the delight of the live audience. When the two faced, it was clear that Charlotte had the edge, as she hit Rousey with a big boot to the face, a spear, and a roll-up pin to secure the victory and the title.
In the end, Charlotte emerged as the new champion, celebrating with the fans in the crowd and, as Cornette puts it, “raising babies into the air”.
As for the future of Rousey in WWE, Cornette questioned whether “this is the end of the Rousey experiment?” It remains to be seen what the future holds for both wrestlers going into WrestleMania season.