As previously reported, MMA legend Ronda Rousey made a surprise appearance at AEW Revolution this past weekend, where she confronted Toni Storm during an in-ring segment that also featured Marina Shafir of the Death Riders. This moment sparked speculation regarding Rousey’s motivations for appearing.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer indicated that the segment was intended as a one-off appearance rather than the beginning of a scheduled program. AEW President and CEO Tony Khan addressed the situation after the event but did not confirm any future involvement for Rousey beyond this initial appearance. During the broadcast, AEW commentary also mentioned Rousey’s upcoming MMA fight against Gina Carano, which is scheduled for May 16 and will stream on Netflix.
Since her appearance, Rousey has not promoted AEW at all, which is notable as she usually heavily promotes her projects.
Meltzer added that an individual close to the situation suggested that part of Rousey’s motivation for the appearance stemmed from a “vendetta” against TKO, the parent company of both WWE and UFC. Reportedly, Rousey negotiated with TKO for over a year, but the deal fell through due to a change in the compensation plan for both her and Carano, which TKO implemented under the assumption that Rousey had no other options for the fight. Consequently, Rousey opted to take her fight to Jake Paul’s MVP, and it will now air on Netflix.
Meltzer also noted that WWE was not pleased with Rousey’s appearance for AEW and regarded it as an annoyance.
