5 Potential WrestleMania 34 Matches for Ronda Rousey

This past week has been an extremely newsworthy one for Vince McMahon; between Raw’s 25th Anniversary and the resurrection of the XFL, it’s fair to say WWE has been on many people’s tongues.

That was until this past Sunday night, however, when after the conclusion of the first ever women’s Royal Rumble match, UFC legend Ronda Rousey made her long-rumoured debut for the company. Clad in a leather jacket owned by the late, great “Rowdy” Roddy Piper (gifted to her by Piper’s own son) and wearing her own Piper inspired merch, Rousey came, pointed at the WrestleMania sign, and left.

Only a few minutes in broadcast time, but those few minutes set the media world on fire, with thousands tweeting about Rousey in WWE and news outlets clamoring to cover this absolutely groundbreaking spectacle. Heck, as of this writing, WWE’s own video of Rousey’s appearance has garnered over two million views on YouTube.

A former UFC Bantamweight Champion, Rousey is one of the most celebrated and decorated competitors to ever grace the Octagon. It’s also no secret that she is a massive wrestling fan, having notably shown up as a fan for PWG shows, and she has already made sporadic appearances for WWE in the past, including an angle with The Rock at WrestleMania 31.

But the question now is what’s next for Rousey in WWE? Word on the street is that Ronda has signed a full-time deal with WWE, and with WrestleMania 34 fast-approaching, there is no chance in hell that WWE will be keeping her off the card. Now, while we can only speculate as to what capacity Rousey will appear in at Mania, as well as how prolific she actually is as a wrestler (although reports suggested she has been training with Natalya and Brian Kendrick since September), here are five potential matches we could see “Rowdy” Ronda in at The Grandest Stage of Them All.

 

1. Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle vs. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon

Nope, not a special attraction for the Mixed Match Challenge, but putting Rousey in a tag match would be pretty smart on a few levels. As mentioned earlier, we don’t yet know how skilled Ronda is in a wrestling ring or at what level her training might be. Heck, if it turns out she takes to rasslin’ as well as Matt Riddle did then I am all aboard.

However, putting her in a tag could be a solid way to protect Rousey, and a match against ye olde Authority would offer a clear-cut Face vs. Heel dynamic.

There have already been issues teased between Kurt Angle and HHH, and Rousey and Stephanie McMahon have already had a physical altercation in the past, when Rousey tossed her when helping out The Rock at Mania 31. Stephanie McMahon is a great baddie (even when she’s not trying to be) and the Mania crowd would be ravenous to see Rousey get her hands on her. Add the Olympic gold medalist to the mix and an Angle/Rousey combination could be magical.

 

2. Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair

It is probably just a tad too early to be putting Rousey in the championship picture, but a match pitting the lead Horsewomen from their respective worlds is far too tempting to pass up.

With Asuka most likely on a path to face Alexa Bliss at Mania 34, Flair is left without a contender for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. The SmackDown women’s roster can be something of a mess at the best of times, so a huge money feud like this will put the blue brand’s roster firmly back on top of the pecking order. Getting Rousey over to SmackDown will get the eyes on the show that it needs to cast off the “B show” shadow Raw has so often thrown over it.

Rousey even previously issued a challenge to Charlotte during the Mae Young Classic, so it’s fair to say these two trailblazers have unfinished business.

3. Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen

Some time ago, the rumour mill circulated and hinted at the possibility of world’s colliding, with the Four Horsewomen of the WWE (Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley) taking on the Four Horsewomen of MMA (Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir).

This possibility came even closer to fruition at the Mae Young Classic when both groups crossed paths and had a heated exchange, adding fuel to the horse-filled fire. The groundwork was laid for a huge tag contest that’s worth the price of WrestleMania admission alone, the Internet was abuzz with anticipation.

But then, nothing.

Although a heck of a lot of stars would have to align for this match to come to light, with Baszler now a prominent figure in NXT, we already have two out of four Horsewomen on the WWE payroll. WrestleMania is a time for the biggest matches in the wrestling calendar, and few could make claim to a match as big as this.

 

4. Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

Playing fantasy booking fairy even further here, what if we saw Horsewoman face fellow Horsewoman?

Now, there would have to be some brand crossing here, with Baszler on NXT and Rousey, more than likely, to be on Raw and currently busy working on Mile 22 till at least mid-February, it would take something big for their paths to cross.

So what if, hypothetically, Stephanie McMahon gets herself into a rivalry of sorts with Rousey? Steph certainly wouldn’t be stupid enough to face Rousey one-on-one, but instead pick herself a champion…

Enter Shayna Baszler.

WWE can play off the history of the two former MMA fighters and the drama of Rousey being betrayed by someone she once called a friend, culminating in a match at Mania. Baszler has already established herself as a strong force in NXT and is a genuinely brilliant talent herself, having competed on the independent scene for a few years prior to debuting in the Mae Young Classic.

Throw in a No Holds Barred stipulation for good measure (because why not?) and you’ve got yourself a white-hot bout that was made just for WrestleMania.

 

5. Ronda Rousey vs. Asuka

Three things are certain in life: Death, taxes, and the fact that no one is ready for Asuka.

But maybe, just maaybbeee, Ronda Rousey is.

Both Rousey and Asuka have a strong striking and grappling game, and their two styles would mesh very well for an ultra-competitive bout. Here you have the undefeated “Empress of Tomorrow”, who has been booked incredibly since her beginnings in NXT, and Ronda Rousey, one of the most dominant women in UFC, in a match that neither could afford to lose.

Admittedly, this match would only really work on the assumption that by this point either one of these women had become a women’s champion, or that Rousey had been inserted into a match between Asuka and Alexa Bliss. This would make for an incredibly high-stakes triple threat match, but if booked well, and booked right, maybe, just maybe “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey could be the one to end Asuka’s unbeaten streak.