Ronda Rousey has no plans to return to WWE, but she could consider a future wrestling match if the right situation arises.
Rousey, a former UFC champion who became a superstar in WWE after her fighting career, called time on her career with the promotion after her latest contract expired and she was at odds with WWE executive Bruce Prichard. After leaving WWE, Rousey appeared in independent wrestling shows in Southern California, with proceeds from those shows going to help victims of the devastating fires in Lahaina, Hawaii.
Rousey doesn't expect to return to wrestling full-time due to her history of concussions and her plans to start a family with husband Travis Browne, but she's certainly open to opportunities like the one she got after leaving WWE last November.
“Right now, I feel like this is the only way I really want to wrestle,” Rousey said in a promotional Q&A for her autobiography. Our Battle“Right now I'm trying to focus on my family and stuff, as I'm trying to have another child. If and when I come back after having another child, I want to do local indie shows so I can get together with friends, set up matches, prepare as much as I want, do all the moves I want, and keep going for as long as I want without having to deal with restrictions, pressure, opinions, etc. Because I can showcase talent that isn't in the spotlight that it deserves.”
“I did that Pro Wrestling Revolver show as a fundraiser for the victims and survivors of the Lahaina fire. Performing in front of a smaller, more intimate audience is what I want to do.”
Ideally, Rousey said she would like to have more control over her matches, including the ability to execute certain moves and have time to develop storylines with her opponents that probably wouldn't fit within the time constraints required by an organization like WWE.
“I feel like I'm having more fun than I would have had if I wasn't able to voice those kinds of opinions,” Rousey said.
Rousey would certainly have no shortage of options if she were to return to professional wrestling, but one organization that would welcome the chance to team up with her is Bloodsport, the organization owned and run by former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett.
Barnett's wrestling style is different from that of organizations like WWE, and he has had many big name fighters appear on his shows throughout the year.
In fact, the next card, scheduled for June 22 in Japan, will feature former UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and UFC Hall of Famer Kazushi Sakuraba facing Barnett in the main event, along with current AEW star Jon Moxley.
Barnett knows Rousey would be a perfect fit for Bloodsport, having had her longtime student and former UFC fighter Shayna Baszler appear on a recent show.
“We know each other, so if she ever needs to scratch an itch, she knows how to reach out to me,” Barnett told MMA Fighting. “She already has a lot going for her. She's a mom. She's part of the whole Brgy Acres thing and everything they do there. The product is amazing. Whenever we have a barbecue or get together at the distillery, I always order ingredients directly from Travis and cook all of their ingredients. I have it in my freezer, so I support the way they do things in that respect.”
“Ronda's done a lot. If she wants to get back into wrestling, if she wants to do something one-off, I can't think of a better place for her to be her best self than in our arena. I don't know. As far as I know, it's not on her mind right now, and it's probably not even on her mind.”
Outside of her relationship with Baszler, Burnett has featured Marina Shafir on past Bloodsport shows, and she remains one of Rousey's best friends. In fact, Shafir performed alongside Rousey on that independent wrestling card last November, and Burnett feels it would be a great fit if the former UFC women's bantamweight champion were to want to work together again.
“Either way, that's the easiest place to get her on the show,” Burnett said. “Marina [Shafir] They appear regularly on our show, so when you see one you'll instantly know the other is there too.”
