It’s a little unfair for Ronda Rousey to be as good as she appears to be at professional wrestling.
After all, she already has an Olympic silver medal in judo and is the reason the UFC finally brought women to the promotion, where she spent her first six fights in the octagon as champion ripping through the competition. That MMA caught up with her and her stubborn refusal to move past a coach who was ill-equipped to keep her at the top of an ever-changing mountain should take nothing away from the time she spent making her case as being the most dominant athlete alive.
Admit when you’re wrong, kids ... Like me and my original opinion that Ronda Rousey would be HORRIBLE in the WWE
— Troy Hughes™ (@TommySledge) June 18, 2018
I ... was ... wrong #WWE #MITB pic.twitter.com/JMV3XTrYvx
So, it’s a little unfair to see her deliver above and beyond anything resembling a reasonable expectation in her first two big matches in WWE.
Rousey is easy to take pot shots at. Lord knows I’ve done it.
Bumping almost as well as in her last 2 ufc fights. https://t.co/iWTor1063w
— Brent Brookhouse (@brentbrookhouse) June 18, 2018
There’s a disconnect from reality comes with the territory when someone is freakishly talented.
Rousey has deserved many of the arrows fired her way. Her lending credence to the idea the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook was faked and featured crisis actors is a low point in the story of Rousey as a public figure.
She’s also had moments where she used transphobic language, said anyone who uses lube during sex is lazy, stirred up controversy with her “Do Nothing Bitch” campaign and the list goes on.
Despite all the controversy, Rousey elevated herself from a sports superstar to a pop culture icon.
It seemed major movie roles was set to be her future as she talked about winding her professional career down. Except, it turned out on-screen Rousey didn’t have the same presence as off.
But the true fall from grace started when Rousey was knocked out in vicious fashion by a Holly Holm headkick.
She went into a shell, refusing to do media, coming across to many as incapable of handling the idea of losing.
When Rousey emerged once again, ready to regain her throne, she was beaten down quickly by Amanda Nunes.
Those 48 seconds against Nunes brought an end to Rousey’s career as a mixed martial artist.
With MMA in the rear-view and Hollywood retreating, Rousey dipping her toe into professional wrestling seemed more and more likely.
The seed had been planted in 2014 when she said “you never know” if she’d consider a WWE career. That was followed at WrestleMania 31 when she jumped from ringside into the ring to help The Rock in dispatching of Stephanie McMahon and Triple H.
When the jump to WWE became official, no one had reason to expect her to be preternaturally talented.
Most likely, she was just insanely loyal to her idiot grifter coach while still actually trying to be the best. What we're seeing now is what Rousey can do with actual good coaching.
— David Bixenspan (@davidbix) June 18, 2018
Rousey’s in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 was shocking in its entertainment. But, there was reason to think it was a case of Kurt Angle and Triple H being all-time greats who were able to structure the perfect match to showcase her strengths and revolve around big moments, like the brief showdowns with Triple H.
Last night’s match at Money in the Bank, though, was something else.
It was a straight wrestling match. And one with Nia Jax, who is talented but still has rough edges to be smoothed out.
Rousey bumped like a mad woman, she fired up like a veteran on comebacks and she showed off her willingness to go the extra mile with things like a crossbody off the top rope.
TAKING TO THE SKIES!@RondaRousey just LAUNCHED herself off the top rope against @NiaJaxWWE! #MITB #RondavsNia pic.twitter.com/2hidbm8sF9
— WWE (@WWE) June 18, 2018
It was Nia Jax’s best match ever, and it takes a two to make that happen.
Rousey is still an easy target for things that are entirely her own doing.
But she’s no longer a target for making the jump to wrestling. Ronda Rousey can be as good as she wants to be, it appears.
She’s found her home.