Before her main event tag match with Natalya against Royal Rumble challenger Sasha Banks & Bayley last night (Jan. 21), Ronda Rousey cut this promo. It was delivered backstage in response to a question from Dasha Fuentes about what the Raw Women’s champ would say to Banks if she were there with them:
“I know I’m supposed to be focused on this tag tonight, and I am really focused - I am. It’s just I’ve been thinking and trying to rack my brain and trying to find a reason, any reason, that I owe Sasha Banks an apology. And you know what? I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t owe Sasha Banks a damn thing!
I mean, on the first ever Moment of Bliss I have the ear of the world and I took my moment to tell everyone how underappreciated Sasha is and how worthy she is of the honor of challenging for the Raw Women’s championship. And what not, two secondses - two seconds - two sentences into - accepting the opportunity that I offered her, she insults me. I just don’t understand what she expects of me? From the first day that I walked into the locker room I’ve been nothing but respectful to her, and I have received nothing but restrained resentment in return. I mean, what does she want me to do - cut off my hair and wash her feet with it?
It’s just, I was put in the position of begging her to challenge me for the title!?!? I mean, she’s always saying that she’s the best, but where is her desire to prove it? She’s too busy travelling around the world living the lifestyle of a boss then to - actually - be a champion and earn being a champion! And you know she’s so high on her own hype instead of hungry with desire to be better today than she was yesterday and better tomorrow than she is today. That’s the difference between a boss and a champion. And at the Royal Rumble, I’m going to show her that the boss has to answer to somebody, and that’s me - Ronda Rousey! I’m the boss’ boss, the HBIC and the Raw Women’s champion!”
Rowdy builds up to some real fire, and the closing lines are the strongest. Before that, though? It’s pretty rough. She stumbles over the seconds/sentences line and doesn’t really recover until the end. Along the way, we get the bizarre feet/hair thing which definitely won’t help with Becky Lynch calling her a “little weirdo”. I’m not sure whether it was in the script or an ad-lib or interpretation she leaned on after the flub, but the way she portrays Banks’ approach to wrestling and the match doesn’t really line up with what’s been presented on-screen. And not in a “delusional heel re-writing the story” way, but more of a “I haven’t been paying attention” way.
The fact that WWE doesn’t have video of the segment anywhere outside of the show itself led me to believe they agreed with my assessment - promos still aren’t Rousey’s strong suit, and this was best chalked up to a learning experience and discarded from history.
Not so, say the Hall of Famers of Sirius XM’s Busted Open Radio:
Why was RR promo good?
— Bully Ray (@bullyray5150) January 22, 2019
Because it didnt sound scripted.
She sounded upset, flustered, riled up, pissed off, but most of all... PASSIONATE!!
Spoke from the heart.
Real does not have to be perfect.
I believed.
Thus, strong promo.#RAW@BustedOpenRadio
"We were thinking when she signed it would take two to three years to get here. We are already here. Not just in-ring but with her promos as well." @TheMarkHenry on @RondaRousey headinging into the #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/9xOFCt8TqP
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) January 22, 2019
Mark Henry still works for WWE, so there could be an element of protecting Ronda’s confidence and promoting one of the company’s big stars to his comment. And I guess Bully Ray just really liked the promo?
Like I said, I agree the passion was there. But otherwise this was a mess... in my opinion.
But the Busted Open team has me scratching my head, Cagesiders. So I’m asking you.
Was Ronda Rousey’s promo... good?