After months of speculation, Ronda Rousey made her debut in WWE during the Royal Rumble epilogue. The former UFC Bantamweight World Champion stepped into the ring and had a brief confrontation with the winner of the women's battle royal, Asuka (who was about to choose her opponent for WrestleMania), and then pointed to the WrestleMania 34 logo before leaving with greetings to the spectators who had attended the event.
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The arrival of the fighter to the wrestling promotion was something that was going to happen sooner or later. It is well known the passion that "Rowdy" (a nickname inherited from Roddy Piper himself) has for professional wrestling. However, some fans still can't stand the idea of someone from UFC coming to WWE; even worse, they don't want to accept the privileged position that Vince McMahon's company is willing to give her.
Why does Rousey receive so much criticism if we have never seen her in a ring? Because Rousey comes from the world of MMA, a sport that many believe ruined Brock Lesnar and turned him into the "lazy" wrestler he is today.
Another aspect that is criticized about Rousey is that she could overshadow the female wrestlers who started the Women's Revolution, which doesn't make sense because Rousey was the one who started the revolution, as she showed in UFC that a woman can be just as successful and popular as a man, breaking revenue records with her title defenses.
In addition, the acclaimed Four Horsewomen of WWE are nothing more than a group based on the true Four Horsewomen, composed of Jessamyn Duke, Marina Shafir, Shayna Baszler, and Rousey herself.
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Many fans insist that Rousey cannot come to WWE and enter the main stage because she "has to work her way up to reach the podium", and while this argument makes sense, it cannot be applied to the fighter's case because she is not just another competitor, she is the most popular female star that has ever existed in combat sports.
At her peak in UFC, Rousey earned in one fight what the cast of either WWE brand earns in a year. Someone of that level can only receive special treatment.
Rousey could become the most legitimate female wrestler in history. She is not only a former UFC champion, but also an Olympic bronze medalist in Judo. Technically, she has everything she needs to dominate both divisions effortlessly. Finally, the United States has a female wrestler that can be boasted as better than any Japanese wrestler.
Of course, everything could go downhill if they handle Rousey like just another wrestler. The only intelligent path is to give her a similar position to Brock Lesnar's, so that her matches are special and always have an aura of authenticity. Thus, we would be witnessing the greatest WWE female superstar of the modern era.