So, like, what's the deal with Ronda?

[canceled4truth]

I kinda wanna leave the body of this post as "bottom text" because I feel like the title speaks for itself, but, nevertheless, what the hell happened to her? I don't particularly miss her but it was also really weird for her to drop the title in like a minute on a random episode of SmackDown and then never appear or really be mentioned again. Is she gone for good? She definitely seemed like she was checking out after the Liv feud.

[polarbearpete]

Meltzer essentially said they didn’t have anything big lined up for her so they didn’t want to just have her in the Rumble for the hell of it.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

She has regressed hard and the star power attached to her has also dwindled

Seems like she is more interested in just working tags with Shayna

[Fade is a CodyCryBaby]

Much like airplane peanuts they’re salty

[DrBackflipsHoffman]

existing in an etheral plane after encountering Nattie on Twitter

[Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story]

I think we get tag team turmoil at Mania with Becky/Bayley, Liv/Tegan, Ronda/Shayna, Damage CTRL and a few others.

[Moppy]

I get the logic that Ronda's got star power so don't use her as just another goober getting tossed out of the Rumble.

That's kind of an admission that she's not in their thinking for a marquee Mania match though which is pretty wild to think about.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

Jan 29, 2023 15:06:44 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

Meltzer essentially said they didn’t have anything big lined up for her so they didn’t want to just have her in the Rumble for the hell of it.

I'm sure he was told that by folks in WWE but something seems off about the whole thing. She loses the title and just goes away and everything she was doing with Shayna just gets dropped. The idea of keeping her out of the Rumble "to preserve her star power" seems weird given they've booked her as just anyone else on the roster for months. And she could've added something to the match and help set up whatever she's doing at Mania (if she is going to be there). I mean it's the Rumble right? Keeping someone like her on the sidelines on purpose in a shallow division seems weird. I feel like there's something else going on that's not out there right now. 

[Chiral]

As you can see, the real deal with Ronda is that she is a WWE Superstar. She's in her thirties, is married, and currently resides in Riverside, California. Thanks for writing!

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Jan 29, 2023 15:15:20 GMT -5 Moppy said:

I get the logic that Ronda's got star power so don't use her as just another goober getting tossed out of the Rumble.

That's kind of an admission that she's not in their thinking for a marquee Mania match though which is pretty wild to think about.

It was her and Becky until Charlotte came back and I assume they slowed down on that match with Ronda recent performances 

She has no real match now. Like I said just make her and Shayna tag champs and f*** people up. It is mostly props for Io and Kai anyway 

[Confused Mark Wahlberg]

"Forget me, what was the deal with those old Mad Catz controllers? Why were they so shitty?"

[Ben Wyatt]

Honestly, I don't care if she comes back.

Shayna can be what they wanted Ronda to be with the added bonus of her being both more talented and about 1/100th of the crappy person IRL

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Jan 29, 2023 15:24:53 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Honestly, I don't care if she comes back.

Shayna can be what they wanted Ronda to be with the added bonus of her being both more talented and about 1/100th of the crappy person IRL

Vince really f***ed Shayna when he didn't put the title on her when Becky was even telling him to 

[Doo Doo Dickhead]

She'll be back, but imagine if her last words on WWE TV were, "I'm feeling spicy."

[Koda, Master Crunchyroller]

Jan 29, 2023 15:15:58 GMT -5 "Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik said:

Jan 29, 2023 15:06:44 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

Meltzer essentially said they didn’t have anything big lined up for her so they didn’t want to just have her in the Rumble for the hell of it.

I'm sure he was told that by folks in WWE but something seems off about the whole thing. She loses the title and just goes away and everything she was doing with Shayna just gets dropped. The idea of keeping her out of the Rumble "to preserve her star power" seems weird given they've booked her as just anyone else on the roster for months. And she could've added something to the match and help set up whatever she's doing at Mania (if she is going to be there). I mean it's the Rumble right? Keeping someone like her on the sidelines on purpose in a shallow division seems weird. I feel like there's something else going on that's not out there right now. 

Like they're probably even more protective of Brock than they are of Ronda, and he still appeared for a cup of coffee and to stoke the flames of his feud with Lashley for Mania while also planting seeds for things like hopefully a match with Gunther later on. So they literally must have nothing for her so they had no ideas for even things like people she could eliminate or get eliminated by to build towards something. Like the idea that she couldn't even be in the match to kill a few of the NXT women is pretty damning, imo. Nia Jax got "something" to do in the Rumble even. Nia Jax!

[yokohamacpfc]

Asuka v Ronda is an untapped well I think and as we’ve got two nights can surely fit in more than two women’s matches. Some sort of multi match for the title shot at Backlash could also be on the cards.

[dbrussel]

She probably heard those "Thank you Charlotte" chants and "the easiest woman to get offended on the planet" took an extended vacation

[Bang Bang Bart]

As you can see, the real deal with Ronda Rousey is that she's a WWE Superstar. She's in her mid thirties, is married and currently wrestles on SmackDown.

Thanks for writing.

[King Devitt]

Jan 29, 2023 15:15:58 GMT -5 "Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik said:

Jan 29, 2023 15:06:44 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

Meltzer essentially said they didn’t have anything big lined up for her so they didn’t want to just have her in the Rumble for the hell of it.

I'm sure he was told that by folks in WWE but something seems off about the whole thing. She loses the title and just goes away and everything she was doing with Shayna just gets dropped. The idea of keeping her out of the Rumble "to preserve her star power" seems weird given they've booked her as just anyone else on the roster for months. And she could've added something to the match and help set up whatever she's doing at Mania (if she is going to be there). I mean it's the Rumble right? Keeping someone like her on the sidelines on purpose in a shallow division seems weird. I feel like there's something else going on that's not out there right now. 

Plus it just seemed like "get the title off of her ASAP!" out of nowhere too.

Like it was super CharlotteWinsLOL stuff (and I love Charlotte) but it seriously felt like they needed to get her off TV as quickly as they could.

I mean it makes zero sense to not just have Charlotte come back, talk about being the best, and challenge her at the Rumble.
That is a HUGE PPV caliber match, and it was only weeks away. But they had to do it on Smackdown in like a minute.

It definitely feels like something happened behind the scenes.

Meltzer can say 'they had nothing for her' but she was champion, have her face Charlotte at the Rumble, have Shayna try and help her win, fails, and Charlotte wins.
Then you build towards Ronda vs. Shayna.

Or you just have her remain champ, face Sonya on Smackdown and continue on to Mania to face Becky.

Like she has multiple paths she could take, they chose none of them, and she went home.

It's weird.

[Instant Classic]

I wouldn’t mind her and Shayna winning the tag titles for a few months. They still should do Becky vs Ronda straight up 1 on 1.