Ronda Rousey Speculated To Make Wrestlemania 31 Appearance
It is no big secret that the reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is a huge fan of wrestling. She made waves last summer when she sat courtside for Summer Slam. The judo expert was heavily photographed alongside boss woman Stephanie McMahon and helped the latter accomplish her Ice Bucket Challenge. Then she went to a local wrestling match with a few members of her Four Horsewomen to ramp up the event at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Now, it appears she is on her way to the biggest stage in wrestling at no less than, Wrestlemania 31.
WWE Hall of Fame Commentator Jim Ross delivered in his podcast "Ross Report" that Rowdy is set to appear in the biggest pay-per-view of the World Wrestling Entertainment not just as a spectator but as a performer. Ross was speaking with former WWE employee and manager J.J. Dillon when the talk veered into the territory of the UFC's biggest name. Both men were ecstatic at the prospect of Rowdy gracing the event along with potentially her Four Horsewomen in Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir rubbing elbows with the original Four Horsemen of WWE.
"So, I'm thinking, 'Wow!' That would be a natural thing that the Four Horsewomen will be somehow rubbing elbows with the Four Horsemen," Dillon revealed. "And then "Rowdy" Roddy Piper would have to be there because that's where "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey picked up the "Rowdy" from. But then again, what do I know?"
No final statements have emerged yet from Vince McMahon and company yet the murmurs of Rousey tussling it up with the Divas became a hot topic since last summer at Summer Slam. The appearance may have some legs given that the 27-year-old fighter is a big fan of the WWE even taking her nickname from the original leader of the Four Horsemen, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. The 1986 version of the quartet included Piper, Arn Anderson (Piper's storyline cousin), Tully Banchard (a Ric Flair wannabee) and Ole Anderson (a veteran fighter).
Rousey's merry band of women mixed martial artists appear to mirror that composition with Rousey herself, Shafir who is her long-time friend and sparring partner, Duke- a young protégé, and Baszler who is also a wrestling fan. This seems to complete the roles of leader, enforcer, protégé and veteran presence which is also present in the original iteration. Given these circumstances, it would be exciting to watch the old and the new mesh in whatever promotional gimmickry the WWE can produce. With things still up in the air, Wrestlemania 31 will have to wait for the surprises.