Why Ronda Rousey’s Original WWE Run Was So Good (And Why Her Return Has Flopped)

Ronda Rouseyis one of the most recognizable names that WWE has on its entire roster, but her professional wrestling career has certainly been an up-and-down one. She has proved that she can be a top-level performer, though at times her tenure in WWE feels as though it has been a flop.

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Despite gaining more experience in the business, it feels more and more like her original run in WWE was far better than this one, with her 2022 return not living up to the hype or expectations. There are several arguments to make for her original 2018-2019 stretch being superior to this latest run in the company.

10 Why Original Run Was Good: Booked Like A Beast

During Ronda Rousey’s first year in WWE, she was made to look like the dominant real-life fighter that she was billed as. Even with a poor end to her UFC run, WWE managed to make her look like the “Most Dangerous Woman On The Planet”.

She had quick and decisive victories, squashed opponents in an enjoyable fashion, and didn’t lose a match for an entire year. She was booked like a legit world beater and fans bought into it for the most part. She held the Raw Women's Title for over 200 days, making her a dominant champion.

9 Why Her Return Has Flopped: Pushed Straight Into Title Contention

Aside from her debut, Ronda Rousey’s time in WWE has seen her in title contention non-stop. Had WWE re-introduced her with a couple of non-title feuds to build her back up and shake off the ring rust, her ascent to the top might have been better received.

Instead, it felt like she has skipped the line and was forced straight to the main event. Whenever this is the case, it is easy for fans to turn on the product and on the wrestler.

8 Why Original Run Was Good: Perfect WrestleMania Introduction

When Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut, she was involved with some of the biggest names in the industry like Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Kurt Angle. She felt like a special attraction and her first match at WrestleMania was perfect.

It was an incredibly constructed spectacle of sports entertainment, with Rousey even getting the better of Triple H when the pair faced off, providing a major rub. WWE took far more care in her matches and presented back then.

7 Why Her Return Has Flopped: Flip-Flop Face/Heel Turns

Rousey returned as a babyface, though she didn’t act like one at first. She would then start pandering too much, then turned heel during a feud with Liv Morgan, only to gain some popularity through her heel antics that it felt like she was a tweener, only to then solidify a heel turn for sure.

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She recently lost her SmackDown Women’s Title to Charlotte Flair, accepting a challenge after a grueling defense, which was completely contradictory to a usual face/heel dynamic, with Rousey looking like a fighting champion despite being the bad guy. Her character has felt all over the place this year.

6 Why Original Run Was Good: Waited Before Winning The World Title

Although Rousey won the Raw Women’s Title quite quickly, WWE still held off for a few months before doing so, which allowed fans to get used to her in the professional wrestling landscape. She had a major WrestleMania debut, and then WWE booked around her winning the belt at Money in the Bank when she faced Nia Jax.

It took until SummerSlam for her to win gold after first appearing in WWE at the Royal Rumble in 2018, whereas this time her title win came much quicker.

5 Why Her Return Has Flopped: Lost At WrestleMania

For someone like Rousey, booking her strongly is hugely important. Her first run worked well due to her looking unstoppable, but WWE undid all that at the first opportunity in her latest run.

At WrestleMania, Rousey lost to Charlotte Flair after a distraction and a big boot, making her look beatable and damaging all of her aura. It was a foolish decision that has made Rousey appear to be less of a major opponent.

4 Why Original Run Was Good: High-Quality Opponents

When looking at some of the opponents Rousey faced in her first run in WWE will tell you all you need to know about why it was so strong. She did battle with Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Natalya, and Becky Lynch, who all managed to help elevate Rousey.

Her matches felt big, they came against other huge stars in what felt like dream match scenarios and working with that caliber of performer brought out the best in Rousey.

3 Why Her Return Has Flopped: SmackDown’s Weak Women’s Roster

Rousey has been on SmackDown since her return in 2022, and whilst there are many decent performers and potential future stars on the roster, it has been hard for Rousey’s matches to feel significant, and the lack of experienced opponents has led to bad matches too.

Rousey has battled with the likes of Sonya Deville, Shotzi, Emma, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, and Aliyah. This is a huge step-down from her previous run, and it has made her title reigns feel very underwhelming.

2 Why Original Run Was Good: Heel Turn Came At The Right Time

One of Rousey’s weaker points is her skill on the microphone. Her babyface run wasn’t going great due to this, so WWE capitalized on the fans turning on her by making her heel, and it helped salvage her Raw Women’s Title reign, it further elevated her main rival Becky Lynch, and brought out the best side of her.

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WWE didn’t learn from their mistakes and tried Rousey as a babyface in 2022, with it once again not working. WWE made the right call at the right time in her first run.

1 Why Her Return Has Flopped: Poor In-Ring Performances

One of the biggest issues about Rousey’s latest run has been her matches. Aside from perhaps her match at Backlash against Charlotte Flair and her most recent defense against Raquel Gonzalez, all of Rousey’s matches have been poor.

Whether it be the years she took off, the quality of opponents, or just bad luck, her reign hasn’t seen many memorable matches or performances, even though she proved in her first run how good she can be.