Reports have former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey already at the WWE Performance Center. This gives new life into the rumors of a UFC vs WWE Horsewomen showdown at WrestleMania. Previous reports had this historic match rumored for the Survivor Series card, but WrestleMania gives the non-WWE competitors more time to train. Nonetheless, it looks like WrestleMania 34 will go down in the history books with a more-than-likely WrestleMania headlined by the women for the first time.
This match has been buzzing since all the way back in August of 2014, yes that long ago. Ronda Rousey was in the midst of a three year reign at an undefeated champion in UFC. At SummerSlam in 2014, Rousey and the self-proclaimed UFC Four Horsewomen (Jessamyn Duke, Marina Shafir, Shayna Baszler, and Rousey) were in the front row of the pay-per-view. It started as a fantasy draw up until WrestleMania 31 just months later, where Rousey entered the WWE ring for the first time in a promo with The Rock. Since then, there has been back and forth teases of a Ronda Rousey match. WWE’s own Four Horsewomen (Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch) were a possible match-up.
However, since 2015, the fantasy match buzz has died down for several reasons. When the conspiracy was first manufactured, all eight women were at the top of their respected industry. Since 2015, Rousey has lost the championship, not won another bout since her first lost, and has even departed from UFC. Shafir’s professional record was 1-2, she never really made it into UFC, and hasn’t fought in over two years. Duke, who fought under Rousey in The Ultimate FIghter 18, won the finale and had a 3-0 record. She lost her next five bouts and faded out of existence. Baszler, surprisingly, ended up in WWE. She had a record of 15-11, but hadn’t won since 2012. She left and signed with WWE, where she was the eventual runner-up in the Mae Young Classic. The UFC Four Horsewomen were together again at the MYC Finale when they supported Baszler. Unlike their WWE counterparts, the UFC women aren’t as relevant as they were 3 years ago.
On the flip side, WWE’s Four Horsewomen have continued to be successful for their company. Bayley was a NXT and Raw Women’s Champion. Flair is also a NXT Women’s Champion, four time Raw Women’s Champion, and WWE Divas Champion. Lynch was the inaugural SmackDown Women’s Champion and Banks is a NXT Women’s Champion and four time Raw Women’s Champion.
Nonetheless, WrestleMania 34 could be the biggest show of them all. Women have never headlined a WrestleMania, but the implications of this match makes it a sure closer for the show if it gets inked. All eight women have been the inspirations behind the revolutions behind their company’s female division and could share a stage.
Obviously the WWE Horsewomen have years of experience over their possible opponents, but they are no strangers to a fight. Baszler and Rousey will have roughly six months to hone their skills at the training center while Duke and Shafir have yet to be signed. Ronda Rousey will inevitably become a WWE Superstar after the match and stay with the company, as will Baszler. The only question is how good of a WWE wrestler can she become in just six months?
