WWE
Marina Shafir recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of SI.com about various topics. Here are the highlights.
On how the Four Horsewomen of MMA might fare in WWE if they were to ever appear for the company:
“Wrestling is a show, and it’s very much entertainment. You’re playing off of a character you’re perceived to be. None of us would have a problem losing a wrestling match, especially Ronda. It’s all about how the characters would be built up, so we’d have to see how it played out. I don’t think we would overshadow the women’s division, but I am convinced that we would be a force to be reckoned with. The reality of actually going in the Octagon and fighting is a sense of realism that, no matter how great the promo, no wrestler could ever overshadow. I mean, look at Brock Lesnar. It would be really fun if we all went to WWE together, and the idea is very exciting to all of us. All of us are at different stages in our lives, but synchronicity eventually happens. There will be a point in all of our lives where we’re orbiting around the same goals.”
On if she thinks Ronda Rousey will ever fight again in the UFC?
“I don’t know if she’ll ever fight again. Before I was pregnant, I was coming off two losses. You just learn. This is a learning process. Ronda is very dedicated and passionate. Her whole life is based on rising, all the time. I don’t have any doubt that she won’t, it’s just that everybody thinks that they know who she is. Everybody thinks they know the situation, and everybody thinks they know everything’s that is going on in her life. She just needs to be left alone and process this on her own. The loss itself? She just wasn’t there that night, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The media has come at her mercilessly and fighters that had supported her throughout her career are taking this opportunity to kick her while she’s down. She’s already won—she blazed a f—ing trail and has a whole road named after her. She’s still impacting women, still impacting the fight industry, and a lot of the reason that there is this new wave of younger up-and-coming female grapplers and fighters is because of her. Ronda can easily excuse this loss on some of the serious damage she has taken to her body in the last four-five years, but you don’t and you won’t ever hear about any of it—because as a champion, she has never made excuses. It is fascinating to me how she was encouraged all along throughout her career to reach these, assumedly, unreachable heights of success, and now that she’s made it, everyone who has supported her is trying to shoot her down. No one likes a winner, and she’s still won at life, so that’s why the hate continues. I understand if she decides to fight again and I also understand if she doesn’t.”