Ronda Rousey shoots down WWE Royal Rumble rumors: 'I've got other stuff to do right now'
Leading up to this weekend’s WWE Royal Rumble, one giant question has loomed over wrestling fans.
Will Ronda Rousey make her wrestling debut?
Despite being seen ringside at the Mae Young Classic in 2017 and in Los Angeles dining with WWE COO Paul “Triple H” Levesque earlier this month, Rousey has shot down any speculation that she would be competing in the 30-woman Royal Rumble match this weekend in Philadelphia.
“I’m actually leaving to Colombia right now to finish shooting ‘Mile 22’ and won’t be back until mid-February,” Rousey told TMZ Sports. “I’ve got other stuff to do right now”
In addition to being out of the country, the former UFC superstar said that she doesn’t even have an official contract with the WWE yet.
“Regardless of what anyone’s said, no pen to paper for me,” Rousey said.
Of course, Rousey’s denial could just be a way to throw fans off the idea of her making her debut during the historic Royal Rumble match. There have been rumors of Rousey making the jump to WWE ever since she appeared alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at WrestleMania 31.
“We have nothing to announce at this time,” Triple H told AP after their dinner. “But she’s a huge fan of what we do and she’s incredibly interested in what we do and the opportunities that lie there. We’re fans of hers and incredibly interested in what those opportunities could be with us. But there’s a lot of things to walk through. We’re talking. We’re having conversations.”
As of Thursday afternoon, even with her denial, Rousey remained the betting favorite (11/8) to win the women’s Royal Rumble match and earn a title opportunity at WrestleMania 34 in April.
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