WWE's Ronda Rousey will wrestle at WrestleMania 34

Marcus Vanderberg

LAS VEGAS – Five years ago this weekend, Ronda Rousey changed the mixed martial arts world as we know it when she defeated Liz Carmouche in her UFC debut at UFC 157 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

With Rousey’s MMA career all but likely done, the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion is ready to change the professional wrestling world as she signed her contract to WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” Sunday night at the T-Mobile Arena – the site of her crushing UFC loss to Amanda Nunes in 2016.

But like any WWE contract signing, there were shenanigans.

Rousey resumed her rivalry with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H from WrestleMania 31 by tossing the 14-time champion through a table, resulting in Stephanie slapping the holy hell out of Rousey as retaliation. The main instigator was in fact WWE “Monday Night Raw” general manager Kurt Angle, who spilled the tea and let Rousey know that behind closed doors, Triple H and Stephanie referred to the newest WWE signee as a “has-been.” Prior to Rousey confronting the WWE power couple, Triple H informed her that she would have a match at WrestleMania 34 on April 8 in New Orleans.

Ronda Rousey tossed Triple H through a table at WWE’s “Elimination Chamber” on Sunday night in Las Vegas. (Photo courtesy WWE)
Ronda Rousey tossed Triple H through a table at WWE’s “Elimination Chamber” on Sunday night in Las Vegas. (Photo courtesy WWE)

That match (as of now) appears to be Rousey teaming up with the Olympic gold medalist Angle to battle McMahon and Triple H.

Rousey started the evening with some boos from the Las Vegas crowd when she was featured in a video leading up to her segment, but by the end of the night, she had managed to win the fans over.

Rousey made her WWE debut last month at the conclusion of the “Royal Rumble.” It was reported she had signed a full-time contract with the company.

“This is my life now. First priority on my timeline for the next several years. This is not a smash-and-grab; this is not a publicity stunt,” Rousey told ESPN. “When I first met with Triple H, I told him, ‘There are other things I can do with my time that’ll make way more money, but I won’t enjoy nearly as much.'”