Add as a preferred source on Google Ronda Rousey returned to pro-wrestling at AEW Revolution, on March 15, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and has now explained why she agreed to appear on Tony Khan’s pay-per-view.
The former WWE star showed up right after Toni Storm defeated Marina Shafir in a match where everyone was banned from ringside. Rousey called Storm into the ring, but the chaos gave Shafir an opening to attack her from behind before the two left the arena through the crowd.
In a recent interview, Rousey said it all happened because of Shafir, her longtime best friend, and because she was already in town promoting her return to MMA. Her fight against Gina Carano is set for May 16 at the Intuit Dome, streaming on Netflix.
Rousey also admitted the appearance had a bit of a jab at TKO, the parent company of WWE and UFC. According to her, AEW felt like a less restrictive, more adult version of WWE, something that allowed her to act more freely.
The former champion also took more shots at her WWE run, saying she often felt like she was doing an imitation of herself, especially when she wasn’t allowed to write her own promos. She also brought up once again Vince McMahon’s final stretch running creative as a negative experience.
As of now, there’s no indication that Rousey has signed with AEW. In other words, her appearance is still being treated as a one-off.