WWE has made it clear that Ronda Rousey is a big part of its future, but the company has left open a few possibilities for her potential WrestleMania 34 rivalry.
Rousey made her highly anticipated debut at the Royal Rumble after Asuka won the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match, and she put a target on three of WWE's greatest female superstars: Asuka, Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss and SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair. While Rousey didn't officially challenge any of those three stars and Flair made it clear she'd love to face Rousey on the grandest stage of them all, it's a safe bet that those three stars are all prime candidates to be Rousey's first WWE opponent.
Then again, maybe not. Because WWE could have even bigger plans in store for Rousey.
After weeks of Triple H hinting that Rousey would be WWE bound in the near future, it's been reported by ESPN that Rousey has surprisingly signed a full-time deal to work for WWE, a bit of a shocker given that most stars of her stature would typically come in to WWE as a part-time attraction. Oddly enough, though, Triple H, the man who is largely responsible for bringing Rousey to WWE, could soon find himself across the ring from her at WrestleMania 34.
According to F4WOnline.com, WWE is hoping to strike a deal with The Rock so that "The People's Champion" can team up with Rousey at WWE's biggest pay-per-view of the year:
The current plan for Ronda Rousey's WWE debut at WrestleMania looks to be a tag team match against Stephanie McMahon & Triple H.
There had been rumors all week regarding the match the company had tried to put together for WrestleMania 31 with Rousey & Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson against Stephanie & Triple H. It is unknown whether that match can be put together. Johnson hasn't' been able to wrestle a significant match due to insurance reasons regarding movies he has agreed to do that have kept him from wrestling at last few WrestleMania shows.
As noted by the report, insurance issues have complicated things for The Rock, who has had a wrestling-related injury delay the filming of a major movie in the past. That would seemingly be the biggest holdup to this potential dream match, one that WWE first teased way back at WrestleMania 31 in 2015 when Triple H, The Rock, Rousey and McMahon were involved in arguably the most unforgettable segment on the show.
That segment was what really got the wheels turning on the Rousey-to-WWE talk as rumors circulated about this potentially huge mixed tag team match happening at WrestleMania 32 the following year, but a number of factors obviously prevented that from happening. Since then, however, Triple H has made it clear he'd love to step into the ring with The Rock one more time, and now, WWE has its best opportunity to make that happen.
The Rock is well known for being one of the busiest and hardest-working stars in Hollywood, which means he'll have to find some room in his schedule for WWE, where he, of course, has proven to be a massive draw. The last time The Rock had a long awaited dream match was in 2012 when he faced John Cena for the first time ever at WrestleMania 28, and his presence at that show helped it generate the highest PPV buyrate in company history.
Might he be able to do something similar at WrestleMania 34? You have to think the answer to that question is a resounding yes.
The Rousey-to-WWE talk is finally over. She's here, and she's here to stay. Her presence at WrestleMania 34 alone should provide a huge boost to the WWE Network subscriber count because she is one of the biggest draws in UFC history and arguably the most famous female athlete in the world. That should result in more mainstream media coverage for WWE, especially if and when she teams with The Rock to take on Triple H and McMahon, who are certainly no slouches themselves.
Despite being positioned for years as one of WWE's most hated heels, McMahon was, at last check, likely a top three merchandise seller among WWE's female stars while Triple H is certainly one of WWE's most accomplished active wrestlers and a respected veteran among fans. When working together as The Authority, Triple H and Stephanie have demonstrated in the past that they are more than capable of drawing in viewers when the story is right, and that certainly could hold true during a dream feud with Rousey.
Of course, the way WWE made such a big deal about Rousey's signing and debut at the Royal Rumble (giving it the main event slot) shows that the company is serious about pushing Rousey as one of its top acts going forward. Given how much of a draw she was in UFC, it's likely that Rousey will be able to attract new fans on her own, but putting her in such a major rivalry right out of the gate will instantly establish her as a must-see fan favorite in the world of pro wrestling.
Whether Rousey teams up with The Rock or someone else at WrestleMania 34 (perhaps Kurt Angle?), expect her showdown with Triple H and Stephanie to be a featured attraction on the show. And that would be a smart decision, too.
