Ronda Rousey is officially a WWE superstar.
Following her dramatic, if slightly odd, point to the WrestleMania sign during last month’s Royal Rumble, Rousey entered the ring at Sunday’s Elimination Chamber event to put pen to paper on her WWE contract.
“First of all, I want to earn your respect in this ring,” Rousey said as she assured the fans that she didn’t want any special treatment after making the transition from UFC fighter to professional wrestler.
“I don’t want to be treated any differently than anyone else.”
"Rowdy" @RondaRousey had a message for the @WWEUniverse when she arrived at #WWEChamber to sign her #RAW contract! pic.twitter.com/5DRmgUu0XL
— WWE (@WWE) February 26, 2018
The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion discovered that she would be competing at WrestleMania 34 on April 8, with suggestions that she could team up with Kurt Angle for a tag team match against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
Rousey then put her famed Judo to good use as she slammed Triple H through a table before his wife, who has previous with ‘Rowdy’, added fuel to the storyline by letting fly with a legitimate slap to Rousey’s face.
https://twitter.com/ZPGIFs/status/967962796150460416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fnews%2Fearly-lead%2Fwp%2F2018%2F02%2F26%2Fronda-rousey-wasnt-too-nervous-to-put-triple-h-through-a-table-at-wwes-chamber%2F
Btw. That was a legit slap by Stephanie McMahon. Heard from some folks backstage that Ronda Rousey has a handprint welt on her face 👀
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 26, 2018
Rousey, a former Olympic bronze medallist, shot to fame after becoming the very first female champion in the UFC.
She became the most feared woman on the planet as she put together a 12-0 record before the gaps in her striking game were brought to light in devastating defeats to both Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
It always seemed like something of an inevitability that she would make the WWE her new home, given her athletic prowess and enigmatic personality.
And now she has.
