WWE HOFer Eric Bischoff Speculates On Ronda Rousey's Wrestling Future
Ronda Rousey's run in professional wrestling can be considered a success, from a financial perspective at the very least. Still, according to Eric Bischoff, any meaningful future run is probably unlikely. On the latest episode of "Strictly Business," Bischoff explained that he simply doesn't see an extended run in Rousey's future.
"I mean, she may pop up like she did recently with Ring of Honor, or on the independent scene or whatever. But I just don't see her making another big career comeback. I just don't."
That Ring of Honor appearance, in which she teamed with her real-life best friend, Marina Shafir, to take on Billie Starkz and ROH Women's Champion Athena, didn't make much sense to Bischoff. In fact, he called it "weird" and questioned what the motivation behind the appearance was for Rousey.
"Why would she do that?" Bischoff asked. "What's the motivation? She doesn't need the money. Is she trying to prove that she actually loves professional wrestling, that she actually has it in her, quote-unquote, blood? Or is it just a stunt to get some attention and maybe get back into a conversation with WWE? I don't know."
When co-host Jon Alba noted that he thought Rousey probably just wanted to do something fun in working with Shafir, and that the pair had just done another one-off together prior to the ROH appearance, Bischoff ceded a bit and agreed that it did make sense with that in mind.
Has Ronda Rousey's wrestling career been a success?
Whether Rousey defies Bischoff's reasoning about a comeback or not, the former WCW Vice President contends that what she's already accomplished in pro wrestling, primarily in WWE, has to be looked at as successful, at least from a business perspective. And perhaps that was her plan all the while.
"I'm sure it was financially successful for her," asserted Bischoff. "I admire [Rousey] greatly [but] I never felt she was passionate about it. I think it was a career move for her. I think it was a great financial move for her, but I never got the feeling that she was in it. She was visiting from day one."
Another element that stands out from Rousey's time in wrestling to this point is how she was positioned initially in WWE, which was clearly as a babyface from her debut, thinking that maybe if things had been orchestrated differently, a heel Rousey from the onset would have been the better play.
"Ronda was cast right out of the chute as a babyface. She's not a babyface," Bischoff exclaimed. "Perhaps, if she would have been positioned as a heel when she made her debut, the outcome of her run may have been much different. But when you take someone with little to no real performance experience, other than her athletic background, and you cast them in a role that requires some level of acting and character development, you're much better off sticking to someone's core personality traits."
If you use quotes in this article, please credit "Strictly Business with Eric Bischoff" and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.