Former WWE Star Ronda Rousey Launches Kickstarter For Original Graphic Novel

Former WWE star Ronda Rousey might not be getting back into a wrestling ring any time soon, but she's just kicked off her latest creative endeavor, and appropriately, it could be considered unexpected.

On Thursday, Rousey launched a Kickstarter campaign for an original graphic novel, written by Rousey herself, titled Expecting the Unexpected. The book is drawn by American comic book superstar Mike Deodato and features a hired assassin code-named "Mom" who stashes her weapons in a fake baby bump, but who then becomes pregnant herself. Rousey told Wrestling Inc. she originally conceived of the story — which combines her combat sports background with her experiences as a mother since the birth of her daughter in 2021 — as leading toward an eventual action film in which she would play the lead, which is why its fight scenes are meticulously crafted for accuracy and "Mom" bears a distinct resemblance to Rousey herself. It quickly became a passion project, as Rousey began working on the book during late-night hours while her daughter was asleep, constructing a tale that atypically centers a pregnant woman in an action role.

The Kickstarter campaign is seeking $20,000 in funding and has already pulled in more than $6,000 as of this writing. Its reward tiers range from $20, which gets you a digital copy of Expecting the Unexpected, to $2,500, which will earn up to 10 contributors a place in the comic itself, as they will be made into enemy assassins that "Mom" defeats — or, in other words, "you'll get your ass kicked by Ronda!" Other rewards include signed copies, variant covers, oversized editions, and accessories like hats, shirts, and trading cards, as well as an exclusive poster for those who contribute this weekend in conjunction with San Diego Comic Con, which Rousey is attending as a panelist. The campaign is set to conclude 33 days after launch.

Between the new graphic novel and writing her own biopic for Netflix, any imminent return to wrestling seems unlikely for Rousey, whose last WWE match took place almost a year ago at SummerSlam 2023, when she lost to former tag team partner Shayna Baszler in a mixed martial arts match. Rousey did perform three more matches after leaving WWE, but hasn't wrestled since appearing for Tony Khan's "ROH on HonorClub" alongside longtime friend Marina Shafir in November.

When asked by Wrestling Inc. what changes would need to be made that could incite her to return to WWE, Rousey cited the chaos that comes with performing weekly wrestling TV, in which wrestlers often don't know who they're working with until the day of the show, or see their matches changed, cut down, or even eliminated entirely at the last minute. That's the kind of environment Rousey would like to see reformed in favor of the ability to plan shows and rehearse matches in advance. Rousey also didn't rule out the possibility of competing in other wrestling promotions in the future. For the time being, however, her creative plans appear to lie firmly outside the squared circle — especially since she announced at San Diego Comic Coin that she's pregnant with her second child.