At the end of the night on Sunday, the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble winner stood in the ring with the two WWE champions, but something even bigger was coming. Thirty women stepped into the ring and 29 of them were eliminated with only Asuka standing tall as the winner of the huge match, but the world stood in shock at what happened next. Some strange music filled the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut.

Asuka put on an incredibly impressive performance and stood tall as the overall winner, but she had a big decision to make. Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair entered the ring so Asuka could select who she would face at WrestleMania 34.

The Royal Rumble winner looked back and forth at the two champions and looked at the sign for the iconic event. Before she could actually reveal her decision, she was interrupted by some strange entrance music and a TitanTron video showcasing the name of none other than Ronda Rousey.

Yes, the former MMA legend had entered a WWE arena yet again, but it didn’t look like she was there just for an appearance this time around.

As reported by ESPN, Ronda Rousey has now signed a full-time contract with WWE which means the years of rumors have finally come true.

Rousey was sporting a T-shirt honoring the late Rowdy Roddy Piper, and she entered the ring to face off with three of the best women in wrestling today. She looked at the two champions and Asuka before extending her hand to shake that of the Royal Rumble winner.

As Asuka reaches out, she just slaps Rousey’s hand away and receives a smile from the former MMA fighter. Ronda Rousey then points to the WrestleMania sign as her music starts up, and she leaves the ring with a big smile on her face.

Asuka didn’t get to make her selection as to who she wanted to face at WrestleMania 34, but that will come soon enough. The world was shocked by all that transpired tonight at the Royal Rumble, but WWE knew how to take it one step past all of that. The rumors have finally come true and Ronda Rousey is now a full-time superstar, but who will she go after first? </s> WWE Royal Rumble 2018 ended with Asuka winning the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match, but not to be outdone, Ronda Rousey also made her highly anticipated WWE debut.

Asuka and Ronda Rousey entered the match as the top two betting favorites, but with Rousey not actually participating in the match, it was Asuka who outlasted 29 other competitors and earned herself the monumental victory. Now that WWE has pulled the trigger on another marquee win for the unstoppable Asuka on the same night Rousey came to WWE, the next step is quite apparent: Rousey must face Asuka at WrestleMania 34.

In a WWE world where its female audience is the largest it has ever been, Rousey vs. Asuka is the "money match" that the women's division has never had. On one hand, you've got Asuka, who has never been been pinned or submitted in WWE and is arguably the most must-see attraction in the women's division in recent memory. On the other hand, there is Rousey, the most successful female MMA fighter of all-time and someone who helped ignite the women's evolution in WWE, whether fans realized it or not, by forcing WWE to put a spotlight on women's wrestling.

Rousey was recently listed by ESPN as the 16th most famous athlete in the world and No. 1 among female athletes, even outranking well-known names like Tom Brady, Conor McGregor, Maria Sharapova and James Harden. Rousey's celebrity has expanded well beyond the world of MMA into Hollywood and now the world of sports entertainment, where she brings with her a huge fan base the likes of which WWE's women's division has never seen.

Rousey is one of the biggest draws in UFC history, so it stands to reason that, even after enduring a rollercoaster ride of an MMA career in recent years, that drawing ability will translate to the world of pro wrestling. Although recent data indicates that stars like Alexa Bliss and the Bella Twins are surprisingly good draws (especially the former), the women's division, at least in modern history, has never had the massive mainstream star who could catapult it to new heights beyond the scope of WWE.

That's exactly what Rousey can do, and it's why her expected presence in the women's division will benefit everyone in WWE. Male or female.

The former UFC star equals more exposure for WWE and its women's division, which means more exposure, and ideally, more money for every female performer in WWE. The effect that Rousey could have on WWE's women's division should be similar to that of Brock Lesnar, WWE's most notable crossover star, who is also one of UFC's biggest draws ever and has been given that same moniker as WWE's biggest current draw. </s> Share this article with Google Plus

WWE Royal Rumble will go down as one of the most newsworthy shows of the year after a four hour show which produced plenty of talking points.

Two Japanese stars won big at the event, as Shinsuke Nakamura won the men’s Royal Rumble, and Asuka claimed victory in the first ever women’s Rumble.

But it was the debut of former UFC Champion Ronda Rousey which got the world talking, as the longtime wrestling fan strolled down to the ring after Asuka’s victory.

Rousey pointed at the Wrestlemania sign and shook Stephanie McMahon’s hand at ringside, before it was revealed on social media that she had signed a full time WWE contract.

Many had expected Rousey to take part in the Rumble itself, and when the men’s version went on first, the expectation was that she would win the match.

Instead it was the undefeated Asuka who emerged victorious, and she refused Rousey’s offer of a handshake in the post-match antics.

A potential Wrestlemania match between the two would be a sight to behold, but both Raw women’s champion Alexa Bliss and SmackDown champion Charlotte Flair are expected to be involved as well.

Trish Stratus, Lita and The Bella Twins all returned for the women’s Rumble, while NXT champion Ember Moon also made an appearance.

It was a night of success for Japan as Shinsuke Nakamura won the men’s Royal Rumble after eliminating 2015 winner Roman Reigns.

Previous stars including Rey Mysterio and The Hurricane competed in the match, as well as NXT champion Andrade Cien Almas and former Ring of Honor champion Adam Cole.

The final six consisted of an all-star cast including John Cena, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Rey Mysterio, Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura, who eliminated both John Cena and Roman Reigns to win the match.

Nakamura’s win was hugely popular, and he immediately challenged WWE Champion AJ Styles for a title match at Wrestlemania.

Styles defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn earlier in the show, while Brock Lesnar retained his Universal title against Braun Strowman and Kane.

Lesnar pinned Kane after an F5 onto a steel chair, and he is expected to face Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 34 in April.

Sheamus and Cesaro regained their Raw tag-team titles over Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan, while The Usos retained against Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin.

With WWE’s flagship Monday Night Raw show taking place tonight, expect plenty of news from the Royal Rumble to be developed in more depth. </s> “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey can now add professional wrestler to her résumé.

Rousey, 30, made a surprise appearance after the World Wrestling Entertainment’s women’s Royal Rumble match Sunday. She signed a full-time contract with the WWE, ESPN reported during her appearance.

“This is my life now. First priority on my timeline for the next several years. This is not a smash-and-grab; this is not a publicity stunt,” she said to ESPN.

As Asuka celebrated her Royal Rumble victory next to Raw women’s champion Alexa Bliss and SmackDown women’s champion Charlotte Flair, Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” blasted across the speakers. Rousey came out wearing a shirt with “Rousey” printed on it, in the same style of the “Hot Rod” shirts that former WWE pro wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper wore. Fitting as Rousey earned her nickname from Piper.

The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion was reportedly close to signing a deal with the WWE last December. Her last mixed martial arts fight was in December 2016 when she lost via knockout to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.

Rousey first appeared in the WWE in March 2015 when she made an appearance at WrestleMania 31 alongside Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson to confront Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. She also in the audience of the WWE’s Mae Young Classic in September 2017 — a 32-women tournament featuring wrestlers from the company’s developmental brand, NXT, and the independent circuit. There she faced off against the WWE’s “Four Horsewomen” of Bayley, Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.

“Now that I realize I really do have this opportunity, I feel like my 6-year-old self would totally kick my (butt) if I didn’t take it,” she said to ESPN.

Many MMA fighters have made the leap to the world of pro wrestling over the years, including UFC Hall of Famers Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock. Current WWE Universal titleholder Brock Lesnar is a former UFC heavyweight champion. </s> Ronda Rousey made a surprise entry into the WWE arena on Sunday night after the conclusion of women’s Royal Rumble 2018 match. Rousey confronted the Rumble winner Asuka, Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte. Rousey pointed to the WrestleMania sign and then offered to shake hands with Asuka who denied the offer.

Ronda Rousey again pointed at the WrestleMania sign hanging in the rafters before walking out of the ring. She then went on to shake hands with Stephanie McMahon before exiting the arena. The Ronda Rousey’s debut in WWE at the Royal Rumble 2018 was one of the most shocking moments of the night. While earlier rumors did hint her participation in the Rumble, no one expected her to walk in the ring after the match concluded.

New reports suggest the Ronda Rousey has signed a contract with WWE. As reported by the ESPN, Ronda Rousey has signed a contract with WWE as a full-time professional wrestler. Rousey clarified that this was not a publicity stunt or a one-time thing and WWE would be her first priority for the next several years. This does suggest the Ronda Rousey and WWE have finally agreed on mutual terms.

The rumors of Ronda Rousey joining WWE have been doing rounds for quite some time. Rousey first had a brush with WWE during WrestleMania 31 when Rock pulled her from the crowd into the ring, and she tossed Triple H as well as Stephanie McMahon out of the ring. She was later spotted at a couple of other WWE events.

During the Mae Young Classic, Ronda Rousey was seen with fellow MMA fighter Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke being confronted by Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch. This incident triggered rumors of “Four Horsewomen” match with the addition of Sasha Banks and Shayna Baszler to the mix. Rousey was also seen in the audience in Las Vegas supporting fellow MMA veteran Baszler.

Ronda Rousey is an iconic name in the world of MMA with some unbelievable wins under her belt. She won her first three amateur MMA fights in under a minute and her first 12 professional fights were also one-sided. She eventually went on to become the women’s bantamweight champion. Rousey is considered as one of the most renowned MMA fighters.

With Ronda Rousey debuting on the Royal Rumble 2018 and becoming a full-time wrestler with WWE, it would be interesting to see who will be her first target. The WWE women’s division has come a long way, addition of Rousey will only consolidate the fan base and result in more exciting matches. </s> Ronda Rousey’s crossover into professional wrestling is official.

The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion has signed with WWE and made a surprise appearance at tonight’s Royal Rumble in Philadelphia.

“This is my life now,” Rousey told ESPN.com of her decision to join WWE. “First priority on my timeline for the next several years. This is not a smash-and-grab; this is not a publicity stunt. When I first met with Triple H, I told him, ‘There are other things I can do with my time that’ll make way more money, but I won’t enjoy nearly as much.'”

Rousey, 30, had her last UFC fight on Dec. 30, 2016, when she lost in 48 seconds via TKO to current champion Amanda Nunes. It was the second consecutive stoppage loss of Rousey’s career after opening 12-0 to help put women’s MMA on the map. She joined the UFC in February 2013 and reeled off six consecutive title defenses as her popularity transcended into the mainstream.

Ever since the loss to Nunes, Rousey (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) remained quiet on her future, never officially announcing her retirement from MMA. UFC President Dana White has said repeatedly in the past 13 months that he didn’t believe Rousey would return to the octagon.

A career in pro wrestling has been rumored for months, given Rousey’s life-long fandom. Her nickname, “Rowdy,” is an homage to late WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

But even though there was speculation, nothing seemed certain until recently when it was widely reported that Rousey began meeting with WWE executives Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Stephanie McMahon. Rousey even showed up to WWE events to support friend and former MMA fighter Shayna Baszler, which only ramped up speculation.

Rousey tried to keep her Royal Rumble debut a secret this week, but many believed she was just doing her part to swerve fans. That turned out to be the case.

In her first appearance, Rousey came out after the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match. She had a face-off of sorts with winner Asuka, Smackdown women’s champion Charlotte Flair and Raw women’s champion Alexa Bliss. Seemingly declared her intention to be part of April’s Wrestlemania pay-per-view when she gestured toward the sign hanging at Wells Fargo Center.

Here’s what went down (via WWE Twitter): </s> If the Royal Rumble is the road to WrestleMania, then it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

The Rumble kicked off WWE’s build to WrestleMania, and the publicly owned company listened to its fan base when Shinsuke Nakamura claimed victory in the men’s Rumble and challenged AJ Styles for the WWE championship at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans.

WWE made the right call to close the card with the women’s Royal Rumble, as Asuka dominated and became the first-ever women’s winner. Cheers quickly turned to confusion as Ronda Rousey arrived right before Asuka chose her ‘Mania opponent, and the pay-per-view went off the air with the announcing team discussing Rousey’s arrival and conveniently dismissing Asuka’s victory.

An otherwise rushed men’s Rumble, which was highlighted by the return of Rey Mysterio, came together perfectly during its final 25 minutes. The ring was filled with the likes of John Cena, Finn Balor, Nakamura, Randy Orton and Roman Reigns, until Nakamura and Reigns had a showdown to finish the match.

WWE will have some explaining to do regarding the finish of the women’s Rumble that somehow allowed Stephanie McMahon and Ronda Rousey to replace Asuka and both women’s champions as the central figures of the show.

Here are my notes from the Rumble:

1. Did it feel cheap to anyone else when the show opened with the WWE championship match? SmackDown is clearly positioned as the company’s secondary show, well behind Raw, and placing the world title in the opening match was only further confirmation.

2. Wrestling is constantly criticized for its modern-day lack of selling injuries, but Kevin Owens reinjuring his ankle following Styles doing a number on Owens’s ankle on SmackDown was a nice touch. While I was impressed by the storyline continuity, Owens’s ankle was somehow perfectly fine for the remainder of the match—though he was selling the injury in the backstage segment post-match.

3. The finish to the show-opening title match was well-designed, as the tag wasn’t made between Zayn and Owens so Styles pinned an opponent who was not the legal man. The finish protects Owens and Zayn, as two top heels should not be defeated by one opponent, no matter how phenomenal he may be.

4. Styles has earned the right to main event WrestleMania 34. Although that slot appears to already be filled by the Roman Reigns-Brock Lesnar rematch, the wrestling diehards deserve a wrestling match between two full-time talents to close out the biggest show of the year. If the same philosophy was used in WWE history, where part-timers were brought in to main event the show, then Steve Austin and The Rock would have never closed out WrestleMania 15, which was a major turning point in the stardom of The Rock and helped cement Austin as the top draw in the world.

5. The backstage segment between Owens, Zayn and Shane McMahon is building perfectly to a tag-team match at WrestleMania 34. McMahon’s partner, of course, has to be Daniel Bryan. The decibel level at the Superdome in New Orleans will be deafening when McMahon starts the match… and then finally tags Bryan into the match.

6. The Usos opened the match by proclaiming they had nothing to lose, which, of course, is far from the truth in a company that scripts its finishes. TMZ reported that Jey Uso was arrested two weeks ago for driving while impaired. It’s worth noting that Vince McMahon claimed players in the XFL—which he announced will return in 2020—will not allow anyone on the field with criminal records.

7. Chad Gable’s sky-high moonsault was another peek at Gable’s talent. He feels like a Jim Ross hire from the early 2000s as he was a successful college athlete with a legitimate amateur wrestling background, and someone comfortable working with other alpha males in a locker room. Gable’s breakout in WWE is inevitable, and I reached out to Jim Ross during the show for a comment.

“Chad Gable reminds me at times of the great Kurt Angle with his fundamental wrestling soundness and attention to detail,” Ross said, who took a break from his one-man tour and book signings of Slobberknocker to connect with Sports Illustrated. “Athletic entertainers such as Angle, Brock Lesnar, and others like Jack Brisco have always been significant pieces to the foundation of the genre. Chad Gable is no exception. I expect greatness from Chad.”

8. WWE shocked tag teams around the world when The Usos claimed the first two falls to win a best-of-three falls match without going to the third fall. The match was just picking up momentum, and the finish was flat. Considering WWE desperately needs to build new tag teams, choosing to keep the belts on The Usos feels like a missed opportunity.

9. The Usos are tremendous heels. Are we ready for Roman Reigns to go full-out heel and work with Jimmy and Jey Uso? Reigns turning on his Shield partners, especially with a chair shot to the back of Seth Rollins, would be a great way to jumpstart their control of the company.

10. WWE’s “All About the Numbers” video for the Royal Rumble was fantastic, but the company has remained steadfast in its decision not to highlight Hulk Hogan. Although Hogan was briefly in a montage video during Raw 25, he was never specifically mentioned during the Rumble video, despite the fact that Hogan’s wins–and even his loss at the 1992 Rumble–firmly established the pay per view as a must-see attraction.

11. Jerry Lawler returned to broadcast the Rumble, ending any speculation that his “puppies” comment on Raw was not pre-approved.

12. Despite the rules of the Royal Rumble, where a new competitor enters every two minutes, there were only 78 seconds separating Rhyno and Baron Corbin’s entries in the Rumble. There were 100 seconds in between Corbin and Heath Slater, so clearly WWE is going to play by its own rules when it comes to when a new competitor enters the Rumble. Elias Sampson came to the ring only a minute and twenty-two seconds after Slater. For those keeping track, the first entry to come out two minutes after the buzzer was Sheamus at number eleven.

13. The addition of NXT champion Andrade “Cien” Almas into the Rumble was a welcome addition. Almas wrestled Johnny Gargano at the previous night’s NXT Takeover: Philadelphia in arguably the match of the year, including matches from New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom on January 4.

14. Would anyone object to Big E winning the Rumble? He is cast as a comedy player in the SmackDown tag-team division. But Big E is the rare babyface who is beloved by the crowd, has the ability to speak confidently on the microphone and can work fantastic matches. Of course, Big E was eliminated by Jinder Mahal.

15. There had to be a better way to explain Zayn’s entrance at no. 10. Zayn and Owens ambushed Tyler Dillinger in the back, and Zayn then claimed the spot and entered the match. It was a moot point when Shinsuke Nakamura eliminated Zayn.

16. Slater’s moment at the Rumble, which saw him eliminate Sheamus, served as a quick reminder that WWE has a hidden gem who can connect with their audience in Slater. Personally, I would be thrilled to watch a Slater-Miz program for the Intercontinental title.

17. If Nakamura does not win the Rumble, then throw ice all over his WWE future. It’s now or never for “The Artist,” who is more likely to return to New Japan than become WWE champion if he does not win the Rumble.

18. Seth Rollins entered at no. 18, and this Rumble is flying. The entries have averaged just under 90 seconds, and WWE is clearly worried about the timing of the show.

19. Kofi Kingston’s “power of the pancakes” spot was creative, but ultimately lost its meaning with Kingston’s elimination only moments later.

Kingston has claimed the athletic spots that were formerly performed in the Rumble by Johnny Morrison, who now wrestles with Impact, AAA, and Lucha Underground.

“One of the reasons I watch the Royal Rumble is because I’m looking forward to seeing what Kofi Kingston is going to do and how he will top what he did the year before,” Morrison said. “There is no end to Kofi’s creativity and athleticism, and he’s one of my favorite performers in the entire business.”

Morrison noted that many of his own athletic spots inspired his stunts during his action film, Boone: The Bounty Hunter, which is now available on iTunes and Amazon.

“Kofi’s spot got a huge pop at our house this year,” Morrison said. “I’m amazed that he can deliver every year. My only regret is that I wish he stayed in the Rumble longer to allow the fans in the crowd and in their homes all over the world more time to appreciate what he did.”

20. To allow for Kingston’s acrobats, there were two minutes and fifty-four seconds after Seth Rollins entered until Matt Hardy’s entry.

21. How great was the stare down between John Cena and Shane “Hurricane” Helms? Helms would be a welcome addition to the cruiserweight division, and provide an additional reason to watch 205 Live every Tuesday.

22. With Randy Orton’s entry into the Royal Rumble, the ring was filled with a three-time Ring of Honor champion in Cole, a 16-time WWE champion in Cena, a 13-time champion in Orton, the current NXT champion in Almas, as well as a three-time IWGP champion in Nakamura and former Bullet Club leader Finn Balor.

23. The return of Rey Mysterio was arguably the most memorable moment of this year’s Rumble. It is no coincidence that Mysterio was just mentioned as a future possible opponent for Kenny Omega in New Japan, so this was a great chance for WWE to highlight Mysterio’s return and remind the wrestling world—particularly New Japan, who had something of a coup with their signing of Chris Jericho—that pro wrestling, I mean sports entertainment, is WWE’s yard.

24. WWE has done a tremendous job of weaving in the newer talent (Almas, Cole) with returning stars (Mysterio) and its top talent (Reigns, Cena, Balor). And, instead of a returning star at No. 30, it was much better to see Dolph Ziggler claim that spot. WWE should do everything in its power to highlight the talent who work year round, instead of continually placing that spotlight on those who return for ‘Mania. Ziggler, for what it’s worth, was eliminated by the time I finished typing that last sentence.

25. The sight of Randy Orton and John Cena in the ring together brings back instant nightmares. The 2014 Rumble title match between Cena and Orton still occasionally haunts my dreams; I’m perfectly fine never seeing another main event between those two.

26. Balor eliminating Mysterio was another perfect call. Every chance to build Balor should be capitalized.

27. The Rumble was rushed to highlight the final four of Cena, Reigns, Balor and Nakamura. The moment climaxed when Cena eliminated Balor, which would be an incredible match, and passing of the torch, at WrestleMania from Cena to Balor.

28. Roman Reigns is an entirely different performer than the one we saw win the Rumble in 2015. In addition to a vast improvement in the ring, there is no doubt he is the most polarizing figure in professional wrestling.

29. Nakamura eliminating Reigns concluded one of the most compelling Royal Rumble events of all-time. Reigns’s moment will still come against Lesnar at ‘Mania, but this was an opportunity—and WWE took full advantage—to use Reigns to make Nakamura to the WWE audience. The vast majority of WWE fans do not watch New Japan Pro Wrestling, so giving Nakamura his chance to shine over Reigns was the right call, and we now have a Nakamura-Styles match to look forward to at WrestleMania.

30. Why is there no animosity between Raw stars and their counterparts from SmackDown? That entire angle for the Survivor Series, where the two sides allegedly hated each other, continues to age poorly.

31. Ric Flair’s “KFC Rumble” was a quick commercial, but man, that contained some real emotion. Flair was given less than a 20% chance of survival this past summer, so to see him recreate the finish of the 1992 Rumble—where he eliminated Sid Justice, who had just tossed Hulk Hogan—was a perfect moment.

32. The worst spot on this card was the match following the men’s Royal Rumble, which was given to the Raw tag-title match featuring Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan against Cesaro and Sheamus.

The titles changed hands, as Cesaro continues to emerge as a modern-day tag-team specialist, but the titles felt like an afterthought to the storyline between Jordan and Rollins.

33. Fascinating to see the depths in which WWE has de-valued Brock Lesnar in his battles with Braun Strowman. Wrestling is a business that revolves entirely around commodities, and the performers are just that, so it’s easy to watch with considerable interest as WWE allows Strowman to destroy Lesnar. As Michael Cole noted at the end of the match, Lesnar “survived” the match after pinning Kane. The end of Lesnar’s WWE run is coming, which appears to be this August at SummerSlam before his inevitable return to the UFC heavyweight division.

34. Imagine UFC telling Bruce Buffer to step aside during the biggest match of a pay-per-view so someone else could be the ring announcer? No, I can’t either, but that’s exactly what WWE did by bringing in Maria Menounos to guest ring announce before the women’s Rumble.

Why does @mariamenounos announce everyone like she's a ghost on the Disney Haunted Mansion ride? #RoyalRumble — WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) January 29, 2018

35. The bell rang for the women’s Royal Rumble at 10:08 p.m. ET. If you thought the entry times for the men’s Rumble were squeezed together, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

36. WWE Hall of Famer Lita returned to the Royal Rumble, and wore a #TIMESUP shirt, which is fairly controversial in the world of WWE.

It’s worth mentioning that the Daily Beast reported Vince McMahon allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in a tanning booth.

No mention was made of Lita’s shirt by the broadcast team of Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Stephanie McMahon.

37. The women’s Rumble would have been greatly enhanced with the presence of SmackDown champion Charlotte and Raw champion Alexa Bliss. Considering WWE creates the rules—as evidenced by the time clock—why not just add a provision to include the champions?

38. Molly Holly’s flip onto Sasha Banks looked incredibly unsafe. Even attempting a move with that much risk and such little reward makes no sense, but it was a clear reminder how the Rumble is such a dangerous match.

39. Michelle McCool’s return—and strong spots—further indicates that her husband, The Undertaker, is returning for this year’s WrestleMania.

40. Stephanie McMahon added a calm presence on the broadcast, and she is incredibly well-spoken. But… isn’t she supposed to be a heel?

41. Just like the men’s Rumble, WWE did a nice job presenting former stars while still showcasing the current roster. Out of all the returners, I was surprised Torrie Wilson did not last longer.

42. Sasha Banks continues to slip outside the ring any time there could physical contact. The spot from Holly appeared to injure her, in what appeared to be her shoulders.

43. The Naomi spot—where she climbed from the barricade back to the ring with the help of an office chair, only to be quickly eliminated by Nia Jax—mirrored the same sequence from Kofi Kingston’s pancakes spot during the men’s Rumble.

44. Beth Phoenix would be a fantastic addition to the women’s division. Mickie James has not been booked as a legend, but Phoenix, who is a WWE Hall of Famer, could serve as a great opponent to further enhance Nia Jax as a heel once she is champion.

45. The Philadelphia crowd delivered a loud “John Cena sucks!” chant after Nikki Bella returned to the ring, in what was the first card Cena and Bella both worked since last year’s WrestleMania.

46. Bayley’s stock has dropped over the past six months in WWE. Unfortunately, there is less and less of a buzz during her entrances, and she wasn’t even considered a possibility to win the Rumble.

47. Trish Stratus was reportedly upset with her appearance this past Monday on Raw 25, as she was only a part of one segment where she was introduced and waved to the crowd, but her entrance was a perfect way to allow her to shine. Instead of Ronda Rousey, the crowd was thrilled to see Stratus at no. 30.

48. If Banks was injured, she did a tremendous job of working through the pain. Her elimination deflated the crowd, who much preferred to see a Banks-Asuka standoff instead of Asuka vs. the Bella sisters.

49. The Rumble is an emotionally draining event, let alone two, but the crowd remained invested in the finish because of its attachment to and interest in Asuka. Even though Nikki Bella had no chance of winning, it was worth watching to see Asuka celebrate her moment as the first-ever winner of the women’s Royal Rumble.

50. The finish of the pay-per-view—which saw Ronda Rousey interrupt Asuka’s moment, before she could even choose whether she would wrestle Charlotte or Alexa Bliss at WrestleMania—was extremely poorly done.

Unfortunately, the Rumble ended on a sour note. Just like Nakamura’s win earlier in the night, the show should have finished by celebrating the winner of the women’s Rumble. Instead, we were treated to the Ronda Rousey show. Asuka never announced her opponent for ‘Mania, Rousey pointed again and again to the WrestleMania sign, and the show ended on a Rousey-Stephanie McMahon handshake. Somehow, on a night that had highlighted the women’s division, the show ended by teasing a McMahon-Rousey feud. A show that ran for over four hours did not provide enough time to complete the story of Asuka and her ‘Mania opponent.

The Rock is currently scheduled to team with Rousey against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania, but the build to that match should have started on Raw. The Rumble was supposed to Asuka’s moment, but instead ended with her as an afterthought.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso. </s> PHILADELPHIA >> Ronda Rousey’s next bout in the ring won’t come in mixed martial arts but in the world of professional wrestling.

The biggest superstar in women’s MMA officially made the jump to WWE on Sunday night with a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble in Philadelphia.

The former UFC bantamweight champion also told ESPN that she’s fully committed to wrestling and not just planning cameos at WWE’s biggest events.

“This is my life now. Yeah, they have first priority on my time for the next several years,” she said. “This is not a smash and grab, this is not a publicity stunt.”

Rousey appeared to roaring fans Sunday night after the women’s Royal Rumble in Philadelphia, challenging winner Asuka to fight at Wrestlemania — scheduled for New Orleans in April — by pointing to a sign as Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” blared through the arena.

Rousey fed into the surprise with a little misdirection before one of wrestling’s biggest pay-per-view events of the year. Before getting in the ring, she had ruled out an appearance at the Royal Rumble in an interview and even posted an Instagram video over the weekend of herself in Colombia enjoying a night out with the crew filming her latest movie, the action thriller “Mile 22” with Mark Wahlberg and John Malkovich.

Still, she had frequently met with WWE executive Paul Levesque, better known as wrestling superstar Triple H, to discuss her interest in a deal that finally came to fruition.

She has not fought since she suffered a 48-second loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. Rousey (12-2) lost two straight bouts in 13 months and took a break to extend her entertainment credits, including a stint as team coach in the reboot of “Battle of the Network Stars.”

WWE fans have been clamoring for Rousey to make the move and speculation (correctly) ran wild on a Royal Rumble appearance at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Rousey has made cameo appearances on WWE programming the last few years and even trained at the company’s performance center in Orlando, Florida.

It’s unclear whether Rousey plans to fully give up on the UFC and mixed martial arts, and she would not commit to saying she’s retired when asked directly by ESPN.

“That’s what everybody else seems to say — I mean, I never retired from judo. So that’s what you guys want to think,” she said. “All I know is I really want to devote 100 percent of my time to wrestling right now and whatever people want to call that they can call it.”

UFC President Dana White said Rousey will never fight again for the company, and Rousey said she hasn’t followed MMA in the past year.

Rousey adopted the “Rowdy” nickname from WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. She notably stood side-by-side with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as they fought off the villainous Triple H and his wife and fellow executive, Stephanie McMahon, in a segment at WrestleMania in 2015.

Rousey also appeared at WWE’s Mae Young Classic. Rousey and fellow MMA fighters Marina Shafir, Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke were known as the Four Horsewomen — a tribute to the nefarious Ric Flair-led Four Horsemen stable of the 1980s and ‘90s. Baszler now wrestles for WWE, and the rest of the Horsewomen stable confronted WWE stars Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Bayley at the female wrestling tournament.

“Name the time. Name the place,” Rousey told the WWE stars in a tense standoff.

Rousey could lead her Horsewomen against a WWE faction at WrestleMania on April 8.

“I think with her main eventing in UFC, she obviously opened the door for us to be taken more serious as superstars,” said Flair, daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. “It’s one thing to show up one night. It’s another be a WWE superstar. I’m on the road with all the other girls, all the men and women who are on the road 270 days a year. We bust our butts to be called WWE superstars.

“She’ll have to put in the work if she wants to be a part of what we do.”

The best scenario for WWE could be Rousey being used sparingly and steamrolling every opponent, much like she did early in her MMA career to earn the reputation as the Baddest Woman on the Planet.

“Ronda Rousey should go out there and just smash everybody. Ronda Rousey’s matches should look like her early UFC career where she was out there for a minute, 2 minutes, just submitting everybody,” UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier said. </s> Above is video of Ronda Rousey talking to the WWE cameras after coming back out to greet fans after the Royal Rumble went off the air in Philadelphia on Sunday. As noted, Rousey made her debut by interrupting a post-Rumble segment with winner Asuka, SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair and RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss. Rousey pointed at the WrestleMania 34 sign, took a look at both titles and tried to shake Asuka's hand but Asuka slapped it away. Rousey also shook Stephanie McMahon's hand at ringside to squash their storyline beef.

Rousey says she really doesn't know how to process everything but this is not something she does every day and is something very different from fighting. Rousey says it was a real pleasure being able to soak everything up and she's very aware of how lucky she is. Rousey says coming to WWE has been her dream since before she could talk. She talks about asking late WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper if she could use the "Rowdy" nickname when she got into MMA. Rousey says no matter what else she did in life, pro wrestling kept following her around and it was time to take a hint from the WWE Universe.

Rousey also reveals that the leather jacket she wore at the Rumble was brought to her by Piper's son Colt, who flew the jacket in from Las Vegas to Philadelphia. Rousey says she wants people to remember Piper every time she's out there and says she wouldn't be here or had her run in UFC if it weren't for Piper. Rousey says Piper taught her so much from afar and showed her that she can also touch people from afar. Rousey says she is a better person because Piper lived.

Regarding the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match, Rousey says she was thinking about how a women's Rumble would have been laughed at before and how she's been laughed out of gyms in the past. Rousey says women have been brushed aside in combat sports for so long but to see everyone give a standing ovation to the women's Rumble was big, and how fans were really invested in the match, and how it was well-accepted by the fans, not forced on them. Rousey says she didn't even know about women's wrestlers when she was a kid but she wants to make sure there's not another generation that doesn't know about women's wrestlers when they're little.

When asked about pointing to the WrestleMania 34 sign, Rousey says she thinks it's a big fat hint that she's going to be there in New Orleans at the big event.
In professional wrestling, Shinsuke Nakamura wins the 31st Royal Rumble match. Asuka wins the 32nd, the first all-woman version. Both receive championship matches at WrestleMania 34. Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey returns to WWE.