As UFC’s No. 1 star and arguably the world’s most credible and marketable female athlete, Rousey can’t afford to be involved in a fiasco. Rousey vs. Steph in a singles match has great potential to be farcical.
That might follow Rousey around. Perhaps not. But it might. UFC would not look good. Dana White would not be happy.
WWE wants a singles match. A singles match puts the princess in the spotlight. Steph’s credibility is at no peril, because she has none. Not as a wrestler, and certainly not as a legit fighter. Rousey’s rep takes all the risk.
WWE never does anything that doesn’t benefit WWE and “the family.”
Witness how the McMahons hijacked the Connor Michalek feel-good story, cutting out former ring announcer Justin Roberts. As Roberts wrote, WWE was driven by “strategy, not sincerity.”
What WWE did for Connor and his family was marvelous. But if cameras had been banned, WWE would not have been nearly as interested. That was mostly about WWE putting itself over.
WWE is not in the least bit concerned about Rousey’s career, reputation or the aftermath of what she might do in WWE. WWE wants only to get everything it can out of Rousey before discarding her.
Her, and everybody else.
Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkMaddenX
