Maria Kanellis shares her thoughts on Ronda Rousey‘s Ring of Honor debut.
Former WWE star Ronda Rousey competed at the ROH TV tapings on November 17. There, she teamed up with Marina Shafir to face Athena and Billie Starkz.
Speaking with Iridian Fierro for 720 WGN Radio, Maria Kanellis was asked about the state of the ROH women’s division and what Rousey could potentially bring to it.
“I think it’s telling that Ronda Rousey had her match at Ring of Honor. I think Ring of Honor has always been the standard,” Kanellis said. “It’s a standard-bearer of what women’s wrestling can be and what wrestling in general can be. To have Ronda on a Ring of Honor show, it’s very telling of what the division is and where it can go.”
Maria Kanellis: ROH Has A Lot of Underdogs
Maria Kanellis continued by noting that she is currently working with Leyla Hirsch in ROH. She also highlighted ROH Women’s World Champion Athena. Kanellis stated that ROH faces some obstacles, but the heart and soul of the brand is people fighting to overcome the odds.
“I’m working with Leyla Hirsch right now, and she’s coming off an injury and trying to get her mind right in order to compete in this very intense division,” Kanellis said. “You have Athena, who has been champ forever. I think like 20 years now, she’s been champ. She doesn’t just compete. She competes aggressively [laughs], and she expects those around her to compete aggressively and fiercely. That is what the traditions of Ring of Honor have always been.
“Who is going to put on the best match? We have our struggles in Ring of Honor. We are a show that is fighting for time, we are a show that is fighting for attention, we are a subscription-based show, we are a show that is a lot of underdogs, a lot of people trying to make it to that next plateau of their career. I think that is the heart and soul of Ring of Honor.”
Maria Kanellis: ROH Changed How I Thought About Wrestling
Maria Kanellis also reflected on her time with ROH and described how the company changed her mind about what wrestling can be.
“For me, the first time I was in Ring of Honor, before I went to IMPACT Wrestling, before I went to WWE, that is what truly changed my mind about what wrestling can be,” she said. “It can be that mentality of, we are just going to show people how talented we are by our work. That’s what we do at Ring of Honor. Doesn’t matter the adversity we face. We are going to prove it in the ring, backstage with our attitudes and the way that we fight for this company.
As of this writing, there is no word on whether Rousey will return to ROH. WrestleZone will provide more information as it becomes available.
The full interview can be seen below:
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