Ronda Rousey criticizes WWE’s treatment of women.
Former RAW and SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey spent several years in WWE. She left the company following her loss at WWE SummerSlam 2023. During Rousey’s time in the company, the Women’s Evolution changed the game. Rousey herself made history by headlining WrestleMania 35 However, Rousey has spoken out about the way WWE has treated women.
In her new book, Our Fight, which will be released on April 4th, Ronda Rousey wrote that there has been a casting couch culture in WWE. She noted that there were so many scandals that it was hard to keep track. (H/t Inside The Ropes)
“WWE loves to do well-produced video segments about the legacy of women within the organization. But the truth is women have largely been footnotes,” Ronda Rousey wrote. “For the longest time, they were relegated to serving male characters in a valet role, an overly sexualized supporting character that takes cheap shots when the ref isn’t looking. Over time, as the level of female talent grew and society as a whole started to shift, the organization gradually expanded the role of female wrestlers.
“WWE bills itself as a sports entertainment organization, and just like in the mainstream entertainment industry, there was, by all accounts, a casting couch culture where men backstage in powerful positions pressured female talent for sexual favors in return for airtime. There were so many public accusations and scandals it’s hard to keep track, and more that I’m sure the WWE managed to sweep under the ring.”
Ronda Rousey Reflects On Wpmen Being Demeaned In WWE
Ronda Rousey went on to reflect on the way women have been demeaned throughout WWE history.
“Women weren’t just being demeaned backstage, but center stage,” Ronda Rousey wrote. “Up until 2007, “Bra & Panties Matches,” where female wrestlers won the match by stripping their opponent down to her underwear, were an actual fcking thing. Even after that gimmick was retired by WWE executives—I’m sure very reluctantly and with a lot of lamenting about political correctness—it was still clear that the organization placed more value on a woman’s physical appearance than her physical ability. The Divas Era with its pink rhinestone butterfly title belt dawned around the same time. Women, while now portrayed as wrestlers, were still expected to look a certain way—think lots of makeup, little clothing, and huge boobs.
“It would take almost another decade, years after I proved women could be a huge combat sports attraction, before women truly started to get time in the squared circle (what diehards call a pro wrestling ring). And it was only after WWE was basically armbarred into it, following a global social media backlash to #givedivasachance after Divas were given a total of thirty seconds— less time than it takes most people to read this paragraph—for a nationally televised tag match. Four women were given less time to collectively wrestle than every single man on the roster got for his intro music alone.”
Ronda Rousey Has ‘Disgust’ For Sexist ‘Bullshit’ WWE Put Women Through
Ronda Rousey then made it clear that she was “disgusted” by the sexist “bullsht” that women in WWE have been through over the years.
“Presented this information as a person outside of the wrestling world you might draw the conclusion that there is a troubling foundational sexist, patriarchal culture within the WWE. You would be right,” she wrote. “I have nothing but respect for the female wrestlers who paved the way for women wrestlers today. And nothing but disgust for the amount of sexist, degrading bullsht they were put through.”
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