After leaving WWE following her loss in a triple threat bout at WrestleMania 35, Ronda Rousey returned to the ring at Royal Rumble 2022, winning the Women's Royal Rumble match.
Rousey left WWE as a heel and proceeded to trash fans in subsequent interviews following her WWE departure, but when she returned at the Royal Rumble, she was cheered.
Speaking to Daniel Cormier on The DC Check In, Rousey explained how the cheers threw a wrench into her plans.
"I was supposed to come back as a heel. Vince (McMahon) was like, 'they popped real big, so she's a babyface.' I did a heel interview after and everyone was like, 'what the hell?' Next Monday, I'm like, 'I'm coming in as a heel' and they're like, 'No, you need to smile and you need to stop being a bitch.' 'No, I love being a bitch! It's my outlet for bitchery!' 'No, pull it back for a little bit.' 'Okay, high fives.' It's fine being a babyface," she said.
When asked if she thought that she might get a reaction like Batista in 2014, she said, "I was expecting that. I was expecting boos. I came out with my guard up and I think I didn't get to enjoy that moment because I was expecting it because that's what I got on the way out. When I came out and everyone [cheered], I blocked them out and didn't let them in and I went in, did my job, and got out. I think I missed out on really enjoying that moment because I was expecting the worst in people. That's how the WWE Universe gets you."
Batista infamously entered the 2014 Royal Rumble and won to boos as fans were rooting for Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) to win the Rumble.
Rousey would go on to face Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Title at WrestleMania following her Rumble victory. She would win the SmackDown Women's Title at WrestleMania Backlash.
Rousey is set to defend the title against Natalya at WWE Money in the Bank.
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