Ronda Rousey reflects on working under Vince McMahon.
Ronda Rousey entered the world of pro wrestling on a full-time basis at Royal Rumble 2018 and drew immediate praise for her performance at WrestleMania 34 when she teamed with Kurt Angle to face Triple H & Stephanie McMahon.
Rousey was dominant throughout her first run, winning the WWE Raw Women's Title and holding it through WrestleMania 35. She left wrestling until returning at Royal Rumble 2022, staying until SummerSlam 2023.
Speaking to Rachel Hollis on the Rachel Hollis podcast, Rousey was asked if she could come and go as she pleases in wrestling.
"I could but I didn't have the greatest experience working for Vince McMahon and all that. It was such a shit show all the time. They would be changing the show all the time until you got out there. A lot of time you're doing these matches where not only do you not have opportunities to rehearse it, but they change it multiple times, cut your time multiple times, all the things you're going to say they change multiple times throughout the day. It's a constantly changing script and choreography," she said.
She continued, "I got frustrated to the point where I was like, 'People aren't being allowed to do their best work.' The first match I had was amazing, we had weeks to put it together, the best minds in the industry had a part in it and it was incredible. The main event of WrestleMania was literally thrown together the night before. We're still putting it together the day we did it. We never got to actually got to do the match itself before we went out there. We were told we weren't allowed to do powerslams because the guys before us were doing powerslams, which we went out and did anyway. There was a lot of misogynistic bullshit going on there. UFC, they were open to changing and wanted to do what would make the most money. WWE, under Vince McMahon, was what he thinks the world should see, just him pushing his viewpoint onto his viewership, the bottom line, and the wrestlers be damned."
When asked if Vince was there for both runs, she said, "He was there the first time, it just got worse the second time around. Supposedly he's out now because all the sexual assault stuff has come out. He's still running it through all his little cronies. They need to completely clean house. Basically, this guy Bruce Prichard, I've never heard him say one of his own opinions. It's just 'Vince this, Vince that.' When Vince left before, when it came out he was using company funds to pay off, they found $12 million in hush money that he paid to these women, sexually assaulting them. Of the company's money. He was supposedly gone, but he was still running the show, just calling it in. Supposedly he's gone now, but I wouldn't be going back to work with them anytime soon because the last time he was gone, he was still running the show. Hopefully, he's completely gone, and they are running in a more responsible way and actually allowing people to rehearse."
McMahon resigned at TKO Executive Chairman on January 26, one day after a lawsuit was filed by Janel Grant accusing McMahon of sex trafficking, emotional abuse, and sexual assault.
Fans can read Rousey's comments on the allegations by clicking here.
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