Former WWE Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey recently talked about the influence of The Bloodline’s Wise Man, Paul Heyman, on her during her time in WWE. Rousey, who joined WWE in 2018, created a huge buzz following her debut. She was the first major female UFC star to enter WWE.
Ronda Rousey made her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 in a tag-team match with Kurt Angle against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Her debut match received heavy praise from fans and critics alike. Rousey quickly rose to the top by capturing the Raw Women’s Championship. A few months later, she made history alongside Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, headlining WrestleMania 35. This marked the first time that women led the WWE’s grandest stage.
Rousey left WWE last year after losing to her friend, Shayna Baszler, at SummerSlam. Since then, she has appeared occasionally in the independent wrestling scene. This year, she has been actively promoting her book, Our Fight: A Memoir. During these promotions, she discussed her time in WWE, praising Stephanie McMahon and Triple H’s leadership while expressing strong criticism toward Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, and John Laurinaitis.
Recently, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, Ronda Rousey discussed her backstage work with Paul Heyman in WWE and how he supported her during her time there.
Ronda Rousey says Paul Heyman encouraged her to be creative
During her interview with Sports Illustrated, Ronda Rousey talked about Paul Heyman’s encouragement in her creative plans. He emphasized that she had more than just physical abilities. She stated, “He’s one of the few people who really encouraged me creatively. He showed me I’m so much more than just what my body can do. That’s how so many people see me–as an athlete, as a fighter. It’s all about performing, being on camera, focusing on what I can do physically–but it was different with Paul.”
She continued, “It was Paul Heyman who said, ‘What do you want your movie to be?’ Paul produced my segments during the second half of my first year in WWE, and he really worked with me on being able to write my own promos and deliver them. I’d wrote before, two memoirs, but not creatively–he encouraged me to create outside of myself. Paul was my first mentor as a writer, and he saw that in me.”
Heyman’s work has garnered praise not only from Ronda Rousey but also from him for her work in the past. He has even stated that if The Bloodline leader Roman Reigns took time off, he would be interested in working with the “Baddest Woman on the Planet.”
While Rousey has stated she has no plans to return to WWE, fans continue to hope for the former women’s champion to make a comeback in a WWE ring.
