Ronda Rousey Releases Vlog From AEW Revolution, Confirms Appearance Was a Shot at TKO Group

Former WWE Superstar, Women’s Champion, and UFC Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey shared a new vlog today, showcasing her recent appearance at AEW Revolution earlier this month. As previously reported, Rousey’s appearance at AEW Revolution is rumored to be a one-shot deal, and she’s not currently scheduled for future appearances.

Additionally, it was also reported by Dave Meltzer in The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that her appearance at AEW Revolution was part of a “vendetta” against WWE and UFC parent company TKO over the negotiations for her fight with Gina Carano. Rousey is now returning to MMA for a big fight with Gina Carano, which is streaming live on Netflix, courtesy of Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions.

During her vlog, Rousey noted that her appearance was a “little bit of a **** you to the TKO group,” which appears to confirm Meltzer’s earlier report. Below are some highlights of her comments from the vlog:

Ronda Rousey on How Her AEW Appearance Came About

“Marina is having her first pay-per-view match, I do believe. And I asked her, I was like, ‘Hey, are you going to be doing any shows while I’m on the way up to the fight, so maybe I could like do like a runin or something to like help you out and put over the fight?’ and she was like, ‘Actually, I’m going to be at Staples with and doing my first ever pay-per-view match.’ And I mean, Marina’s just been killing it lately, and she’s put in so much work for so much time. I think people are finally starting to take notice. And yeah, this is like it’s so serendipitous that it’s all like fell together so that I could share this like big moment with her. And um yeah, it’s really cool. I mean, Marina is my best friend in the whole wide world, and we grew up doing judo together as little kids. We both quit judo and started doing MMA, and then we both quit MMA and started doing pro wrestling. She’s absolutely crushing it, and I’m so proud of her. I’m so happy that everybody’s finally starting to take notice of how incredibly special she is.”

On How Her Appearance Was Kept Hidden and Her Thoughts on AEW

“I was brought into the arena in a very unique way. I thought this was going to be much more chill, like whatever kind of day, but they’re acting like it’s freaking Royal Rumble super secret whatever. But they had me jump into a wheelchair and throw a tarp [music] over me and wheel me in here. Like I had to wear a tarp. [laughter] I had to wear a tarp, and I felt I, you know, I felt like, ‘Wow, I’m so glad I don’t have to do this all the time.’ I mean, it’s a little bit weird, but also familiar, but also it’s like AW, so it’s nice. It’s like a little bit more laid back. But actually, this is my first, I think, like a full-on AEW show cuz I was only did like Ring of Honor before. Like, I think I’ve been at the shows, but never really like performing them. So, and Ring of Honor was kind of like a pre-taped [show] that was a smaller crowd. So, I’ve never been to an AW [music] pay-per-view, so I don’t really know what to expect so much, but I’m thinking like a less restrictive, more adult version of WWE, which sounds like a good time.”

On Her Appearance Being a Shot at WWE & UFC Parent Company TKO Group

“And it’s kind of a cool little bit of a like little bit of a **** you to the TKO Group, which is kind of funny because, because WWE is on Netflix, but I kind of figured it’d be easier to ask for forgiveness instead of permission on this one. [laughter] Like, I’m promoting your show. It’s fine. We didn’t advertise it. It’s not like we boosted the ratings of it, so it should be fine.”

Additionally, it was reported by The Observer Newsletter that WWE and TKO were not happy with Rousey’s appearance at the event. It was also said that she previously negotiated with TKO for a deal to fight Gina Carano for a year, only for it to ultimately fall through. Rousey vs. Carano will stream live on Netflix on May 16.
If using any of the above quotes, please credit Ronda Rousey, with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.