It's no secret Vince McMahon loves celebrities appearing in his wrestling company, with famous WWF moments such as Mike Tyson helping Stone Cold win the WWF Championship at WrestleMania in 1998 coming to mind. There have also been a plethora of stars working cameos or small programs since the '80s. In the modern era, we've seen the likes of Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian, Stephen Amell, as well as wrestling fanatics such as David Arquette and Freddie Prinze Jr. in the ring.
However, there's a recent trend with celebrities getting involved physically, some for a bit longer than just short-term programs. Ronda Rousey is one name, joining in 2017 after retiring from the UFC. After just a couple of years with WWE, it's clear experiments like hers are nothing but abject failures, and the company needs to stop this celebrity fetish.
This comes on the heels of Rousey divisively calling wrestling out as "fake fighting," as well as being condescending to the fans. Granted, wrestling audiences can be a bit overzealous sometimes, it's apparent Rousey has a chip on her shoulder after she didn't get over as RAW Women's Champion in 2018. She squashed Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam that year, and fans quickly grew tired of her being force-fed as the next dominant figure, even being given the limelight ahead of Becky Lynch, Asuka, and the esteemed Charlotte Flair at times. We know Rousey, a former Olympic judo bronze medalist, has that global appeal after an astounding 12-2 mixed martial arts career with UFC and Strikeforce, but to see Rousey elevated so quickly felt off. Creative simply wanted to capitalize on her brand as a world-wide sporting ambassador.
However, this devalued the other athletes and now a portion of them are taking her recent words as blatant disrespect. Nia Jax lashed out on social media, while the likes of Bliss and Paige have reiterated they're putting their bodies on the line, risking life and limb. It's scripted and choreographed, sure, but definitely not fake. The fact Rousey doesn't understand that yet says a lot. She was gifted the title, but left in an underwhelming fashion in 2019, with her first loss in WWE ending her championship reign at 231 days -- the second-longest-reigning RAW Women's Champion. That says a lot because McMahon's team had faith in her and wanted her as a talisman. However, Ronda would say she was more concerned with starting a family with Travis Browne, and life on the road was just too much. She wasn't in it for the long haul, so why would WWE put someone like this on a platform?
Her comments also create a problem where not much damage control can be done. As documentaries like Dark Side of the Ring show, the curtain on what's real and what's kayfabe shouldn't be lifted even when people retire -- it's just a mark of respect. And wrestling is indeed a sacred fraternity given its nature, so Rousey spat in the face of the industry with her words. It's hard to see her coming back and wrestlers embracing her, whether it's in-ring fighting or in promo spots. She betrayed and pissed them off, which shows these celebrities might not fully understand the philosophy, essence, and overall heartbeat of wrestling. To wrestlers, it's not sports entertainment, it's a way of life, a mentality.
Outsiders pulled in for ratings just ruin the illusion and escapist element about it. What's to stop Rob Gronkowski, former Super Bowl winner for New England Patriots, from making similar comments when his tenure is done? He won the 24/7 title so already, he's been given prominence, which shows that creative is all about opportunism rather than rewarding hard work. The same can be said for Tyson Fury, who reportedly raked in $15 million for beating Braun Strowman, the current WWE Universal Champion, at Crown Jewel last year. We're not saying every celebrity will make crass comments and backstab the business, whether intentionally or not, but ultimately, McMahon's writers should be looking at people who believe in this as a career and who'll stay loyal to the gimmick outside the ring. The heated reaction to Rousey shows she's not the right person who should serve as a course correction to maintain wrestling's purity moving forward.