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By Andrew Ravens
Contributing Sports Writer
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Former WWE Women's Champion Ronda Rousey has indicated that she is "pretty much" retired from professional wrestling. In a new interview, Rousey shared her frustration with her two runs in WWE, citing the company's failure to ever book the long-teased Four Horsewomen storyline as a primary reason for her departure.
Speaking on the "Lapsed Fan" podcast, Rousey was asked if her wrestling career is now in her "rearview mirror." "Pretty much, I'd say so," she responded.
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Ronda Rousey's Frustration Over The Four Horsewomen
Rousey explained that her main motivation for getting into WWE was to work with her real-life friends and fellow MMA Four Horsewomen, Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir, and Jessamyn Duke. A storyline pitting the MMA group against WWE's own Four Horsewomen (Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Bayley) was consistently teased but never fully realized.
"I got into WWE because I wanted to be able to wrestle with my girls... and they kind of dangled that carrot for my whole run and never let it happen," Rousey said (H/T to WrestlingNews.co). "And then the second run, they kept dangling it. And then by the end, I was like, I'm f*cking leaving unless I can wrestle with Shayna [Baszler]."
Her final match in WWE was a loss to Baszler at SummerSlam 2023, the one part of the dream storyline that she was able to have.
More news: WWE Superstar Announces Retirement Match
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A "Range of Mediocrity"
Rousey was blunt while talking about the creative process in WWE, stating that she felt the company was holding her back from her full potential.
"That's what made me have to step away, because it got to the point where I'm just like, they're never going to allow me to make it as good as it can be," she said. "Meeting them halfway in this range of mediocrity is like crushing my soul. So I can't continue to do that."
Ronda Rousey's New Chapter
She now views her time in wrestling as a "sabbatical," where she learned skills that she can apply to her other passions, such as screenwriting and comic books. Since her WWE departure, Rousey has been focused on her family and her writing career. She and her husband, Travis Browne, welcomed their second daughter in early 2025.
She has also penned the script for an upcoming Netflix movie about her life and has a graphic novel, titled "Expecting the Unexpected," set for release this October. While she did compete in three non-WWE matches after her SummerSlam bout to work with her friend Marina Shafir, it appears her time as a professional wrestler has come to an end.
More WWE News:
- Released WWE Superstar Retires From Pro Wrestling
- Released WWE Star Breaks Silence On Departure
- Released WWE Star Wants To Join AEW
For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
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