Ronda Rousey said her brief post-WWE wrestling appearances were situational, not the start of a new run, as family plans take priority.
Ronda Rousey says her brief swing back through pro wrestling after leaving WWE was driven by timing, charity and support for a friend — not by a plan to resume life on the road.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Rousey described how she made surprise appearances on the independent scene shortly after her October 2023 WWE exit, then later turned up at AEW Revolution in March at Crypto.com Arena, where she confronted Toni Storm after Storm’s match with Marina Shafir.
The appearances stirred questions about whether Rousey, one of the biggest crossover stars from mixed martial arts to wrestling, was preparing for another in-ring chapter. Rousey said the AEW moment came while she was in training camp for her MMA return against Gina Carano, making a wrestling match unrealistic.
“I’m in training camp. You guys are crazy. I’m not going to be doing any matches while in training camp,” Rousey told Fox News Digital, adding that she wanted to support Shafir’s first pay-per-view match and draw attention to her own upcoming fight without taking over the moment.
Rousey said her first post-WWE appearances came together because she still wanted to work with Shafir, who remained active in wrestling. She said the timing also allowed for a Pro Wrestling Revolver charity show to raise money for survivors of the Lahaina wildfires, with a Lucha VaVoom appearance also fitting into the same small window. She also appeared with Ring of Honor during that stretch.
Her answer on a broader wrestling comeback was more cautious. Rousey said she and her family are trying to have another child, and that the travel demands of wrestling no longer line up with that priority.
“That lifestyle, being on the road and wrestling, it’s just not conducive at all to having multiple kids,” she said. “We were able to make it work for a little while. It’s just not doable anymore.”
Rousey left a narrow opening for future one-off appearances, saying she could be open to doing something if it worked locally. She also said her family is looking to move to Hawaii and that opening a small school there “would be kinda cool.”
Asked whether she was connected to an AEW storyline in which Storm was attacked after Revolution, Rousey sidestepped the question rather than confirming any involvement.
For now, the line Rousey drew is clear: her latest wrestling appearances were brief, specific and personal. Anything more would have to fit around family, location and a schedule very different from a full-time return.
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