Ronda Rousey blames ungrateful fans for WWE exit, says she won't return full-time
After missing from wrestling action on the WWE television for over a year, MMA ace Ronda Rousey said that while she did plan on making a comeback sometime in the future, it will not be on a full-time basis due to her "ungrateful" fans.
While some celebrities and athletes might have a fanbase that is blindly supportive of their decisions in life, there are yet others that can turn against their idols if they decide to move away from the limelight. These fans often feel like they have a certain amount of ownership over their idols' lives as celebrities depend on them to attain the heights of fame.
Speaking on former 'Jackass' star Steve-O's 'Wild Ride' podcast on April 9, Rousey revealed that she felt something akin to those celebrities whose fans no longer stand by and support them when they needed them. As a result, while she enjoyed the time she spent with her fellow female co-workers in the locker room and wrestling inside the ring, she felt let down by her fans.
It was the sole reason she had decided not to return to the world of wrestling full-time so as to dedicate more time to her family, which formed the crux of her happiness.
"So it's just like … what am I doing it for if I'm not being able to spend my time and energy on my family, but instead spending my time and my energy on a bunch of f***ing ungrateful fans that don't even appreciate me?" Rousey said. "I love performing. I love the girls. I love being out there … but, at the end of the day, I was just like, 'f*** these fans, dude.' My family loves me and they appreciate me, and I want all my energy to go into them. So that was my decision at the end of the day. It's like, 'Hey girls. Love what you're doing. I'm gonna try and take all my momentum and push you guys as far as I can. Fly little birds, fly! I'm going f***ing home!' And that was basically it."
The ex-UFC star made her debut as a wrestler at the conclusion of WWE's Royal Rumble event that featured the first women's Royal Rumble match in history in 2018. Her in-ring wrestling career started a few months later with a mixed tag team match at WrestleMania 34 where she teamed up with Kurt Angle to take on Stephanie McMahon and Triple H.
At SummerSlam in August 2018, she won the Raw women's championship from Alexa Bliss, which she held on to till her defeat at the hands of Becky Lynch in the first-ever women's WrestleMania main event in April 2019. Following her first loss, Rousey expressed her desire to walk away from wrestling for a bit to start a family with her husband and UFC heavyweight Travis Browne.
During one of the most successful rookie runs in the history of the pro-wrestling championship, Rousey faced a fair bit of criticism from her fans as she went on to perform at pay-per-view events, Raw television episodes and select untelevised live events, according to CBS Sports.