Former WWE Women’s World Champion Ronda Rousey has revealed the reason why she refused to tap out to Becky Lynch in their main event match at WrestleMania 35. In a new interview, Rousey confirmed that the decision was based on the strict views of her mother.
The main event saw Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair compete in a “Winner Take All” triple threat match for both the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships. The match ended when Lynch scored a controversial backslide pin on Rousey to win both titles. On “The Lapsed Fan” podcast, Rousey confirmed a long-standing rumor that an alternate finish involving her tapping out to Lynch’s “Dis-arm-her” submission was proposed but that she refused to do it.
The reason, she explained, was her mother, Dr. AnnMaria De Mars, who was the first American woman to win a gold medal at the World Judo Championships. “It was proposed that I tap out to her (Becky Lynch) armbar at Survivor Series, and I said, ‘My mother would disown me,’” Rousey said. “Anytime anyone’s actually ever arm-barred me in real life, I’ve just let them dislocate it and I limp arm out. That’s why my ligaments are all f**ked up in this arm. So, I’m not gonna do it. Anytime anyone ever choked me out in competition, I just went out, and I don’t tap. I no tap motherf*cker. That’s how it is.”
Rousey stated that the only person she would ever allow to submit her in a WWE ring was her close friend Shayna Baszler. That is exactly what happened in her final WWE match at SummerSlam 2023, where Baszler won their “MMA Rules” match. “The only person I said I would ever allow to submit me was Shayna (Baszler), and that’s why I wanted to go out, so that’s how I went out. I didn’t tap out. Let her choke me out,” she confirmed.
She also revealed that the unique, shoot-style match with Baszler was “super over with all the wrestlers in the back.” She recalled, “I’ve never got more compliments from more people… that was more at the point where I’m like, this is for us. Screw you guys.”
The full interview with Ronda Rousey can be heard on the latest episode of The Lapsed Fan podcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit The Lapsed Fan with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
