Ronda Rousey is not expected to return to AEW in the near future, with her appearance at Revolution on March 15 being a one-off rather than the start of any working relationship with the promotion, according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider Elite.
Johnson reported that the appearance was designed to serve two specific purposes: to promote Rousey’s upcoming MMA return and to allow her to show up in support of her friend Marina Shafir, who defeated Shafir in a no-holds-barred match on the show. Rousey confronted Shafir’s opponent, Toni Storm, following the match in a segment that appeared to set up a future program, though Johnson’s report suggests no such plans are currently in place.
The circumstances that made the appearance possible were described as a rare alignment of factors that worked in everyone’s favor. Revolution took place in Los Angeles, which is Rousey’s local market, and the same city where her fight against Gina Carano is set to take place under Jake Paul’s MVP promotion on Netflix. With the event essentially in her backyard and her friend competing on the card, the appearance made logistical and promotional sense without requiring any broader commitment from either side.
The report aligns with previous reporting from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, who noted that Rousey did not push AEW after the angle and that nothing has been heard to indicate a Rousey versus Storm match is being planned. Meltzer also noted that one person close to the situation indicated the appearance was, in part, connected to Rousey’s broader frustration with TKO over the handling of her negotiations with Carano.
AEW has not made any official statement regarding Rousey’s future involvement with the company.
