When UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut, it initially generated a great deal of excitement among fans. Unfortunately, the company dropped the ball by booking the Baddest Woman on the Planet as a happy-go-lucky smiling babyface.
She never really managed to connect with fans and following an "MMA Rules" match with Shayna Baszler at SummerSlam earlier this year, Rousey left WWE. Since then, she's enjoyed making her mark on the independent wrestling scene and many believe Rousey has now signed with the AEW-owned Ring of Honor.
The former WWE Superstar made her debut during the episode of "ROH on HonorClub" which was being recorded before it airs on Thanksgiving Day. Coming out to Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation," she teamed with longtime friend Marina Shafir against ROH Women's Champion Athena and Billie Starkz.
Talking at the AEW Full Gear press conference yesterday evening, AEW President Tony Khan suggested the surprise appearance was a one-off...for now, at least.
"She's not signed but we had a great conversation," Khan reveals in the video below. "Ronda was happy to come here and she was great and the crowd was really excited to see her. We'd love to have her back sometime."
We're guessing Khan is waiting to see whether Rousey's appearance pops a rating, particularly as it's been spoiled in advance. Whether she wants to be locked into another lengthy contract could also be a factor, particularly as she clearly didn't love the time she spent as a WWE Superstar.
"No, I'll never be full time again - over 200 days a year on the road like that ever again," Rousey said earlier this year following her exit from WWE. "I needed to do it in order to learn and get immersed into it and really understand what's going on, but it's just not the lifestyle for me."
Before joining the WWE in 2018, Rousey managed to achieve a 12-2-0 record in the UFC and became the promotion's first female champion. She also won a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but according to Dana White, there are no plans for her to be part of UFC 300.
As always, keep checking back here for the latest on Rousey's in-ring future as we have it.