Ronda Rousey has an incredible story to tell. I recently read her new memoir, ‘Our Fight.’ The outspoken star’s fighting spirit jumps off the page as she vividly recounts the highs and lows of her personal life and career. Known for her combative style, Rousey speaks candidly about her years of competition – whether in the squared circle, the octagon, or her facing her own personal challenges.
Synopsis: ‘From New York Times bestselling author and trailblazing athlete Ronda Rousey, an unfiltered chronicle of loss, resilience and finding meaning in life’s journey.’
Here are five things I learned from reading Ronda Rousey: Our Fight:
She Contemplated Suicide After A Devastating UFC Loss
After 15 consecutive wins in UFC, many of which came in mere seconds, Rousey was rocked in November 2015 when she lost to Holly Holm. As the biggest female fighter in the world, the loss was especially hard for the future WWE star.
In her book, Rousey openly admits that she wanted to kill herself after the fight, adding that OD’ing on painkiller was what she considered in the moments after the loss. Thankfully, Rousey would be talked off the proverbial edge by her future husband Travis Browne, who shared a look of pure love to her backstage after the fight, convincing Rousey to continue living.
Her Role During the Hall of Fame Bret Hart Assault
At the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame, Bret Hart received his second induction for his role as part of the Hart Foundation alongside the late Jim Neidhart. Unfortunately, a ‘fan’ decided to use the moment to attack Bret but was quickly subdued by a gaggle of WWE names with Rousey’s husband Travis Browne leading the pack.
In Our Fight, Rousey says that Browne was the first to move to protect Hart, and that she had told him to “get him” referring to the attacker. Fearing how dangerous her husband, an accomplished MMA fighter in his own right, could be, Rousey also told Browne “Don’t kill him.” She adds:
“It did not escape me that everyone was so lost in their fantasy world that when s**t got real, my husband was the realest motherf****r in the room. Everyone froze. Everyone except Travis Browne.”
She Was Told Not to Do Moves Because of the Guys
At WrestleMania 35, Rousey made history as part of the first Women’s main event in the show’s history. Despite this historic feat which WWE would bring up ad nauseam to make themselves look good, the men of WWE still took priority to the producers.
Rousey explains that WWE left the actual booking of the match until the night before, a play that would not happen with the men’s matches. Rousey also recalls pitching a powerbomb spot before being told that the move was off-limits, as “the guys are doing a powerbomb before your match.
“‘Of course’ I said in a tone that means that’s bulls**t.”
Rousey was far from pleased that an undercard men’s match could call ‘dibs’ on a move over the Women’s main event. Undeterred, the spot made it to the match anyway.
Survivor Series 2022 Was Her WWE Low Point
After returning and winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship in 2022, Rousey put the title on the line against Shotzi at that year’s Survivor Series. The match would be lambasted by fans as one of the worst bouts of the year, thanks in part to multiple mistimed spots.
Rousey explains that she felt humiliated by the match and compared her walk backstage to being pulled off by a giant cane on a stage. Backstage, Rousey was asked if the ref’s call to ‘go home’ was because of the botches but Triple H claimed that the previous men’s match had gone six minutes long, so time was taken from her match. The idea of men being given preferential treatment over women is a recurring theme of Our Fight.
Rousey was mad that fans began a #FireRonda movement after the match and noted that similar movements weren’t made against male talent following Big E’s broken neck injury earlier that year, or Madcap Moss’ injury scare during a spot with Drew McIntyre. Weeks after Survivor Series, Rousey felt dejected in wrestling and described sitting in a Florida swamp reflecting on what’d happened as “her lowest point.”
She Doesn’t Care What You Think of Her Last Match
Rousey’s WWE career ended at SummerSlam 2023 when she lost the first ‘MMA Rules’ match to Shayna Baszler. While on-screen rivals at the time, the match had been one Rousey requested to give her friend and WWE trainer a huge boost on TV.
The match did not receive the best of reviews from fans, though Rousey hardly cares about that. In her book, she says that she heard “This is boring” chants and expected that fans weren’t going to understand or appreciate the match. Rousey calls the match her “last f*** you” to the fans and WWE and is proud of how she went out.
