Former WWE star Ronda Rousey recently responded to criticism about WWE weakening the impact of her famous armbar finisher during her wrestling run. Before joining WWE, Rousey became one of the biggest stars in UFC history by dominating opponents with her signature submission move.
During her MMA career, Rousey’s armbar was viewed as nearly unstoppable, with many fights ending quickly once she locked it in. However, after moving to WWE, several opponents managed to escape the hold during matches. This includes Stephanie McMahon escaping the hold in Rousey’s debut bout at WrestleMania 34.
Many fans believed WWE weakened a move that was already established as one of the most dangerous finishers in combat sports.
Ronda Rousey responds to criticism of WWE having Stephanie McMahon escape her armbar
During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Helwani explained why he felt WWE mishandled Rousey’s finisher early in her wrestling career. He pointed out that, unlike most wrestlers who need time to build up their finishing moves, Rousey entered WWE with a submission already viewed as unbeatable because of her UFC background.
He specifically mentioned Stephanie McMahon escaping the move multiple times during Rousey’s first WWE match.
“I mean, you’re going down the slippery slope of being frustrated with WWE’s not well-thought-out choices that will end up driving you crazy in the long run.”
Despite the criticism, Rousey admitted she still loved her WrestleMania debut match.
“You know what? I loved that match. I loved that match. It was my favorite match. Yes, a lot of things could have been done better the whole way around, but, you know, I just had to accept the fact that that is a world that’s not going to change.”
“And I could change what I could, you know, and get women to a headliner position when they weren’t before. But it’s a much older industry, and they’re much more ingrained in things being done the way that they’re being done. And then you also had Vince McMahon at the very top, which was, you know, its own issue. And it was just like, getting caught up in all of those little things will drive you nuts.”
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