Monday afternoon’s news of Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax meeting at Money in the Bank for the RAW Women’s Championship shook the wrestling world. The sudden news lacked WWE’s official confirmation, but we now have it—along with video footage.
Jax officially extended the invitation on the red carpet of an NBC Universal Upfront presentation. Considering not too many WWE Championship matches are made outside of the ring, the challenge and Rousey’s subsequent acceptance had the WWE Universe asking if it was real or not.
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EXCLUSIVE: See what went down on the @NBCUniversal Upfront red carpet when @NiaJaxWWE made a @WWE #Raw Women’s Championship challenge to @RondaRousey! #NBCUupfront pic.twitter.com/emkgfNg9CU
— WWE (@WWE) May 14, 2018
To clear up any confusion, WWE.com released a statement concerning the impromptu match:
Ronda Rousey to challenge Nia Jax for the Raw Women’s Championship at WWE Money in the Bank
NEW YORK CITY — Nia Jax shockingly named Ronda Rousey as her next challenger for the Raw Women’s Championship this morning at the NBCUniversal Upfront in New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.
The Irresistible Force revealed she wants to put her title on the line against Rousey at WWE Money in the Bank, much to the surprise of The Baddest Woman on the Planet. Never one to back down from either a challenge or an opportunity, a bewildered Rousey agreed to the match.
This will be Rousey’s first title opportunity since joining WWE earlier this year. When we last saw her compete on WWE TV, she teamed with Raw General Manager Kurt Angle to defeat Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania.
Can Rousey unseat the imposing Jax and win her first title in WWE? Tune in to WWE Money in the Bank on Sunday, June 17, streaming live on WWE Network.
Jax also expanding on the match as she explained her rationale for picking Rousey as her next opponent.
“If I’m going to be the best #Raw Women’s Champion, I want to square off against the best. Let’s see how Rowdy @RondaRousey can get,” she wrote.
If I’m going to be the best #Raw Women’s Champion, I want to square off against the best. Let’s see how Rowdy @RondaRousey can get. #IrrestibleForce #MITB https://t.co/NhFkFftlYE
— Lina Fanene (@NiaJaxWWE) May 14, 2018
WWE looks to be proactively deflecting anyone who says Rousey is being pushed too quickly into tile opportunities as it was Jax who handpicked the former UFC Champion. It should be an interesting ride to Money in the ABnk but we may be a month away from Ronda Rousey being the new queen of WWE.
