As anticipation mounts for Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax’s Money in the Bank championship match, a new report suggests a concerning issue: Rousey isn’t ready.
During last week’s European tour, Rousey was originally supposed to compete in several one-on-one matches. Instead, WWE elected her to partake in tag team matches only. According to the Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE officials made this decision based on Rousey being “deemed not ready” for singles matches.
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This certainly isn’t the best headline for Rousey to make less than a month away from her first ever WWE Championship match. Between the European tour the June 17 Money in the Bank event, Rousey will have exactly one month to go from not ready to pay-per-view caliber.
We’ve learned to not underestimate Rusey, but a report like this suggest that her match with Nia Jax will at least be short. The notion of Rousey still being green is understandable, if not expected. The craft of professional wrestling takes decades to master—as far as we know, Rousey has only been at this a few months.
Rousey’s display at WrestleMania 34 makes for a great highlight real, but the match was methodically pieced together. Her and Jax’s contest will likely be constructive in a similar manner. Luckily, no one is expected Jax and Rousey have a 20-minute masterpiece.
In fact, we likely won’t be getting a decisive finish at Money in the Bank. Instead look for Mickie James and Natalya to get involved causing a DQ or, even a tainted win for Jax.
Some fans will use Rousey’s reported growing pains as ammunition to demonstrate that she is not worthy of such a bright stage, but that’s a little unfair at this point. Jax has to defend her title and with a thin women’s division on RAW WWE’s only alternatives were another installment of Jax/Bliss or summoning the services of Ruby Riot. Neither of which are better options than a budding Rousey.
While WWE’s announcing Rousey and Jax was shocking, that by no mean makes it a bad decision. When it comes to Rousey, WWE is in the mode of data collection. They’ll need to see her in every circumstance their sport offers that what they can identify her strengths and weaknesses as a performer. A championship match this early is worth of an eyebrow raise, but it was, without, question, WWE’s best option.
For now, consider any outrage over Rousey’s opportunities to be dismissable. However, if she were to leave Money in the Bank as RAW Women’s Champion, well, that’s a much different discussion.
