Ronda Rousey’s Stunning Debut Leads Wrestlemania 34 Highlights

“I thought I would never say this, but I’m so happy I lost those fights.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhV588fDKAr

It’s been more than three years since Ronda Rousey had a triumphant moment in front of millions of her fans. On Sunday, in her pro wrestling debut at Wrestlemania 34, the former UFC champ returned to the top of her game. 

Her game, of course, has changed. And in wrestling, the result doesn’t matter as much as how you get there. In New Orleans, Rousey got the result, teaming up with Kurt Angle to defeat Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in a tag team match. And she did it in style, proving that the elite athleticism that carried her to an Olympic bronze metal and a UFC title translates to the wrestling ring. 

Rousey was a manic spark of energy in the ring, who’s months of training has clearly paid off. She flashed her brute strength…

…and her signature armbar, the move that propelled her to the top of UFC. 

https://twitter.com/briantheguppie/status/983146825539518465

After the event, Rousey opened up to ESPN’s Romana Shelburne and made a startling admission. “I thought I would never say this, but I’m so happy I lost those fights [to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes] because it led me here. This is so worth it,” she said. 

Here the other important stuff from Wrestlemania 34:

Brock Lesnar Retained His Belt

Seven hours after the doors of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns arrived center stage for the main event. The fans didn’t seem interested though. Blame it, at least in part, on the near-universal dislike for Reigns, along and Lesnar’s continued flirtation with the UFC.

As the match dragged on, each giant man slamming himself into the other giant man, the crowd began to chant “This is awful” and “boring,” despite the blood pouring from Reigns’ face.

https://twitter.com/PeeBee_5/status/983194618157297664

The result, which had Lesnar, who is supposedly about to return to he Octagon, winning the match, was a surprise. But the crowd’s lack of interest in the spectacle wasn’t. 

The Return of the Undertaker

A year after he seemingly retired, The Undertaker returned to the ring for a short and sweet match against John Cena. It was the type of send off, if that is in fact what it is, someone of The Undertaker’s stature deserves. The build-up to this match featured a lot of mugging from Cena, who began the night as if he were just a fan in the crowd. Later he went to work, letting The Undertaker brutalize him in a match that was shorting than The Undertaker’s entrance.