It looks like Ronda Rousey will enter 2023 as the “SmackDown” women’s champion after successfully defending her title against Raquel Rodriguez. That was until Charlotte Flair made a surprise return to the blue line, challenging Rousey for the title and walking away victorious – becoming a 14-time women’s champion. But according to a report from Fightful Select, that wasn’t the original plan.
Rumors from early December hinted at Rousey’s match with Rodriguez a month later at the Royal Rumble. Finally, they decided to include him in the 12/30 episode of “SmackDown”, which featured the return of John Cena. The decision caused a dramatic effect that changed many other stories in the women’s field.
In fact, it was suggested that Flair face Bianca Belair for the “Raw” women’s championship while Rhea Ripley would have challenged Rousey for the title. The report said that Rousey “had several creative options, but they didn’t work.” It’s worth mentioning that Rousey’s original plan for the run was to face Becky Lynch at Wrestlemania 39, but there’s no indication that they’re going that route.
Rousey has not been seen on TV since her death and some speculated that the result was staged as a way to write her off, but reports say she was not. Although it was first announced that she was part of “RAW is XXX”, she was later pulled and was not seen in the show. It also appears that she has no plans to appear at the Royal Rumble, despite previous reports.
