If Ronda Rousey is healthy enough to compete at WrestleMania, WWE will find a match for her. Though she’s proven to be increasingly divisive among fans, she’s still a big name and one the company wants on its biggest show of the year.
And if she can go, it may mean some other wrestlers are pulling double duty in Los Angeles.
That’s how Dave Meltzer sees the landscape for the women’s division right now, anyway. In the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), Meltzer explained that the injury Rousey has been selling on TV is legit, and is believed to be a hairline fracture in her arm.
WWE was positioning Rousey and Shayna Baszler to make a run at the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, which just changed hands. Becky Lynch and Lita won them from the Damage CTRL team of Dakota Kai and IYO SKY, and are now scheduled for a six-woman tag match that also pulled in Trish Stratus and Bayley.
That doesn’t mean there’s nothing for Rousey and Baszler, but rather that Lynch and Lita may have to wrestle twice. Per Meltzer:
As of right now, both matches are scheduled and the women’s tag team champions, whoever they end up being (it was Sky & Kai originally) will work both nights. If Rousey isn’t able to wrestle by that weekend, obviously that tag title match won’t be taking place. But as of midweek, the belief was she would be wrestling on the show.
Assuming that’s how it plays out, that could help balance the WrestleMania card in terms of women’s matches. Right now there are only the Raw and SmackDown title matches (the latter of which could end up as the main event on night 1) and the six-woman tag. A tag team title bout would make it two women’s matches on each night.
As well, working a tag match could help mitigate the reinjury risk for Rousey, as Baszler can simply work more of the action for her side. With just a few weeks left until WrestleMania 39, we should find out pretty quickly if this is indeed the way WWE is leaning — and if Lynch and Lita are going to need to make sure they’re ready to go on both nights.