Tag: Ronda Rousey

Video: Is UFC champ Ilia Topuria the sport’s next breakout superstar?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” debates the star power of Ilia Topuria after winning the UFC featherweight title.

Few fighters have broken through the MMA bubble to become true crossover stars, and [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] could be the next one to do it.

Stars such as [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag] and [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] capitalized on their success inside the octagon to become big stars in other avenues such as movies, advertising, professional wrestling, and more.

Topuria, who just became champion by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 298 main event, could very well be on his way to be the next fighter to do such things.

So far, he’s checked all the boxes. He has an undefeated record, dresses the part, has the look, and gets fans excited with his fighting style and what he says on the microphone. Perhaps most importantly, he has the full support of two countries, Spain and Georgia.

Can he go on a run to become that next big star?

That’s what our “Spinning Back Clique” panel Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells and Brian “Goze” Garcia discussed along with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Check out the conversation in the video above, and check out this week’s full episode below.

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Video: Reaction to UFC 300 main event announcement Alex Pereia vs. Jamahal Hill

Is Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill really a blockbuster main event to headline UFC 300?

It seems like it took forever, but we finally have an official main event for UFC 300.

There wasn’t a big video package or surprise announcement during the UFC 298 pay-per-view event or anything like that, but minutes after the main event, UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] announced the light heavyweight title will be on the line in the main event of the upcoming milestone event when [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag].

The announcement of the matchup drew plenty of criticism online. Some were fantasy booking the whole time, holding out hope for the inclusion of one of the sport’s biggest stars like [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] or a surprise return of [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag] or [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

While we didn’t get any of those things, we do have a former champion in Hill returning from injury and attempting to reclaim the title he vacated due to an Achilles injury against an exciting, dangerous champion in Pereira.

Is this the fight to headline one of the biggest cards of the year? It’s a stacked event from top to bottom, but is Pereira vs. Hill a nice cherry on top?

That’s what our “Spinning Back Clique” panel Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells and Brian “Goze” Garcia discussed along with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Check out the conversation in the video above, and check out this week’s full episode below.

 

Royal Rumble winners list: Every wrestler to win a WWE Royal Rumble

Check out a full list of WWE Royal Rumble winners over the years, plus fun stats on entry number, most eliminations and more.

There’s nothing in pro wrestling quite like the Royal Rumble. While there have been and always will be other battle royals, WWE has distilled the over-the-top extravaganza into something that has withstood the test of time.

Since 1988, the promotion has had at least one Royal Rumble a year, with one for men and women held annually since 2018. Not only have fans fallen in love with the core concept, to the point that they enthusiastically count down from 10 each time a new wrestler enters the fray, they’ve also come to expect legends and surprises — which WWE generally delivers.

Another great aspect that has become part of the Royal Rumble’s DNA over time is the prize: an opportunity to challenge for a world championship at WrestleMania, making the Rumble the official kickoff on the road to WWE’s biggest show of each calendar year.

Naturally, that means it’s quite an honor to win a Rumble match. Even with the event heading toward its 40th anniversary later this decade, the list of Royal Rumble winners is still a pretty exclusive club.

Let’s take a look at every Royal Rumble winner ever, year by year.

UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey suggests Vince McMahon will still have influence after resignation

Could Vince McMahon still wield power behind the scenes in WWE even after retiring? Ronda Rousey believes so.

Vince McMahon is now gone from WWE, resigning his position as executive chairman of TKO after the most horrific sexual abuse allegations to date came to light as a result of a new lawsuit filed this week.

But is he really gone? One former WWE superstar cast some doubts, suggesting that McMahon could continue to wield influence through one of his longtime associates.

The superstar in question no longer works for WWE, which is why she may have felt secure in a position to share her opinion: UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag], who parted ways with WWE this past October. Rousey took to social media on the day of the Royal Rumble to name Bruce Prichard as the person through whom McMahon would look to continue “running things,” claiming that he did it before.

Prichard has often been described as one of the most powerful non-McMahon family people inside WWE. His official position is executive director, but he almost certainly holds sway over more than just parts of the creative direction for weekly TV.

One thing that is different than what Rousey experienced during her time with the company, however, is an extra layer of oversight at the top. Already minimized from creative decisions, McMahon was also no longer CEO of WWE after it merged with UFC to become TKO — which is led by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel. And while Emanuel has been a public supporter of McMahon prior to this week, it would not be shocking if he was playing a more active role in WWE after what went has gone down over the past 72 hours.

In other words, while Rousey could be correct, the hope would be that if there was ever a time when WWE was going to change a culture that could allow what McMahon’s accusers say went on, this is it. It might take some time to find out if that best case scenario comes to pass.

Ronda Rousey: ‘Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar,’ suggests McMahon will still have influence

Could Vince McMahon still wield power behind the scenes in WWE even after retiring?

Vince McMahon is now gone from WWE, resigning his position as executive chairman of TKO after the most horrific sexual abuse allegations to date came to light as a result of a new lawsuit filed this week.

But is he really gone? One former WWE superstar cast some doubts, suggesting that McMahon could continue to wield influence through one of his longtime associates.

The superstar in question no longer works for WWE, which is why she may have felt secure in a position to share her opinion: Ronda Rousey, who parted ways with WWE this past October. Rousey took to social media on the day of the Royal Rumble to name Bruce Prichard as the person through whom McMahon would look to continue “running things,” claiming that he did it before.

Prichard has often been described as one of the most powerful non-McMahon family people inside WWE. His official position is executive director, but he almost certainly holds sway over more than just parts of the creative direction for weekly TV.

One thing that is different than what Rousey experienced during her time with the company, however, is an extra layer of oversight at the top. Already minimized from creative decisions, McMahon was also no longer CEO of WWE after it merged with UFC to become TKO — which is led by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel. And while Emanuel has been a public supporter of McMahon prior to this week, it would not be shocking if he was playing a more active role in WWE after what went has gone down over the past 72 hours.

In other words, while Rousey could be correct, the hope would be that if there was ever a time when WWE was going to change a culture that could allow what McMahon’s accusers say went on, this is it. It might take some time to find out if that best case scenario comes to pass.

Photos: All-time UFC women’s champions

Take a look at the history of females who have claimed UFC gold.

From the first-ever UFC women’s champion, Ronda Rousey, to the current crop of titleholders, here’s a look at the females who have captured UFC gold since women first step foot in the octagon in 2013.

MMA Junkie’s 2013 ‘POWER’ issue revisited: Who remains among the sport’s most influential?

Here’s a look back at the most influential from our “Power” issue from mid-2013 – and who remains influential today.

In 2013, MMA Junkie, with the backing of the USA Today mothership, put out a specialty magazine.

MMA Junkie’s “Power” issue was our look, in the middle of that year, at the most influential people in the sport.

The cover featured Jon Jones, then the UFC’s new light heavyweight champion and now its current heavyweight titleholder, most prominently and in the center. Surrounding him were Ronda Rousey, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and Dana White. And even though only Jones and White are left as active MMA figures, the other three names still carry much weight in the game 10 years later.

But what about the rest of the people who were what we considered the biggest names in the sport 10 years ago? Where are they now?

Here’s a look back at the most influential from our “Power” issue from mid-2013.

30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Did enough women make our list?

Amanda Nunes, Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk are the women on our 30 greatest UFC fighters. Is that it enough?

The UFC’s 30th anniversary date has come and gone, and in the build-up to the milestone date, MMA Junkie counted down its 30 greatest fighters of all time to compete for the promotion.

There was plenty of debate about the entire list from top to bottom, and one of our big talking points was the inclusion of women.

The final list was tabulated through a points system after voting from MMA Junkie’s 12-person staff. Four female fighters made our list – [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (No. 8), [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag] (No. 20), [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (No. 22), and [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (No. 27).

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On a special edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” the majority of our staff members came together to discuss and debate the finer points of the list. Did enough women make the list, or should any others have been included?

Check out the discussion in the video above, or watch the entire 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time podcast below.

30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Should Ronda Rousey have been higher on our list?

Ronda Rousey is on Mt. Rushmore when it comes to women’s MMA in the UFC. Her spot on the all-time UFC list is a little more complicated.

The UFC’s 30th anniversary date has come and gone, and in the build-up to the milestone date, MMA Junkie counted down its 30 greatest fighters of all time to compete for the promotion.

There was plenty of debate about the entire list from top to bottom, but [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag], who broke the glass ceiling for women in the UFC, was a polarizing fighter among our voters. But her spot on the list is undeniable.

Rousey is on Mt. Rushmore when it comes to women’s MMA in the UFC. She was the reason the promotion started booking women’s fights after Dana White said it never would happen. She won the first women’s title in UFC history and become a global superstar soon after, but she proved not easy to rank for some of our staff members.

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The final list was tabulated through a points system after voting from MMA Junkie’s 12-person staff. Rousey, who now is in the WWE, came in at No. 20. On a special edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” the majority of our staff members came together to discuss and debate the finer points of the list. Is Rousey’s spot at 20 appropriate?

Check out the discussion in the video above, or watch the entire 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time podcast below.

Ronda Rousey makes surprise ROH debut

Has Ronda Rousey just jumped to the top of the candidate list for AEW’s new signing at Full Gear?

While the wrestling world waits to see who the mystery signing is that Tony Khan has teased for AEW Full Gear, a very well-known former WWE star snuck up and surprised everyone by showing up at the Ring of Honor taping in Inglewood.

As captured by Justin Ashton on X, Ronda Rousey made her ROH debut on Friday night.

Rousey was there to team with her friends Marina Shafir to take on ROH Women’s World Champion Athena and Billie Starkz. It’s expected that the match could air on the next episode of ROH on HonorClub, which will air on Thursday, Nov. 23.

Rousey’s appearance followed multiple reports earlier in the night that she was backstage for the AEW Collision/Rampage taping.

The fact that the ROH episode was taped for later broadcast adds credence to the idea that Rousey could be the big name signing Khan referred to during the week. That said, Khan would also know that word would get out about Rousey appearing on ROH, so he may still have someone else in his back pocket for Full Gear.

Rousey’s last WWE appearance was at SummerSlam in early August, where she lost to Shayna Baszler (also a close friend of hers) in an MMA Rules match. It was widely expected that she might leave the wrestling business altogether.

But her ROH debut puts a definite monkey wrench into things, and despite her sometimes divisive nature among pro wrestling fans, there’s bound to be plenty of interest to see if she has signed with AEW to appear on either that brand or ROH going forward.

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