Former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey appeared at WWE’s Royal Rumble in Philadelphia on Sunday.
Rousey did not feature in the women’s Royal Rumble match – the first of its kind staged by WWE – and which was won by undefeated Japanese wrestler Asuka.
Instead, the 30-year-old former bantamweight title holder, who flew in from shooting a film in Colombia before the Rumble, was involved after the match.
Raw women’s champion Alexa Bliss and her SmackDown equivalent Charlotte Flair were in the ring as Asuka was asked to decide which title she wanted a match for at WrestleMania in April.
At that point, Rousey’s music began and she entered the ring, pointing to the WrestleMania sign which hung from the rafters in the Wells Fargo Arena.
Asuka refused to shake hands with Rousey but Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon, who was on commentary duty at ringside, did shake hands with the former UFC champion.
“This is my life now. First priority on my timeline for the next several years. This is not a smash-and-grab; this is not a publicity stunt,” Rousey told ESPN.
“When I first met with Triple H, I told him, ‘There are other things I can do with my time that’ll make way more money, but I won’t enjoy nearly as much.'”
Rousey has not competed in UFC since December 2016, when she was beaten by Amanda Nunes in 48 seconds at UFC 207.
