In a shocking turn of events at WWE Money in the Bank, Shayna Baszler dealt a devastating blow to her partner Ronda Rousey, effectively ending their WWE Women's Tag Team Championship reign. Fans were confused as to why Baszler would simply walk away from the titles and why WWE would book her betrayal as a catalyst to giving the belts back to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. While the immediate thought is that Baszler and Rousey will begin a singles rivalry, there could be more going on behind the scenes.
When Rousey first won the titles with Baszler, it was while making a comeback from an injury hiatus. Reports are that the company rushed the pair into the titles knowing that Rousey's injuries would eventually take her out again and that Baszler's betrayal was all part of a plan hatched when the two first won the championships.
Furthermore, according to Dave Meltzer of "Wrestling Observer Radio," the Rousey-Baszler feud was always part of the plan when it came to Rousey's run before her exit. But, because Rousey's arm injury prior to WrestleMania 39 disrupted the timeline, and because Rousey has a predetermined departure date that will occur long before WrestleMania 40, WWE is putting these plans in motion now.
Meltzer explained, "Ronda wanted to do this feud with Shayna. She got what she wanted. She's always wanted to do it because Shayna's the one who got her into pro wrestling... So to pay her back, they're going to do a program." The specifics of the program are yet to be disclosed, but it is clear that WWE wants to make the most of Rousey's limited availability.
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Prior to Rousey's injury, there were plans for a longer tag team title reign that would have allowed fans to witness the tension building up between the two partners. The timing of Rousey's departure remains uncertain, but the highly anticipated clash between Rousey and Baszler is expected to take place right away, presumably at SummerSlam.
Is Rousey Leaving WWE?
While Rousey's exit from WWE seems imminent, there is always the possibility of a future return. For now, the focus shifts to WWE SummerSlam, the next premium live event scheduled for August 5 in Detroit, where the landscape of this intense feud could take another surprising turn.
