Form Horse-tron!
WWE is getting the band back together.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey, is now a bona fide pro wrestler after making her successful in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 last month in New Orleans.
And now she’s getting some company.
Former mixed martial arts (MMA) stablemates Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir will join Rousey and WWE rookie Shayna Baszler — who transitioned to wrasslin’ late last year — under the WWE banner at some point in 2018.
Right after they prove their mettle at the promotion’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
That’s where all new recruits — Rousey included — report for training. How long each athlete remains in “The Sunshine State” varies by skill level, though it’s no secret WWE is looking to pick up where it left off with this rivalry.
Duke competed under the UFC banner for roughly three years and stepped away from cage fighting after losing five straight. Shafir was long thought to the the next Ronda Rousey, then got creamed in back-to-back fights.
I’m sure Bethe Correia is having a laugh somewhere.
In fact, the “Four Horsewomen” all left MMA on dreadful losing streaks. Rousey was stopped in consecutive losses while Baszler dropped four straight before hanging up the gloves. But kayfabe isn’t dead, so let the spin begin.
For the uninitiated, the original “Four Horsemen” were comprised of Ric Flair (wooooooo!) along with Ole Arn Anderson, as well as Tully Blanchard and manager James J. Dillon.