With every day that passes, the long-awaited superfight between Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey feels less likely. A pro wrestling match, though? That’s a different subject altogether.
Cyborg made a surprising call-out on Sunday night, seemingly challenging Rousey to a tag-team match in WWE. Here’s the tweet:
The video shows the former Strikeforce and Invicta FC champion running drills with Gabi Castrovinci, a pro wrestler best known for her short-lived run in TNA Impact Wrestling, where she worked under the ring name Raquel. While this may seem like a bit of fun to help along a fellow Brazilian combat athlete, it’s the latest example of Cyborg testing the waters for a run in the squared circle.
Since a 2011 report that she was talking turkey with the WWE, Cyborg’s name has popped up in wrestling circles on several occasions. The most recent example came at Rizin FF 4, when she, alongside training partner Gabi Garcia, were involved in an odd post-fight segment opposite pro wrestlers Shinobu Kandori and Jazzy Alpha Female.
It’s also worth noting that Cyborg is bound for a UFC title fight later this year opposite Germaine de Randamie, so it’s highly unlikely that she (or the UFC) would be willing to risk that. That said, the timing is most certainly interesting given WWE’s increased focus on women’s wrestling and the fact the company is actively courting talent for an all-women tournament later this year, per Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com.
WWE is likely willing to get in on the Cyborg business and has been trying to lure Rousey into the fold for years, with chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon telling TMZ Sports as recently as March that the company would love to have Rowdy on board.
If the UFC’s new ownership group is more open to co-promotional efforts, then fans might just see at least one of the women in the ring before long.
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