Josh Barnett, a wrestler and promoter, believes that Ronda Rousey’s rapid rise and the mishandling of her situation by both parties led to her difficult experience during her WWE run.
Josh Barnett has a perspective on Ronda Rousey’s WWE stint. He thinks it was a tough gig for her. Rousey, in October, bid adieu to WWE after two separate runs. She wasn’t too pleased with the experience, to say the least.
During a chat about her autobiography, Rousey didn’t mince words. She called WWE an “absolute s*** show”. She had a history with concussions, which didn’t sit well with WWE’s own complex relationship with the issue. Rousey was so disgruntled, she vowed never to return.
Now, let’s hear from Barnett. He spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. He’s been a wrestler and a promoter, so he’s seen both sides. He thinks Rousey’s rapid rise and the mishandling of the situation by all parties could be the root of the animosity.
Becoming a professional wrestler is no small feat, according to Barnett. It’s not just about wrestling. It’s about handling the media, the press, everything. It’s like fighting in the UFC. It’s a delicate balance. Push someone too far, and you might not get positive returns in the long run. Overstress them, and their performance might start to dip.
The wrestler or fighter should speak up, Barnett says. But he gets it, it’s not easy. You don’t want to upset the person who signs your paycheck. But you’ve got to look out for yourself. Good bosses should understand that. You’re not trying to make things easier for yourself, you’re trying to give your best.
At the end of the day, you’re the one calling the shots. Maybe there’s a limit to what you can do with someone. And that’s okay. Not everyone can perform at the highest level, all the time. Those who can are few and far between. And sometimes, they do it at their own expense.
Running the show isn’t easy, unless you’re aware of what’s happening. If someone is always the main event person, even if they’re burning out, and you don’t notice, you’re just going off what they tell you.
Barnett also pointed out that Rousey’s WWE run was probably always going to go one way. She was just too big to be patient with. “She was hot at the moment,” Barnett said. “It was a turn-on-a-dime moment. Bang, got blasted in the nose. She did the right thing, the best thing you could have done.”
Rousey’s MMA run wasn’t perfect either. She retired largely due to repeated concussions and disillusionment with fans and media after her loss. Barnett sympathizes with Rousey, but he also notes that all of this is part of the greater combat sports experience.
“It’s unfortunate that she had such negative experiences,” Barnett said. “Even though I’m sure it sucks for her to see it, and maybe even hear it, making Holly Holm a star was still, overall in the grand scheme of MMA, a positive thing.”
“They say if you’re going to race cars, and you’re thinking about or worried about crashing, don’t get behind the wheel. Don’t get in the ring, don’t be worried about losing, don’t be worried about getting knocked out, don’t be worried about getting submitted. You just go out there, and you put your faith in what you’ve done, and who you are, and what you can do. That’s just what you go with. And some days it ain’t going to be your day. It could even be a win, but a bad performance. But hey man, that’s it. You will have more. You will have more days and more time to go out there and do your thing, if you do it right.”
“These are high stakes, high pressure things, and when you get to the point where she was at her peak, people want to get every squeeze out of that possible, and that can be a delicate situation,” Barnett concluded.