Ronda Rousey will release her second book (“Our Fight”) on April 14, and she didn’t hold back when jotting down her views of Vince McMahon.
In January, McMahon resigned from his position at TKO Group after a lawsuit from former WWE employee Janel Grant accused him of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and more. WWE and John Laurinaitis are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
In a recent interview with Inside the Ropes, Rousey discussed her critical opinion of McMahon, both personally and professionally.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On Vince McMahon as a person: “NXT was founded by and under the control of Triple H, real name Paul Levesque. In addition to being my in-ring WrestleMania nemesis, he is arguably one of the best professional wrestlers in history and one of the better people on the business side. He is married to Stephanie McMahon, who is the daughter of WWE’s Emperor Palpatine, Vince McMahon. Vince took over the company from his father in the early 1980s and spent the better part of forty years playing a real-world pro-wrestling version of Monopoly, buying up and absorbing smaller promotions until he basically owned them all. It’s hard sometimes to know where the evil, unethical, slimeball character of Vince McMahon played out for the cameras ends and the actual questionably ethical, many times sued, and multiple times accused of sexual misconduct Vince McMahon begins. That blurred line between character and reality is a recurring theme within the WWE Universe.”
On WWE going to Saudi Arabia: “[Pay-per-views are] held in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, as well as now twice a year in Saudi Arabia, a nation that restricts the rights of women in a way that I’m certain Vince McMahon wishes he could.”
On WWE’s ‘casting couch culture’: “WWE loves to do well-produced video segments about the legacy of women within the organization, but the truth is women have largely been footnotes. For the longest time, they were relegated to serving male characters in a valet role, an overly sexualized supporting character that takes cheap shots when the ref isn’t looking. Over time, as the level of female talent grew and society as a whole started to shift, the organization gradually expanded the role of female wrestlers. WWE bills itself as a sports entertainment organization, and just like in the mainstream entertainment industry, there was, by all accounts, a casting couch culture where men backstage in powerful positions pressured female talent for sexual favors in return for airtime. There were so many public accusations and scandals it’s hard to keep track, and more that I’m sure the WWE managed to sweep under the ring.
On the problem for women in WWE: “And it was only after WWE was basically armbarred into it, following a global social media backlash to #givedivasachance after Divas were given a total of thirty seconds— less time than it takes most people to read this paragraph—for a nationally televised tag match. Four women were given less time to collectively wrestle than every single man on the roster got for his intro music alone. Presented this information as a person outside of the wrestling world you might draw the conclusion that there is a troubling foundational sexist, patriarchal culture within the WWE. You would be right. I have nothing but respect for the female wrestlers who paved the way for women wrestlers today. And nothing but disgust for the amount of sexist, degrading bulls*it they were put through.”
Ronda Rousey, the former UFC champion turned WWE wrestler, is set to release her second book titled “Our Fight” on April 14. In this upcoming book, Rousey doesn’t hold back when expressing her views on Vince McMahon, the chairman and CEO of WWE.
McMahon recently resigned from his position at TKO Group after being accused of sex trafficking and sexual assault by former WWE employee Janel Grant. The lawsuit also names WWE and John Laurinaitis as defendants. Rousey, in a recent interview with Inside the Ropes, shared her critical opinion of McMahon both personally and professionally.
One of the highlights from the interview was Rousey’s description of McMahon as a person. She acknowledged Triple H, also known as Paul Levesque, as the founder and controller of NXT, WWE’s developmental brand. Rousey praised Triple H for his in-ring skills and business acumen. However, she didn’t hold back when discussing McMahon, referring to him as WWE’s “Emperor Palpatine.” She mentioned McMahon’s rise to power in the wrestling industry and questioned where his on-screen character ends and his real-life actions begin.
Rousey also expressed her thoughts on WWE’s decision to hold events in Saudi Arabia. She criticized the nation for its restrictions on women’s rights and suggested that McMahon may secretly wish he had the same control over women’s rights as the Saudi government.
Furthermore, Rousey shed light on what she referred to as WWE’s “casting couch culture.” She claimed that while WWE produces well-made video segments about women’s contributions to the organization, women have often been treated as footnotes. Rousey explained that female talent was initially limited to serving male characters in valet roles, often portrayed in a sexualized manner. As society evolved and the level of female talent grew, WWE gradually expanded the role of female wrestlers. However, Rousey alleged that there was a casting couch culture within the organization, where powerful men backstage pressured female talent for sexual favors in exchange for airtime. She mentioned numerous public accusations and scandals, suggesting that WWE may have managed to sweep some incidents under the rug.
Rousey also highlighted the problem faced by women in WWE. She referred to the #givedivasachance movement, which gained traction on social media after female wrestlers were given only thirty seconds of airtime for a nationally televised tag match. Rousey argued that this treatment reflected a troubling sexist and patriarchal culture within WWE. She expressed her respect for the female wrestlers who paved the way for today’s generation but expressed disgust at the sexist and degrading treatment they endured.
Ronda Rousey’s upcoming book promises to provide readers with a candid and critical perspective on Vince McMahon and the issues faced by women in WWE. As a prominent figure in both the MMA and professional wrestling worlds, Rousey’s insights are sure to generate significant interest and spark further discussions about the industry’s culture and treatment of women.