Backstage Update On Ronda Rousey's WWE Status

Ronda Rousey has not appeared on WWE programming since she lost the "SmackDown" Women's Championship in shocking fashion to the returning Charlotte Flair on December 30. Rousey also did not compete in the 30-woman Royal Rumble match on January 28, but there appears to be an update on her status.

PWInsider reports that fans in Connecticut have spotted Rousey in the area ahead of tonight's "WWE SmackDown," which emanates from the ​​Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. As a result, there's a belief that Rousey will return to storylines tonight as WWE draws closer to WrestleMania 39.

After Rousey lost the title to Flair, Fightful Select reported that original plans called for Rousey to defend the "SmackDown" Women's Championship against Raquel Rodriguez at the Royal Rumble. The sudden change of plans also affected the rumored direction for WrestleMania 39, which seemed to be Rousey vs. Rhea Ripley and Flair vs. Bianca Belair at one point. We now know that Ripley vs. Flair is confirmed, while Belair will face the winner of a six-woman Elimination Chamber match for the "Raw" Women's Championship in Los Angeles.

Rousey recently teased a shift to "taking over" WWE's women's tag team division alongside Shayna Baszler. As of this writing, WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Dakota Kai and IYO SKY do not have a match booked for the biggest show of the year despite their recent storylines involving Becky Lynch, Candice LeRae, and Mia Yim on "WWE Raw." Baszler is former two-time tag team champion, while Rousey has yet to capture the title that was introduced shortly before her hiatus began in 2019.