Ronda Rousey Needs The WWE Women's Tag Team Division, And The Divison Needs Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey has been absent from WWE television since she losing the "SmackDown" Women's Championship to Charlotte Flair on the December 30 edition of the blue brand's weekly show. As shocking as the result was at the time, it seems to have been an established part of the company's plans for this spring, as WWE have reportedly already planned Rousey's WWE WrestleMania 39 match – one that will see "The Baddest Woman on the Planet" as part of a dynamic duo.

As of this writing, it's believed that Rousey will join forces with old friend Shayna Baszler and go after the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania. As two quarters of the "Four Horsewomen of MMA," it makes sense to put Rousey and Shayna together as they've been closely associated for years. They've also been allies on WWE television for a while now, though rarely as a full-fledged team.

The latest backstage news on Rousey is that she'll return on tonight's "WWE SmackDown." If that happens, we'd expect her to re-establish her partnership with Baszler — or at least, we very much hope they do, since putting Rousey in the tag division is possibly the best Rousey-related idea WWE has had since her return. The division desperately needs her star power, and Rousey herself should welcome the opportunity for tag team action.

Rousey has only been wrestling since 2018. After an impressive rookie year, she took a three-year hiatus from the company and returned at the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble event, where she won the women's version of the titular battle royal. In many ways, she's still finessing her craft, but that hasn't stopped her from receiving criticism over some of her performances.

At WWE Survivor Series 2022, Rousey botched a DDT spot in her match against Shotzi, which was widely criticized by the wrestling world. To her credit, Rousey acknowledged the mistake afterward, noting that it was the first time she ever tried to perform the spot in question, but that alone tells you just how inexperienced she is. It's also been strongly insinuated by Nia Jax that Rousey injured Alexa Bliss in the past. Mistakes happen in wrestling, especially early in careers, but Rousey's mistakes have been more exposed than usual, as she's been thrust into main event spotlights since her debut.

Putting Rousey in a team with an experienced hand like Shayna Baszler will allow Rousey to hide some of her weaknesses while she continues to hone her craft, with less pressure on her to perform well in singles matches. It's clear that Rousey has a natural talent for wrestling, but it takes time to iron out the kinks, and there's a reason innumerable future stars have gotten their start in tag teams.

Let's face it — WWE's women's tag team division has been a botched experiment since the get-go. Teams like The Boss 'n' Hug Connection, The Kabuki Warriors, and Sasha Banks and Naomi have occasionally brought some fun to the proceedings, but not even their star power could compensate for the division's lack of depth, focus, and general momentum.

As of this writing, the women's tag division doesn't even have a makeshift star-driven pairing to make up for the lack of depth. Current champs IYO Sky and Dakota Kai are still finding their groove on the main roster, but they're essentially playing second fiddle to Bayley, and WWE has entirely failed to establish any other regular tag teams. Even "Road Dogg" Brian Jams has admitted the tag team titles need to be elevated, and he's a company executive. Adding a WrestleMania main eventer and crossover star like Rousey is a great way to start fixing the problem.

Furthermore, Rousey has been vocal about wanting to team with Baszler for a while, having previously urged fans to get behind the idea in an effort to make WWE officials listen. When Rousey is focused and excited, she's a captivating performer. Putting her in a tag team with a friend might make her enthused about wrestling again, which will hopefully silence the critics who claim she doesn't care about sports entertainment.