Backstage Reasons For Ronda Rousey's Tag Team With Shayna Baszler

Backstage reasons behind former "WWE SmackDown" Women's Champion Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler being a tag team have been revealed in the latest report from Fightful Select. The first reason according to Fightful Select was Rousey was originally supposed to face Raquel Rodriguez at the WWE Royal Rumble and retain the "SmackDown" Women's Championship. The original plans for Rousey were set for late November and early December.

 The plans changed at the end of December after Charlotte Flair returned. Creative quickly decided to have Flair win the "SmackDown" Women's Championship from Rousey on the December 30 episode of "SmackDown." If that didn't happen, Rousey would have faced 2023 Women's Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley, instead. Flair, on the other hand, was first set to face "WWE Raw" Women's Champion Bianca Belair, this was set before her return. Rousey's WrestleMania plans now see her and Baszler competing in the Women's WrestleMania Showcase Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Match. The other teams are Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez and Natalya and Shotzi. The fourth team has yet to be revealed.

Fightful Select noted that those familiar with the situation have said that Rousey "preferred and pushed" for her current tag team with Baszler and the plan for them is to end up challenging for the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles. The current WWE Women's Tag Team Champions are Becky Lynch and WWE Hall of Famer Lita. Lynch and Lita have held the titles since they defeated Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and IYO SKY) on the February 27 edition of "Raw."