Booker T Says This Former WWE Women's Champ 'Spit In The Face' Of Pro Wrestling

Though her time in WWE, and perhaps wrestling in general, is now "pretty much over," former WWE Women's Champion Ronda Rousey has had a lot to say about her time in the business of late—and Booker T, for one, isn't having any of it. Responding to Rousey's recent comments in an appearance on "The Lapsed Fan," the WWE Hall of Famer, on his own "Hall of Fame" podcast, took issue with the way the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion has portrayed professional wrestling recently.

"I think the wrestling world opened the doors to her," Booker said, "and she just spit in the face of professional wrestling." Further, Booker opined that the reputation that Rousey seemingly has cultivated for herself expands well beyond WWE. "There's a reason why people don't like you," he added. "I don't hear any of her old comrades in the UFC saying anything good about Ronda Rousey. 'Man, it would be great to have Ronda Rousey back for a reunion. Ah, it would be great to have Ronda here as an ambassador. Ah, it would be great to hear Ronda do some commentary.' Nobody cares about Ronda Rousey but herself."

Also among Rousey's comments from the show in question are an admission that she wouldn't "allow" anyone to tap her out in WWE other than fellow MMA veteran (and close friend) Shayna Baszler, frustrations with the WrestleMania 35 main event, and that wrestlers these days, more often than not, are working themselves rather than the crowd.

Booker T went on to indicate that, to him, this is also a case of Rousey looking a gift horse in WWE in the mouth. "I don't know why she has so much hate and vitriol for the wrestling business," he explained. "A business that let her in to go out there and have moments like at WrestleMania, giving her the 'Rowdy' Ronda Rousey gimmick right off the bat, making her something when so many other people wish they had a spot like that."

From a financial perspective as well, Booker, whose relationship with WWE that spans nearly 25 years, indicated that on top of disrespecting the opportunities she was given in wrestling, Rousey may also be selling short what her brief time in the business did for her bank accounts. "I can almost guarantee you this," he said. "Ronda probably made a lot more money with the WWE than she did in UFC. I can almost guarantee you that. And to spit in the face of that is just, it's an insult."

In the end, Booker wished Rousey no ill will and said has "nothing but love for somebody like Ronda Rousey," but hopes that wrestling promotions will use this as a case study of sorts before bringing in people from the outside in the future. "[The business should] really think about letting certain people into our world because they can come into it and as soon as they leave, they can do the same thing."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Hall of Fame" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.