Dave Meltzer On Ronda Rousey In AEW: Source Says It Fits 'Vendetta' Against TKO

Dave Meltzer wrote that Ronda Rousey's surprise cameo at AEW Revolution fits into a supposed vendetta against TKO, per a source close to the situation. 

Rousey is fighting Gina Carano in each of their respective returns to MMA in May, promoted by Most Valuable Promotions and streaming on Netflix. 

During the first press conference for that event, Rousey started to take aim at the UFC, specifically attempting to omit Dana White from the criticism, and has pledged to start a revolution against the promotion. But then she appeared for a spot supporting her friend, Marina Shafir, at Revolution on Sunday, spurring conversations as it pertains to the rivalry between AEW and WWE. 

Writing on the matter during this week's "Wrestling Observer Newsletter," Meltzer said a source close to the situation that her cameo fit into her vendetta against TKO, having negotiated for more than one year for the Carano fight, but when the model changed from pay-per-view to streaming, changed the compensation believing they would have nowhere else to go. 

Meltzer wrapped up by opining that TKO wouldn't be happy about her disparaging UFC and "clearly those in WWE were not happy at all" about it. But he concluded that its more of an annoyance than a game changer for wrestling. 

Rousey had said that the fight with Carano had originally been planned to happen in UFC, and that she had been offered a great deal under the pay-per-view model. Carano needed time to get in better condition, and the fight was postponed, pushing them into negotiating under the new streaming model. 

She said that White was the one who encouraged her to find the best deal, and thus Carano and Rousey will be fighting under Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian's Most Valuable Promotions in both its and streamer Netflix's first MMA event.