Not Charlotte or Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey names surprise pick for return match

The WrestleMania season is in full gear with the culmination of Royal Rumble weekend, and already several storylines, theories and rumours are in place for this year’s fight card at the grandest stage of them all. Drew McIntyre, who dropped Roman Reigns to win the 30-man rumble, has already announced that he will challenge the Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at Mania. A potential fight between former tag-team partners Edge and Randy Orton has also been rumoured to take place at the pay-per-view. But what will be the match that will close the show?

Last year, history was created when for the first time, a women’s match between Ronda Rousey, Charlotte and Becky Lynch for both Raw and SmackDown Women’s titles closed the show. It was the first time in history that women’s wrestling match was the main event at Wrestlemania. But Rousey has been away from WWE since the historic match, and there are chances she might not even make it to Wrestlemania this year.

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But in case the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion does make a return to the squared circle, who she wants to wrestle.

Speaking to WWE Raw commentator Corey Garves on his podcast WWE After the Bell, Rousey revealed whom she wants to pick a fight with when she returns to wrestling. “Rhea Ripley. She is doing amazing. I’d love to have a match with her someday. She matches up with everybody so differently and there’s so many things she can pull out of people that they can’t do with anybody else. I’m really looking forward to seeing if we ever get that opportunity. I’d love to get in the ring with her. She’s fantastic,” Rousey said.

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Rhea ended Shayna Baszler’s reign as NXT Women’s Champion after she defeated her last month. She will defend her title against Biance Belar at NXT TakeOver: Portland. Rousey expressed hopes that Charlotte, who won the Women’s Royal Rumble this year, picks Ripley as her opponent for Wrestlemania.

“I really hope that Charlotte picks Rhea Ripley. Charlotte and Becky have great matches, but they’d had so many of them that it’s time to get some new girls in the situation. It’s such a unique matchup that they need to put on a WrestleMania-level show. It’s been NXT’s year and it’s time for them to be picked by a Royal Rumble winner,” Rousey said.