WWE legend Rikishi is full of praise for Ronda Rousey following her AEW debut.

Rousey appeared in AEW at the Revolution pay-per-view, just a few weeks after her MMA fight with Gina Carano was made official. On his “Off The Top” podcast, Rikishi lauded her marketing ability, noting how she earned big bucks at both UFC and WWE.

“Well, good for Ronda Rousey. You talk about a marketing genius, she surpassed a wrestling fan, she surpassed the UFC fan, she [is] coming after the bag. At the end of the day, every single wrestler, every single UFC fighter, that’s what you should be concerned about, you know. And so when you see a person like that that came into WWE, she first took the bag from UFC, came into WWE featured, took the bag from there, then she turns around and I can guarantee you probably after this run here that’ll probably be it for Ronda. She’s good enough right now,” he said.

Rousey has, in the past, been criticized by peers and fans in the pro wrestling business, but Rikishi believes that the former UFC star is a skilled individual who can more than hold her own. 

“I believe that she can handle her own. Is she a skilled wrestler in professional wrestling? I feel she is. But, you know, maybe she might not, you know, get along with a few of the wrestlers that are there. But this is the industry we in. If you’re successful, you got jealousy people; when you’re not successful, not a damn soul going to reach out to pick you up,” said the Hall of Famer.

Rikishi noted how pro wrestling is a cutthroat business where every individual’s position is under threat, and praised Rousey for navigating those tough waters well. Many expected Rousey to feature in AEW following her appearance at Revolution, but it seems that the former WWE star hasn’t officially signed with Tony Khan’s promotion, and it’s unclear when she will appear on AEW television once again.

WWE WrestleMania 42 is just weeks away, and one of the company’s top storylines heading into the show is Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton. The dynamic between the two old friends has been a point of interest for both fans and pundits. On a recent “Busted Open Radio,” co-hosts Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer spent a great deal of time discussing the feud, honing in on Orton’s promo from Friday’s “WWE SmackDown.”

“Those people popped and cheered and were lively and energetic for every last thing that Randy Orton said about Cody Rhodes,” Bully said. “And oh, by the way, Randy Orton is the guy that left Cody Rhodes a bloody mess two weeks ago.”

Dreamer then shared his belief that Orton didn’t do much to dissuade the cheering on Friday, as he wound up delivering a full-on babyface promo. Though WWE seemingly attempted to turn Orton heel weeks ago, it makes sense to Dreamer that the fans want to see the tenured star capture his 15th world title.

Still, Dreamer was simultaneously unsure of where this all leaves Rhodes, and he questioned if the storyline will do anything to help Rhodes long-term. A big part of the problem is that the feud has so far amplified the lack of sympathy for Rhodes, who is supposed to be the company’s biggest hero.

To Dreamer, Orton’s promo during last week’s “SmackDown” is in conflict with his previous actions, which has thrown off the entire storyline.

“When he attacks him, heel. The follow-up, pure babyface,” Dreamer lamented. “He said, ‘I’m a killer,’ and the people cheered. They’re like, ‘Yay for the killer! Go kill my babyface.'”

As Bully and Dreamer attempted to talk through possible ways to move the storyline forward, it seemed to leave Dreamer feeling utterly confused at the current direction. “It’s just wonky to me. It really and truly is.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

WWE star Natalya has named a few stars who could be the mystery caller Randy Orton was speaking to, in his current feud with Cody Rhodes.

Orton’s sudden change in demeanor has shocked many, with fans questioning why he’s turned into this vicious character. Another question on many people’s minds is who he was talking to on the phone, with Natalya putting forward various theories and names about the mystery call, including Shane McMahon.

“When you brought up Shane, I was like, damn, Shane is somebody that has also had, like he’s a polarizing figure in WWE, either you love him or you hate him. But when his music hits, people go crazy, so you brought up Shane, I was like, damn, that would be amazing. I would love to see Shane coming back to WWE and doing some stuff,” she said on “Busted Open.”

The return of Shane, who has been away from WWE since that disastrous WrestleMania 39 appearance, may not fit into the storyline as Rhodes hasn’t interacted much with him. The other name Natalya suggested does have a link with “The American Nightmare” — and a big one at that — which is The Rock.

“I feel like The Rock would be exciting, but I don’t know if The Rock is — I follow The Rock on Instagram, so I think he’s on set. Never say never, but I feel like he’s on a movie set right now, he was calling out Kevin Hart on a movie set, so I don’t know if it’s The Rock,” added Natalya. “Maybe it’s the debut of someone new. Even with Danhausen, I know we talked a little bit about this last week, but like remember the build of, who was in the box? Who was in the box? That got everybody talking. I feel like we’re doing that right now with Randy, on like, who’s he talking to? Who’s he on the phone with?”

Some have hinted that Orton was speaking to his father, Bob Orton, but that’s one theory that Natalya’s Busted Open compatriot Bully Ray doesn’t buy.