Ronda Rousey has explained the reasoning behind her surprise appearance at AEW Revolution, revealing it was partly intended as a statement directed at TKO Group Holdings following failed UFC return talks.

Speaking in a behind-the-scenes vlog, Rousey made it clear that her decision was not accidental and carried personal meaning after her negotiations to return to the UFC did not materialize.

“It’s kind of a cool little bit of a, like little bit of a f**k you to the TKO group, which is kind of funny because WWE is on Netflix, but I kind of figured it’d be easier to ask for forgiveness instead of permission on this one,” Rousey said. “Like, I’m promoting your show. It’s fine. We didn’t advertise it. It’s not like we boosted the ratings of it, so it should be fine.”

Rousey also detailed the steps taken to keep her presence hidden backstage at the event, noting that AEW went to unusual lengths to maintain secrecy.

“They had me jump into a wheelchair and throw a tarp over me and wheel me in here,” Rousey said. “I was brought into the arena in a very unique way. I thought this was going to be much more chill, but they’re acting like it’s freaking Royal Rumble super secret whatever.”

The appearance marked her first full AEW pay-per-view experience as a performer, and she shared her early impressions of the company’s environment.

“It’s a little bit more laidback,” Rousey said. “I’ve never been to an AEW pay-per-view so I don’t really know what to expect so much, but I’m thinking a less restrictive, more adult version of WWE, which sounds like a good time.”

Another key motivation for Rousey was supporting her longtime friend Marina Shafir, who competed on the show. Rousey highlighted their long history together and praised Shafir’s growth in wrestling.

“Marina is my best friend in the whole wide world and we grew up doing judo together as little kids,” Rousey said. “We both quit judo and started doing MMA and then we both quit MMA and started doing pro wrestling. She’s absolutely crushing it and I’m so proud of her. I’m so happy that everybody’s finally starting to take notice of how incredibly special she is.”

Rousey previously competed in WWE from 2018 through 2023 across two runs before departing and later criticizing WWE and TKO. She is now set to return to MMA for a fight against Gina Carano on May 16 under MVP Promotions.

Ronda Rousey Says AEW Revolution Appearance Was Message to TKO

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The March 25 episode of “AEW Dynamite” saw the first televised appearance of MJF since he defeated Hangman Page at AEW Revolution in a brutal Texas Death Match. He cut a great promo via a pre-tape last week, and now that he’s got his match set in stone for AEW Dynasty on April 12 against Kenny Omega, you would think he’d have some things to say wouldn’t you?

What did MJF say exactly? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Well, he did technically say some things, but there was literally nothing of substance whatsoever. MJF comes out, mocks the people of Minnesota for having an accent that isn’t his, reminds people that he beat Page, says the word “ever” so many times it stops sounding like a real word, and proceeds to do both of his catchphrases. That’s it, that’s the whole promo. I understand Maxwell Jacob Friedman is a heel and he’s meant to love himself and cheap heat, but you’ve got a title match in three weeks and you’re not even trying to sell the match.

In fact, it’s not until Kenny Omega, a man who looked absolutely exhausted given that he wrestled in the opening match, came out that we got an actual promo. He claimed that when Swerve Strickland beat him, he learned something from it and applied it to the match he had earlier that night where he was able to get his win back, implying that Omega has learned a lot since MJF beat a pre-diverticulitis version of “The Cleaner,” and that a rematch will be very different from their first bout.

Right there, Omega sells the match, making you ask yourself “Is he better than he was in 2023? If so, what could possibly happen at Dynasty? Who would be next in line? Who is going to Wembley?” You already want to see this match, not because of MJF loving himself, but because Omega is ready to go to war for the AEW World Championship, and the champion showed little to no real care whatsoever.

There will be a contract signing next week in Omega’s hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and I have a suspicion that segment will end up being much better for MJF than this one was. Sure, he’ll poke fun at the Canadian fans, probably make a hockey reference, but he’ll get the chance to converse with Omega and cut an actual promo, rather than just pressing buttons on an MJF soundboard and calling that a promo. For a man known to be an absolute maestro on the microphone, this was a big let down on a night full of less than average promos. At least the match at Dynasty will be good.

Written by Sam Palmer