Summary

Ronda Rousey says her surprise AEW appearance earlier this year stood out to her because she felt she had more freedom than she did during her time in WWE.

Speaking during a new interview while promoting her upcoming fight, Rousey looked back on showing up after Marina Shafir's pay-per-view match at AEW Revolution. She said the moment came together naturally because of her long friendship with Shafir, and she was happy to be there for what she described as Shafir's first pay-per-view match.

Rousey also recently reflected on a very different feeling from her WWE comeback, saying her second run brought more anxiety than enjoyment.

Quote from Ronda Rousey

Rousey explained that her AEW appearance happened because she wanted to support Shafir when the promotion was in town.

"I mean, it didn't hurt. It would be a little bit, like, a little, you know, catty with it. But it just was so, like, serendipitous that Marina Shafir is my best friend. We grew up doing judo together when we were, like, little kids, and I asked her, I'm like, 'hey, is AEW going to be in town while I'm promoting this fight? Because I'd love to do, like, a run-in or something and help you out.' So it was just, you know, really serendipitous that it all happened to work out like that, and it was her first ever pay-per-view match, and I'm really glad that I got to be there for that, and one thing I really love about AEW is that it's not PG like WWE. So I can walk in there and flick everybody off and walk out and laugh with my best friend and have a great time, and I didn't feel as edited as before, and so it was- yeah it was a good time."

What Rousey said about AEW and WWE

Rousey's comments draw a clear line between how she viewed her brief AEW involvement and how she felt during her WWE return. The biggest takeaway is not that she is teasing a larger AEW future, because she did not say that, but that she felt more comfortable in a one-off setting where she could simply support Marina Shafir and leave.

That also gives fans a little more context for why Rousey's recent public comments about wrestling have sounded so different depending on the situation. When she talks about AEW Revolution, the focus is on friendship, spontaneity, and freedom. When she talks about WWE, the tone has been much more critical.

Sources

Ronda Rousey while speaking with Complex