Pro Wrestling Veteran Taz recently took to his The Taz Show Podcast and talked about Ronda Rousey announcing that she will take time off from WWE to start a family with her husband Travis Browne. Taz says that he feels this decision to leave after only being a full-time competitor for a year is “insulting” to other female talent.
Taz said, “I gotta tell ya. It’s a little tough to swallow.” “Because, look, she’s entitled to do whatever she wants, I understand that. But she’s been in the game for a year, and she’s got pushed to the moon, and skyrocketed because of her credibility and her legitimacy over the years in the MMA game and now is a UFC Hall of Famer and all these other great accolades she has. And she’s earned every one of them, I’m not knocking her for that. But to take a break from the business after a year is a little tough for a lot of the lifers in the game, and people who follow that business and respect the business.”
Regarding a celebrity coming into the wrestling business and leaving shortly after, Taz stated, “it’s insulting to the people that this is their lifestyle. Being a professional wrestler, no matter if you’re in the WWE or anywhere else, is your life. It’s not a job. I never looked at all my years in the ring or even segueing into broadcasting, I never looked at that as a job. I looked at it as a career, but it’s part of my life, it just encompassed my job. It wasn’t a 9 to 5 gig.”
Taz then says that he feels Rousey got “her hand held” while in WWE, because she was “always protected… from her first match on.” Taz also says that while Rousey’s debut match at WrestleMania 34 was widely received with positive reviews, he agreed that it was a good match, but Rousey “had two of the best workers in modern history in Triple H & Kurt Angle having her back and Stephanie [McMahon] with a ton of heat who knows what she’s doing.” He added that WWE did everything possible to get her over and commends her for starting a family, but feels that there have been many women wrestlers who have done a lot to bring awareness to the division to rid misconceptions.
Taz said, “The revolution for women’s wrestling didn’t start with Ronda Rousey.” “It started way before that… Ronda Rousey definitely helped bring some casual fan awareness because of her star power as an MMA or UFC fighter, I get all that, and I think that’s cool. That was great, but, the women’s revolution for pro wrestling it started way before Ronda Rousey.”
Taz then says that while Rousey did bring awareness to the women’s division, WWE did just as much for her as well. Taz said, “WWE did just as much for her, if not [more], and the girls she worked with, to get her over, and to give her that platform.”
Taz then says that he does not think Rousey will miss WWE, or The WWE Universe, because they “were vocal, and all over her.” Taz then says that he feels Rousey was affected by that.
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