Why Shayna Baszler Finds The Ronda Rousey Criticism Frustrating

Shayna Baszler and Ronday Rousey's relationship goes way back to their early MMA days. Along with Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir, the two women were not only roommates, but also trained together at the Glendale Fighting Club gym. As a foursome, they were at one point coined the "Four Horsewomen of MMA." On the "Out of Character with Ryan Satin” podcast, Baszler touched on how criticism towards Rousey bothers her.

"If someone were to [name] the top three women's fighters of all time, if I put Ronda on that list, immediately [people] are like, nah she got exposed, " Baszler said. "Just because she lost and you didn't like her personality, you're letting it cloud the fact that she changed women's fighting."

Baszler added that if Rousey had presented herself as more humble, she would be better received by fans. "But because she lost and really took it to heart and hated it, people hate her. So they have to discredit everything about her, and that's annoying to me"

Rousey made history when she became the first woman to sign with the UFC in 2012. Her presence and fighting ability helped pave the way for women's fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Since signing with WWE in 2018, she's likewise had a successful run, having won the women's Royal Rumble and both the "Raw" and "SmackDown" Women's Championships.

Baszler, meanwhile, fought current "SmackDown" Women's Champion Liv Morgan, at the premium live event WWE Clash At The Castle in Cardiff, Wales. The Queen of Spades fell short and found herself on the losing end against Morgan. Since then, she's been seen in various backstage segments with Rousey, hinting at a possible storyline between the two. Whether they'll be facing each other or teaming up together remains to be seen.