Former WWE Star Ronda Rousey Sounds Off On Whether Pro Wrestling Counts As A Sport

The debate as to whether professional wrestling is a sport is almost as old as the practice itself, with the past-time evolving from a gambling scam run by carnivals to a globally consumed product. Former WWE star Ronda Rousey is someone who carries the unique distinction of success in competitive Judo and MMA before she made her mark in wrestling, and she used that insight to deliver her feelings on the debate while speaking with "Jackass" star Steve-O on his "Wild Ride!" podcast. 

"It's scripted. Mostly," said Rousey. (h/t Fightful) "There is a general idea. They are working together. I like to relate it to figure skating. Two people together creating a performance. As [Shayna Baszler] likes to say, there is no fake way to take a chairshot. You're actually getting hit with a chair. It's also not a competition. A lot of wrestlers and stuff will be like, 'Wrestling is real. I got this injury or that injury.' I'm like, okay, as a competitor in an actual sport, I'm never worried about getting injured. I'm worried about losing. That's the most stressful part of it. Injuries are not at all what you're thinking about. That's not what makes it real or makes it hard. It's the uncertainty of the outcome." 

Rousey retired from MMA after back-to-back losses, first dropping her UFC Bantamweight title in a TKO loss against Holly Holm, and then once again being stopped by Amanda Nunes in attempting to re-gain the title. She further explained that wrestlers don't feel the anxiety and stress that comes with competing outside of a pre-determined environment. "If you've ever dealt with the stress and anxiety that comes with competition, you can't take that out and call it a sport. It's so tough. It's very physical, but it's not a sport."