As the WWE Universe eagerly anticipates the new memoir from Becky Lynch, she isn't the only former WrestleMania headliner with a book on the way designed to give fans an inside look at the inner workings of professional wrestling, as a work from Ronda Rousey will be hitting bookshelves soon and it's not some less than flattering things to say about the company's former boss, Vince McMahon.
In a transcript of the book shared with Inside The Ropes, Rousey went off of Mr. McMahon, comparing him to Emperor Palpatine in a cutting piece of writing that's a must-read for fans of the sport.
“NXT was founded by and under the control of Triple H, real name Paul Levesque. In addition to being my in-ring WrestleMania nemesis, he is arguably one of the best professional wrestlers in history and one of the better people on the business side. He is married to Stephanie McMahon, who is the daughter of WWE’s Emperor Palpatine, Vince McMahon. Vince took over the company from his father in the early 1980s and spent the better part of forty years playing a real-world pro-wrestling version of Monopoly, buying up and absorbing smaller promotions until he basically owned them all,” Ronda Rousey wrote via Inside the Ropes.
“It’s hard sometimes to know where the evil, unethical, slimeball character of Vince McMahon played out for the cameras ends and the actual questionably ethical, many times sued, and multiple times accused of sexual misconduct Vince McMahon begins. That blurred line between character and reality is a recurring theme within the WWE Universe.”
Rousey also touched on having Premium Live Events in Saudi Arabia, using the opportunity to take another shot at Mr. McMahon on the way out.
“[Pay-per-views are] held in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, as well as now twice a year in Saudi Arabia, a nation that restricts the rights of women in a way that I’m certain Vince McMahon wishes he could,” Rousey wrote.
Pretty incredible stuff, right? While it's nothing new to see WWE stars of the past talking trash on McMahon, especially after everything that's come out over the past year, these comments were particularly cutting and she had even more to say about on the subject in regards to the company's overall culture as a whole.
Ronda Rousey accused WWE of “casting couch” behavior.
In another transcript from her book, Ronda Rousey turned her attention to WWE's culture as a whole, pointing out that the era of Divas was far sleazier than some fans may have hoped it was.
“WWE loves to do well-produced video segments about the legacy of women within the organization, but the truth is women have largely been footnotes. For the longest time, they were relegated to serving male characters in a valet role, an overly sexualized supporting character that takes cheap shots when the ref isn’t looking. Over time, as the level of female talent grew and society as a whole started to shift, the organization gradually expanded the role of female wrestlers,” Ronda Rousey wrote.
“WWE bills itself as a sports entertainment organization, and just like in the mainstream entertainment industry, there was, by all accounts, a casting couch culture where men backstage in powerful positions pressured female talent for sexual favors in return for airtime. There were so many public accusations and scandals it’s hard to keep track, and more that I’m sure the WWE managed to sweep under the ring.
“Women weren’t just being demeaned backstage, but center stage. Up until 2007, ‘Bra & Panties Matches,' where female wrestlers won the match by stripping their opponent down to her underwear, were an actual f**king thing. Even after that gimmick was retired by WWE executives—I’m sure very reluctantly and with a lot of lamenting about political correctness—it was still clear that the organization placed more value on a woman’s physical appearance than her physical ability.
“The Divas Era with its pink rhinestone butterfly title belt dawned around the same time. Women, while now portrayed as wrestlers, were still expected to look a certain way—think lots of makeup, little clothing, and huge boobs. It would take almost another decade, years after I proved women could be a huge combat sports attraction, before women truly started to get time in the squared circle (what diehards call a pro wrestling ring).”
Would WWE like to largely move past this era of their existence? Yes, while there are plenty of fans who like what WWE produced during the Divas Era, with plenty of fans still fond of the likes of AJ Lee, and the Bellas, it's safe to say this new era of wrestling is much better for all parties involved, as it allows female wrestlers to be wrestlers, instead of Divas.
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