When asked about who was the “most consequential figure in pro wrestling over the past 40 years” following Vince McMahon's retirement from the WWE, Dave Meltzer gave a surprisingly detailed response with multiple candidates; he pointed to Hulk Hogan, Antonio Peña, Rey Mysterio, Antonio Inoki, and even Ronda Rousey as folks worthy of being in that conversation.

Almost immediately, the inclusion of Rousey drew criticism from more than a few WWE fans who view the “Rowdy One” as a part-timer who doesn't exactly have the in-ring work to justify her Goldberg-ian bookings, but Meltzer shot back at those detractors too, pointing out how Rousey proved that women could draw money in a wrestling ring not for how they look but for their ability to throw down and hook in Kurt Angle-esque ankle locks on the way to a 1-2-3.

It was this comment that drew the attention of “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, another MMA fighter-turned-wrestler who had experience in Dana White's octagon. Though it's not too surprising to see Lawlor say something nice in relation to Meltzer, as he is a frequent collaborator with Brian Alvarez as part of the Filthy Four podcast within the greater F4W Universe, his response further solidifies Rousey's impact on the greater graps world, as you can read below.

There was a time when people thought that Ronda would beat some of her UFC male counterparts at 135 lbs., the Ronda-Mania was CRAZZZYYY hot when she jumped the rail at Mania, how anyone can deny her place in US Womens wrestling history is insane

Yeah, when a fighter has to start sparring with their male counterparts – more on that in a bit – you know they are in rarified air.

So, as we get ready to watch Rousey's match with Liv Morgan for the SmackDown Woman's Championship, why not look back at what made her so great in UFC and why her abilities as a fighter deserve a little more love from some members of the WWE Universe who maybe don't appreciate what she brings to the table.

Ronda Rousey's legacy deserves more love from some WWE fans.

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Ronda Rousey was considered one of the best fighters in the world. She went on a 16-bout win streak, beat some of the best fighters in the world, and was labeled one of the best to ever do it by the man literally in charge of the sport. Need proof? Well, look no further than what Dana White had to say about Rousey back in 2016 during the height of her historic run, as dictated by Bleacher Report.

She's a rock star man. She's been fantastic. She's been killing it for us. I just hope that we can some really good fights for her. I love Ronda Rousey man. I do. 

Our people decide when and where she fights but it's about finding an opponent. We have to get her an opponent. You guys know I'm not doing anything with Strikeforce anymore. You guys know more than I know. 

I think when you have two really good female athletes that are at the same level, yeah absolutely. Would you disagree that Miesha Tate's probably the best girl in that division that's out there that she's fought? She went in there and arm barred her twice in the first two minutes of the fight. I mean, unfortunately, she's gonna be the Lucia Rijker of MMA. And for those of you that don't know who Lucia Rijker was, she was the female boxer who was really the best in the world. You've heard of Kristi Martin and Layla Ali and all these other people, they wouldn't fight her. Nobody wanted to fight Lucia Rijker. She was sparring with guys. She was probably the best female boxer ever and nobody knows who the hell she is…nobody knows her name.

That's some high praise indeed.

Now, if you don't know, Rousey was one of the biggest success stories of White's company, elevating the female side of UFC to new heights and creating a slew of new fans, casual and hardcore alike. Though he did advocate for her to leave the company when things started going south, White was beyond excited to see her join the WWE and was on hand for WrestleMania 34 to see her take on Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in a mixed tag match that also featured Kurt Angle.

Granted, that match was considered one of the best of Rousey's career, as even Dave Meltzer gave it 4.25-stars, but hey, White certainly doesn't look too sad to see his long-time friend killing it in another ring with a few fewer sides.

Since that event, Rousey has won the RAW Women's Championship once from August of 2018 through April of 2019, the SmackDown Women's Championship once as well, from May through July of 2022, and who knows, by the end of 2023, she may have another title run on her resume too, as it's hard to imagine she won't be heavily featured at WrestleMania 39, broadcast live over two nights from Los Angeles, California. She's wrestled in a WWE ring on 102 occasions, won her first 51 matches in a row and 92 of her 102 matches overall, and most importantly of all, has inspired a generation of girls to pursue wrestling as a craft, not as a way to make money for being pretty. Eventually, we'll see a crop of performers who site Rousey as their biggest influence and that, obviously, makes her very influential indeed.