Why Ronda Rousey's WrestleMania victory proves she is the greatest female athlete of all time

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  • Ronda Rousey is the greatest female athlete of all time.

    There, I’ve said it.

    She is the single-most impressive female to ever walk the planet in a sporting capacity.

    It’s not what the sporting purists want to hear, but here’s why I am lauding her above any other athlete when it comes to her achievements.

    Her greatest ability is that of adaptation. Her second greatest ability is being able to excel once she has adapted – and that is something that stands unrivalled by her peers both in sport – and now, in the world of sports entertainment.

    Let’s discuss the elephant in the room first. Rousey is now a sports entertainer. She takes part in scripted entertainment. It’s a far-cry from the uncertain world of the Octagon, but nonetheless that’s where she is.

    Now let’s get something straight to start with though – while the action may be predetermined, this does not detract in any way from the physical prowess involved, and certainly not the toll it can take on the body. This, is very, very real.

    On Sunday night, Ronda Rousey made her WWE in-ring debut on the biggest stage of all – WrestleMania. Understandably, her presence has been getting huge interest from both pro-wrestling fans, and a more mainstream audience, with a general consensus that anything avoiding embarrassment would be seen as success.

    Her time to train for a life in WWE has been limited. She’s had barely a couple of months to get to a standard that most would take years to get to.

    All eyes were on her – and as with much of her sporting careers, people wanted her to fail.

    As it turned out, Rousey didn’t hold her own. She dominated – because that’s what she does.

    Take a step back to her judo days and you’ll see a record that’s unrivalled when it comes to achievements in the US. With multiple titles on home soil, around the world and an Olympic bronze medal to show for her toil, she stepped into a world where her face didn’t fit, did her own thing, and excelled.

    From there she moved to MMA – and this is where she not only shone in the sporting arena, but started to transcend sport. In the male dominated world of the UFC, she had a female division practically created for her – she was the flag bearer of the women’s game and everyone who has come after her and is yet to come has to acknowledge that.

    The reason women are getting paychecks in the UFC is Rousey.

    It was also at the time that she was breaking into the world of the big and small screen. Late night talk shows, and blockbuster movies became part of the routine – once again opening up opportunity not only for herself but for others.

    Now, it would be remiss not to mention her exit from MMA. Two high profile losses sent her into an almost reclusive state. Broken in mind more than body, her journey away from the Octagon was not a pleasant one.

    However, as a judo practitioner she was never blessed with the striking skills of some other athletes – so to dominate the sport for as long as she did is more than impressive.

    And now she is reinventing herself again. Opening herself up to learning a new set of skills, testing her body with the rigours of the bumps and bangs of a wrestling ring.

    Some athletes have the bulging trophy cabinets, and others have longevity in sport at the highest of levels, but none have done what Ronda has.
    You may not like it but you cannot help but stand back and admire Rousey.

    Her attitude in MMA may not have won friends, but it was what was needed to help her succeed.

    Now all of a sudden the fans are cheering for her, and she makes her way down a new path.

    How long the path is, nobody knows – but what we do know is that Ronda Rousey can adapt, and once adapted can excel – and for her to do it in the number of fields she has – both in and out of sport – is why in the pantheon of female sporting greats, she stands alone with her achievements.

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