Ronda Rousey quit professional wrestling after leaving the WWE after her SummerSlam match against Shayna Baszler the year before. But she recently made headlines when she revealed a number of shocking details about her time in the WWE. She has even now charged John Laurinaitis of making sexist decisions while in charge of NXT.
Ronda Rousey explores her experiences with WWE and offers frank insights on her time there in her upcoming book “Our Fight,” which is set for release on April 4. Notably, she uses foul language to warn Bruce Prichard and John Laurinaitis to “f*** themselves” in order to vent her resentment.
In an excerpt from her new book Our Fight via @TheCovalentTV, Ronda Rousey talks about the changes made to the WWE NXT brand in 2021. She noted the excitement surrounding NXT, contrasting it with Raw and SmackDown’s repetitive storylines. As NXT gained momentum and potential for expansion, it caught Vince McMahon’s attention.
Afterthe launch of a weekly NXT show to compete with AEW, the stakes were high. However, Triple H’s health scare led to his temporary absence, allowing Vince’s associates to seize control. John Laurinaitis, described as a former wrestler turned WWE executive, took the helm of NXT.
“People were excited about NXT in a way that they weren’t about Raw and SmackDown’s constant reliance on rehashing the same formulaic story lines over and over. As NXT grew and it became apparent that there was the potential to expand and profit from it, suddenly it became attractive to Vince. In fall of 2019, WWE launched a weekly NXT show—slated to go head-to-head on-air with AEW. Now, NXT was on the up-and-up, but so too was AEW. Then Triple H almost died, suffering from heart failure and requiring surgery.”
”He stepped away to deal with his health, and in his absence, Vince’s cronies saw an opportunity. NXT was losing the ratings battle to AEW, they whispered to Vince. Changes needed to be made. Which is how John Laurinaitis, a former wrestler turned WWE executive and all-around dirtbag, ended up running NXT.”
Rousey seemingly portrays Laurinaitis as a divisive figure, known for his average wrestling career and authoritarian demeanor. He’s depicted as prioritizing looks over talent in roster decisions, leading to significant changes within NXT.
Rousey suggests that blaming Laurinaitis alone is oversimplifying WWE’s internal issues. She hints at behind-the-scenes drama surpassing anything scripted, revealing the complexities of WWE’s inner workings.
”Laurinaitis had made a name for himself as an average but by no means outstanding wrestler before he moved into playing an in-ring authority figure type and then a producer. He looked and acted like an entitled sixty-year-old former frat boy. Tall, blondish, and with a cleft chin, he always appeared to be scowling, even when he smiled. His raspy voice earned him the nickname Johnny Laryngitis, which was one of the nicer things people called him.”
”Whereas Triple H looked for talent and potential in NXT prospects, it appeared John Laurinaitis looked for f*ckability. He further purged the NXT roster, firing it seemed like everyone over twenty-five and turning recruiting attention away from the indie circuits in favor of blonde sorority-types from places like the Universities of Florida and Tennessee. Putting the blame for the decline on Laurinaitis—which Vince would basically try to do a few months later—would be easy but Laurinaitis was only a symptom of what was wrong within WWE. Honestly, the actual drama was so much better than anything WWE could ever script.”
“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.”
