The friendship between WWE’s Natalya and Ronda Rousey has been well documented, but the former didn’t agree with the UFC Hall of Famer’s controversial opinions on pro wrestling. Natalya discussed the matter in an interview with Sportskeeda ahead of this weekend’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
As The Inquisitr previously documented, Rousey described the business as “fake fighting” back in 2020, which led to her receiving plenty of flak from competitors and fans alike. They felt disrespected by her comments since wrestling involves significant risk-taking and plenty of people have experienced serious injuries as a result of stepping into the ring.
Rousey’s remarks especially didn’t go down well with Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax. As The Inquisitr reported, Rousey allegedly injured Bliss in one of their matches in 2018, causing Jax to speak to the company’s management team on her colleague’s behalf.
In the interview with Sportskeeda , Natalya jokingly talked about putting Rousey in a “headlock” after the MMA star made the comments. However, she then went on to explain why she didn’t mind what her friend had to say about the sports entertainment industry.
“I think Ronda is somebody that speaks from her heart too. And that’s something I can respect. She felt a certain way. She felt like, ‘Hey, the world that she came from, MMA, you know it’s different from WWE, and I’m really big on people being allowed to have their own voice. Their own perspective, and while I might not have agreed with her on her statements because I have the utmost respect for everything we do in the WWE, it’s her opinion, and she is allowed to have her own opinion.”
In regard to disagreeing with Rousey, however, Natalya explained that their profession isn’t fake because there are only a handful of people in the world who are capable of doing what they do. She also stated that Rousey understands that more than anyone since she’s experienced the lifestyle in her own right.
Natalya concluded by saying that she respectfully disagrees with Rousey’s opinion on this issue, but noted that part of living in a free country is accepting that every individual has their own viewpoints and ideologies.
As The Inquisitr reports pointed out, Rousey hasn’t closed the door on a potential return to the squared circle. However, she stated that she’ll only be interested in a limited schedule should she ever decide to lace up her boots again. However, she has teased a comeback in recent months, as she’s still technically contracted to Vince McMahon’s company.
