Ronda Rousey has opened up about her surprise appearance at AEW Revolution 2026, sharing her candid thoughts on the experience and how it compared to her past work.
In a video published to her YouTube channel, Rousey described the atmosphere as both new and familiar.
“It’s a little bit weird, but also familiar—but also, it’s like AEW, so it’s nice. It’s a little more laid-back.”
She revealed that the event marked her first full AEW pay-per-view appearance, noting her previous experience had been limited.
“This is actually my first full-on AEW show, because I had only done Ring of Honor before. I think I had been at shows, but never really performed on them. And Ring of Honor was kind of pre-taped with a smaller crowd.”
Rousey admitted she went into the event without knowing exactly what to expect.
“So I’ve never been to an AEW pay-per-view, so I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m thinking it’s a less restrictive, more adult version of WWE—which sounds like a good time. [laughter]”
She also acknowledged the boldness of appearing for another promotion, referencing TKO Group Holdings in a lighthearted way.
“And it’s kind of a cool little bit of a ‘f*ck you’ to TKO [WWE parent company], which is kind of funny, because WWE is on Netflix. But I figured it’d be easier to ask for forgiveness instead of permission on this one. [laughter]”
Rousey added that she didn’t expect her involvement to create any major issues.
“Like, I’m promoting your show—it’s fine. We didn’t advertise it, it’s not like we boosted the ratings, so it should be fine.”
