Ronda Rousey Calls Pro Wrestling An “Intense Performance” And Not A Sport

(Photo Credit: WWE)

Former WWE star Ronda Rousey recently appeared on Steve-Oโ€™s Wild Ride, where she talked about a number of topics including how pro wrestling is not a sport but an intense performance.

Rousey said, โ€œItโ€™s scripted. Mostly. There is a general idea. They are working together. I like to relate it to figure skating. Two people together creating a performance. As Shayna [Shayna Baszler] likes to say, there is no fake way to take a chairshot. Youโ€™re actually getting hit with a chair. Itโ€™s also not a competition. A lot of wrestlers and stuff will be like, โ€˜Wrestling is real. I got this injury or that injury.โ€™ Iโ€™m like, okay, as a competitor in an actual sport, Iโ€™m never worried about getting injured. Iโ€™m worried about losing. Thatโ€™s the most stressful part of it. Injuries are not at all what youโ€™re thinking about. Thatโ€™s not what makes it real or makes it hard. Itโ€™s the uncertainty of the outcome. When people are like, โ€˜itโ€™s a real sport.โ€™ No, itโ€™s not a sport. Itโ€™s a very intense performance, which I have a lot of respect for, but itโ€™s not a sport. If youโ€™ve ever dealt with the stress and anxiety that comes with competition, you canโ€™t take that out and call it a sport. Itโ€™s so tough. Itโ€™s very physical, but itโ€™s not a sport.โ€

You can check out Rousey’s comments in the video below.

(H/T to Fightful for transcribing the above quotes)