WWE Rumors: Women's Star No Stranger To Last-Minute Changes During Matches

Ronda Rousey made her triumphant return to the squared-circle by winning the Women’s Royal Rumble match in late January and will now face Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship on Night 1 of WrestleMania 38.

Her first run in WWE already had fans amazed at how well she fit in within the industry after a successful mixed martial arts (MMA) career with the UFC.

In a Facebook Live session with her fans, Rousey was more than willing to explain to her fans how WWE always keeps their fans on their toes most of the time.

“A lot of things change all the time. People [backstage] have an idea of what they want overall months in advance, but as things go along, and a lot of the time the audience has a lot to do with it and the reception, things do change,” revealed the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion as quoted by Wrestling Inc.

“Sometimes, things change in the ring where people think it’s going to be one thing, and then the [referee] is like ‘nope, this is what’s happening.’ And it’s not as set in stone as you would think. We get curveballs all the time.”

The outcome of a pro wrestling match could be changed on a whim if the bookers deem it and they pass along the changes to the on-screen performers via the referee’s earpiece.

At times, these changes could happen for the better since it potentially makes for a memorable moment or an unexpected finish.

However, it also carries the ever-present danger of disappointing the fans as there are some cases where fans would not entirely mind seeing a predictable finish provided that the storytelling within the match was exemplary.

The best example of this would be at No Way Out 2004 with Eddie Guerrero winning the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar in a match that will forever live on in the minds of pro wrestling fans who saw that moment live in person or through their TV screens.

Had that match been changed to Lesnar winning, the payoff would not have been as satisfying when compared to Guerrero winning.

May it be due to injury or unforeseen circumstances like the crowd potentially turning on the expected winner, WWE has utilized this tool multiple times, but fans hope that they avoid doing so during the two-night WrestleMania 38 event as this could sour fan opinion on a performer down the road.

WrestleMania will be happening this weekend on April 2 and 3, with a start time of 8 PM ET.

Night 1 will be headlined by Flair and Rousey, while the titanic title-versus-title match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar caps off Night 2.