10 Fascinating Facts About WWE In 2015
8. The Rock Convinced UFC Re: Ronda Rousey
Dana White was reportedly hesitant to let Ronda Rousey show up at WrestleMania 31, but The Rock stepped in to lay the SmackDo…erm…sell him on it. Previously, White had prevented Brock Lesnar from doing anything with WWE whilst with UFC years before. That was understandable - those fighters were under ironclad contracts, after all.
What if one of them got hurt doing the WWE thing and had to skip carefully-promoted fights as a result? How would Dana explain that to UFC's money men? Eventually, Rocky was able to twist White's arm, and that set wheels in motion for Rousey's eventual full-time transition into wrestling.
Looking back, a fair few wrestling fans probably wish White had been able to veto most of Rousey’s second stint with the company. It became clear pretty early on that Ronda didn't like general wrestling fan chatter, and that she couldn't stomach being booed (even as a heel!).
The Rock accidentally created a monster by inviting Ronda to 'Mania 31.