10 New Directions For WWE After Hell In A Cell 2018

3. Ronda Rousey Working Longer Matches As A Rule

Alexa Bliss Ronda Rousey
WWE.com

Ronda Rousey's match with Alexa Bliss on Sunday felt like a turning point for the 'Baddest Woman on the Planet' as a pro wrestler.

OK, so Rousey went 11 minutes with Nia Jax at Money in the Bank and her 'Mania 34 mixed tag went over 20 mins, but this was a different kind of deal. For the first time since becoming a full-time WWE star, Ronda was tasked with selling an injury (her ribs) and letting an established heel get heat on her. That's all part of her learning process.

For what it's worth, it'll take time for Ronda to properly feign agony. It cannot be easy for someone who's used to being punched full force in MMA to pretend that Bliss' light jabs are caving in her rib cage. If Rousey can master the art of selling and combine that with her killer comebacks, she'll be everything WWE hoped and more.

She was always going to have to work lengthier matches at some point, and she'll be called upon to do so again at Evolution next month.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.