12 Ups & 13 Downs For WWE In 2019 (So Far)

10. A Fitting Farewell

Ronda Rousey
WWE.com

If 2019 was the last we'll see of Ronda Rousey in WWE ring, at least the company made the most of her services before she and Travis Browne sailed off on that #ImpregnationVacation.

It began with the awesome Sasha Banks feud. Was 'The Boss' a filler opponent? Absolutely, but their Royal Rumble throwdown was a nasty, gritty fight, and one of the year's best so far. From there, 'The Baddest Woman on the Planet' murdered Ruby Riott in an appropriately dominant Elimination Chamber squash, having defeated Bayley in-between, then let her bad side out on the road to WrestleMania, turning heel for her programme with Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.

Many had been waiting for this moment since Rousey walked through Titan Towers' doors, and Rousey shone as a heel. It was the right move, too, as she was never going to be cheered while warring with 'The Man,' and it ended up bringing out some of the best character work of Ronda's run.

A star from beginning to end, Rousey's rookie year deserves to be slotted in just beneath Kurt Angle's.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.