With comparisons already being made to Kurt Angle's revolutionary rookie year on the main roster, Ronda Rousey could and should consider her first year with WWE as one of the great success stories of the era.
Bottled, her WrestleMania tag victory alongside the fellow former Olympian would have been enough of a hill to die on, but Rousey's done the total opposite since shining brighter than half the established talents on her first night in.
With charisma to spare and already mastered, Ronda improved her in-ring game with every passing match to the point she could credibly compete with any opponent rather than requiring a carry from outstanding baggage-handlers Charlotte Flair or Nikki Bella. She gave Nia Jax her best match, Alexa Bliss a cathartic kicking, and the aforementioned 'Queen' one of the best main roster singles matches of the year.
The only way to top her first 12 months would be to headline WrestleMania to kick off her second. And it'd be foolish to rile it out, considering everything else that has come to pass since her incandescent arrival...
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
