The Complete A-Z Of Wrestling In 2018

9. R - Ronda Rousey

Asuka Zack Sabre Jr
WWE.com

Only Ronda Rousey's WrestleMania partner Kurt Angle can lay claim to a kayfabe rookie year as creatively, commercially or critically successful as the post-Royal Rumble period enjoyed by 'The Baddest Woman On The Planet'.

Rousey's debut delight the 'Show Of Shows' was surprise enough, but it also raised expectations of what else she may be capable of in the aftermath. Under tremendous pressure for somebody so new to the artform, she's perfected almost every aspect of it. Her presence has almost surely lit some of the competitive fires of her contemporaries too - Rousey was the division's last missing piece and should take her deserved WrestleMania main event place as a result.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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