WWE SummerSlam 2023: Shayna Baszler Defeats Ronda Rousey in MMA Match
The bitter rivalry between Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler comes to an end at WWE's 2023 SummerSlam.
WWE SummerSlam has seen the American Nightmare taking down The Beast, LA Knight winning the battle royale, and Logan Paul defeating Ricochet with some underhanded tricks. Perhaps no match of the night was more personal than the bout between Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, as there was some serious bad blood to be worked out. With the match being billed as an "MMA Rules" bout, meaning that victory could only be claimed by knockout or submission, Baszler claimed victory against her former friend in a surprising win.
The match itself started fast and furious, taking on a look that seemed far more like a Mixed Martial Arts match than a typical World Wrestling Entertainment match. At one point in the match, Rousey even started throwing officials around the ring who were attempting to check on Baszler's status. Ultimately, Shayna was able to definitively defeat Rousey with a chokehold that knocked Ronda out, with Baszler having delivered some rough hits in the match's runtime.
Was The Feud For Real Between Rousey And Baszler?
Baszler recently discussed how the bad blood between herself and Ronda Rousey was very real, "One thing I've always said about wrestling fans, I guess sports fans in general, is they can smell when you're faking the funk. All this is like legit and real talk. I think they connect to stuff that's real," Baszler explained (h/t Cageside Seats). "I have seen some stuff from people like, 'Who am I supposed to be cheering for? Who's the bad guy?' ...You just cheer for who you like. And it just happens to be me, because the stuff I'm saying is real. And if we're being honest, the stuff I'm saying is the stuff fans have been saying ever since Ronda got signed [by WWE]. So, I'm done being quiet about it."
If you want a refresher on the matches for WWE SummerSlam 2023, you can see them below:
- Logan Paul vs. Ricochet
- Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
- SummerSlam Battle Royal
- Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler (MMA Rules)
- Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
- World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
- WWE Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Bianca Belair vs. Charlotte Flair
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)