Dutch Mantell has his say on why Ronda Rousey’s WWE run was a failure

Former WWE manager Dutch Mantell recently shared his insights on Ronda Rousey’s stint with the company, shedding light on some of the challenges she faced during her time in the women’s division. Despite Rousey’s initial prominence and capturing the imagination of fans, her trajectory seemed to stall, leading to questions about the missteps that may have hindered her progression.

Upon her return in 2022, Ronda Rousey quickly became a central figure in the women’s division. She made a triumphant entrance by winning the Royal Rumble match, eventually leading to a high-profile match against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 38. This early success positioned Rousey as a formidable force within WWE.

Ronda Rousey’s recent struggles in the WWE

Despite her early accomplishments, Rousey found herself gradually falling out of the title picture. After winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania Backlash, she embarked on a storyline with Liv Morgan but failed to regain the momentum she had initially established. This shift relegated her to the mid-card, leaving fans questioning the direction of her character.

In a recent episode of Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the veteran manager offered his perspective on Ronda Rousey’s challenges in WWE. Mantell highlighted a particular aspect of her character portrayal that may have hindered her ability to connect with the audience. He observed that while Rousey was positioned as a heel, her smiling demeanor and interaction with fans during her entrance contradicted the intended portrayal:

“Ronda, I think it took her some time to learn the pro-style. She’s made a lot of mistakes. She wanted people to dislike her. But she would come out because they told her to, smiling and slapping hands. You can’t be smiling at people and slapping hands, then get in the ring and expect them to boo you. I mean, that’s not even her fault. That’s creative’s fault, whoever told her to do that. If you’re gonna be an as*hole, be an as*hole from the get-go.”

Mantell suggested that Rousey’s missteps were a result of a combination of factors, including potentially conflicting guidance from backstage personnel and a lack of clear direction from creative. He acknowledged that learning the intricacies of the pro-style wrestling industry takes time and that Rousey made mistakes along the way. However, he also attributed some of the responsibility to creative’s failure to establish a consistent character presentation from the outset.