Ronda Rousey returns, wins WWE Royal Rumble 2022; social media reacts
The Baddest Woman on the Planet is back — and she is your 2022 Women's Royal Rumble winner.
Ronda Rousey made her WWE return at Saturday night's 2022 Royal Rumble, entering the 30-woman Rumble at No. 28 …
… and winning the battle royal after eliminating Charlotte Flair.
Rousey was last seen in WWE in April 2019 at WrestleMania 35, where she, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch competed in the main event — the first time in WWE history that the main event of WrestleMania featured a women's match.
Rousey's return drew a massive roar from the crowd and ignited social media, with fans, WWE Superstars past and present, and our own Ryan Satin live from St. Louis weighing in:
As stunning as Rousey's return was, there's one person who wasn't surprised at all: Becky Lynch, who predicted a January return for Rousey back in October on the "Out of Character" podcast with Satin.
As Lynch mentioned in that interview, Rousey became a mother in late September of 2021, during her time away from WWE.
Rousey was far from the only Superstar to return on Saturday, as the Royal Rumble is famous for former WWE performers making surprise appearances.
There was WWE Hall of Famer Brie Bella:
Impact Knockouts World Champion Mickie James (yes, you read that right — and she brought her championship):
Nikki Bella (also a WWE Hall of Famer, of course):
Hall of Famer Lita:
And Hall of Famer Mighty Molly (we're seeing a trend here), among others:
One Superstar who did not make a return, however, was Bayley, who has been out since July with an ACL injury.
So, what's next for Rousey? Well, Becky Lynch had an idea earlier this week — and that was before The Rowdy One won the Rumble.
