Former UFC World Champion Ronda Rousey was inside an AEW ring this weekend.
Rousey, who is expected to compete in her first MMA bout in nearly a decade as part of a May 16 Netflix broadcast, showed up in Los Angeles, California on Sunday night during the AEW Revolution broadcast.
Rousey hit the ring and challenged Toni Storm, bringing the ex-AEW Women’s World Champion back into the ring just minutes after she overcame Marina Shafir in a nine-minute contest.
The face-to-face between them allowed Shafir to score a blindside attack against Storm just before the segment came to a close.
As a professional wrestler, Rousey is best known for her time in the WWE, working matches in 2018 and 2019, and returning in 2022 for another stretch of matches. However, her last in-ring booking, a 2023 date, saw her work alongside Shafir for a Ring of Honor taping. Her appearance on Sunday night seemingly opens the door to a possible team reunion sometime down the line.
Storm’s win against Shafir came to an end after she scored a headbutt then rolled up the Death Riders member. Shafir endured lots of damage earlier in the fight, including a trio of hip attacks in the corner and a Storm Zero.
Shafir attempted to get the jump on Storm, attacking her before the bell. However, Storm was able to mount a comeback and take control of the match. Shafir at one point tried to submit Storm with her Mother’s Milk move, but Storm escaped by bitting one of Shafir’s nipples.
Shafir and Storm have crossed paths for months, with Sunday being the 10th time they have shared a ring together since just November. Shafir famously attached shards of glass to her feet before kicking Storm during last year’s women’s Blood & Guts cage match. A month later, they stood across from eachother in a Worlds End mixed-tag team match.
Most recently, Storm was on the winning end of a mixed tag bout against Shafir at Grand Slam: Australia, a result which caused Shafir’s teammate, Wheeler Yuta, to get his head shaved.
