“Respectfully Disagree”: WWE Hall of Famer Faces Backlash Online for Defending Ronda Rousey After Infamous Exit

Ronda Rousey may have exited the WWE following her loss at SummerSlam, but there’s still no respite for her from the WWE Universe. The faithful, who had been at loggerheads with the UFC Hall of Famer, was in no mood to spare anyone coming to her defense, either. This, a WWE legend, learned the hard way.

After Mick Foley came in support of Rousey recently, he was called out by fans for the decision. But do you know what Foley said?

Mick Foley celebrates Ronda Rousey’s WWE career in a long Facebook post

Call him Mankind, Dude Love, or just Mick Foley, the 58-year-old has been a bona fide entertainer in the ring. During the 90s, Foley has been part of some unforgettable performances. And while he doesn’t wrestle anymore, Foley isn’t shy of sharing his take on present-day pro wrestling.

He recently chose to celebrate the legacy of Ronda Rousey in the WWE and took to Facebook to write a lengthy post. While Foley wrote about both Rousey’s good and bad traits as a pro wrestler, he particularly mentioned her impact on the women’s division.

Allotting her a pioneer status, Foley wrote: “Without Ronda, it’s highly unlikely WWE would have featured a women’s match as its main event at WrestleMania in 2019.”

“I still believe the real marquee match would have been Becky versus Ronda in a singles match – but nonetheless, let the record show that Ronda Rousey main evented WrestleMania with just one year of professional wrestling experience,” he added.

Rousey signed with the WWE in 2018 and became a fan favorite right away. She made her in-ring debut that year at WrestleMania. Teaming up with WWE legend Kurt Angle, Rousey took on the mixed duo of Triple H and his wife Stephanie McMahon. She used her signature armbar on McMahon to win the match.

However, the match Foley is talking about took place at WrestleMania 35. The main event featured then Raw Women’s champion Rousey, SmackDown Women’s champion Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a Winner Takes All Triple Threat match. Lynch won the bout.

Read More: WWE Universe Show Their Ultimate Hypocrisy After Ronda Rousey Drops Bombshell Message

But fans aren’t happy with Foley stating that a women’s match would never have become a main event without Rousey, who had earlier handed the WWE a ‘hard-out’ date, paving the way for her exit.

Fans strongly oppose Mick Foley’s Ronda Rousey tribute

While Rousey started out as a fan favorite, her connection snapped after she took her first hiatus from the company. During that time, she appeared critical of pro wrestling, irking fans.

That wound never healed, and since then, her appearances filled fans with disinterest and unhappiness.

“Respectfully disagree. She was there for a paycheck and that’s it. She hasn’t improved much at all since her debut, in ring, or on the mic. She doesn’t know how to handle fans, and never tried to learn how to. She never really got over with fans because it was clear she didn’t/doesn’t care about professional wrestling. Once again, she was there solely for a paycheck,” a fan wrote on Facebook beneath Foley’s post.

The WWE Universe was so miffed with Rousey, that they even congratulated Charlotte Flair, another superstar who fans have been critical of after she beat Rousey on the last SmackDown episode of 2022 to win the belt.

This fan hinted at a mental illness, referring to Foley’s violent matches and frequent bumps, because of the latter’s praise towards The Baddest Woman on the Planet.

“She was terrible when she started and never got any better. I dunno what she’s to be praised for,” another Facebook user wrote, dismissing Foley’s claim. The sentiment was shared by an X user.

So, do you think Mick Foley is wrong in his assessment? Do you agree with the legend or the fans? Let us know in the comments.

Watch This Story: From Impressive Victory to Awful Trend, Fire Ronda Rousey Trends on Twitter after SmackDown Botch