Will SummerSlam 2019 mark the long awaited return of Ronda Rousey to WWE? Credit: WWE.com

Will Ronda Rousey Return at 2019 WWE SummerSlam?

Graham GSM Matthews

Ronda Rousey hasn't been seen since losing to Becky Lynch in the main event of WrestleMania 35 in April. With plans to start a family, she isn't expected back in the near future, but is a WWE return for The Rowdy One at SummerSlam this Sunday beyond the realm of possibility?

Of course, anything is known to happen in WWE, especially at big shows such as The Biggest Party of the Summer. And while Rousey returning so soon may not be likely, it shouldn't be ruled out entirely, either.

SummerSlam will see Becky Lynch defend her Raw Women's Championship versus Canada's own Natalya. The bout hasn't had a ton of buzz in recent weeks, though it would seem to be the perfect place for Rousey to make her grand comeback.

Credit: WWE.com

The last we saw of Rousey in a WWE ring, she was defending the Raw women's title she had held since August in the main event of WrestleMania against Lynch and Charlotte Flair on April 7. Their history-making match capped off the epic evening on a high note and concluded with Lynch handing Rowdy her first pinfall loss in WWE.

After it was reported at the onset of 2019 that Rousey was looking to take time off following The Show of Shows, the loss of the title she had held since SummerSlam 2018 was hardly a surprise.

Based off early speculation, fans were originally under the belief she was leaving the company all together. However, WWE later clarified she is contracted to them through April 2021.

It was never revealed when the 32-year-old would be back from her hiatus, but the WWE women's division desperately needs her at the moment.

To her credit, Lynch has made the most of everything she's been given over the past four months, but without a strong heel to work with, her reign as Raw women's champion has failed to live up to expectations.

In fact, The Man was arguably at her best when she was feuding with Rousey on the Road to WrestleMania. Considering their one-on-one match on The Grandest Stage of Them All turned into a Triple Threat, it's safe to say there's still a lot of bad blood between the two.

Natalya name-dropped Rousey during an installment of "A Moment of Bliss" last month and left fans to wonder whether the the line was designed to hint at Lynch and the former UFC star rekindling their rivalry before long.

It's also worth noting Natalya told Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post that while Rousey has "unfinished business" in WWE, she is adamant about starting a family first with husband Travis Browne.

WWE fans can doubt her all they want, but it's silly to suggest The Baddest Woman on the Planet would be away from WWE TV all this time just to sit at home. On the off-chance she has been fooling us from the get-go, it would have been a waste for her to be gone for so long.

That said, SummerSlam would be as good of a time as any for her to make a quick cameo, even if she doesn't get physical. After all, her first-ever on-screen appearance for WWE was at the 2014 installment when she was shown sitting ringside alongside the rest of the Four Horsewomen of MMA.

Natalya hasn't exactly come across as likable during her feud with Lynch and appears to despise The Man as much as Rousey does. Imagine the titleholder beating The Queen of Harts, only for Rousey to emerge and aid Nattie in her assault on their archrival.

They would be a fantastic foil for Lynch as well as a welcome addition to the depleted women's tag team scene. Again, fans shouldn't hold their breath regarding a Rowdy return on Sunday, simply because there has been zero indication that it's in the cards.

Nevertheless, it is exciting to entertain the idea of Rousey resurfacing at SummerSlam, exacting revenge on the woman who sent her career into a tailspin and reigniting the rivalry that could make WWE's women's division interesting again.

       

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.  

   

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