RONDA ROUSEY made made a stunning appearance at the Royal Rumble in January, and makes her WWE in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34.
But many noticed a tribute to a certain ‘Hot Rod’ from Rousey, and a rather famous theme song too.
Why has Rousey paid tribute to Roddy Piper?
A longtime fan of professional wrestling, Rousey took her nickname, Rowdy, from wrestling legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
They also shared the same judo coach – Gene LeBell, who trained both Piper and Rousey in grappling and other techniques.
They became friends, and Piper gave his blessing for Rousey to carry the nickname throughout her career.
After defeating Bethe Correia at UFC 190 in August 2015, she dedicated her performance to Piper, who had died the previous day, in her post-fight interview.
During her Royal Rumble appearance, Rousey wore a Piper’s very own jacket. It was given to her by his son.
Who was Roddy Piper?
A wrestling legend and actor, Piper was also an established actor, and starred in 1988 cult classic They Live.
He also had a role in comedy series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
Piper – who passed away in 2015 – headlined WrestleMania 1 as part of a tag team with Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff against Hulk Hogan and A-Team hero Mr T.
When did Rousey join the WWE?
Rousey – who is a long-time WWE fan made a shock appearance at Royal Rumble.
She marched down to the ring after the historic women’s Royal Rumble match, and pointed to the WrestleMania sign.
She told ESPN upon signing for the WWE: “This is my life now. First priority on my timeline for the next several years. This is not a smash-and-grab; this is not a publicity stunt.
“When I first met with Triple H, I told him, ‘There are other things I can do with my time that’ll make way more money, but I won’t enjoy nearly as much.'”
Rousey teams up with Kurt Angle to face Triple H and wife Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 34.
Who sings Rousey’s theme song?
Rousey’s theme song used at the Royal Rumble was Bad Reputation by Joan Jett.
The 1981 classic was also used by Rousey in the UFC.
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