Why did Ronda Rousey leave WWE? Potential reason analysed

Ronda Rousey left WWE in October 2023.

Ronda Rousey parted ways with WWE in October 2023. The Baddest Woman on the Planet recently shocked the pro wrestling world by making her Ring of Honor debut after being present backstage for the tapings of AEW Collision & Rampage. The fans might be wondering why Ronda left the sports entertainment juggernaut in the first place.

For those who are wondering, Ronda Rousey absolutely hated WWE’s travel schedule, and that might have factored into her decision to part ways with the Stamford-based promotion. Even Brock Lesnar did not like the promotion’s hectic road trips, and that was one of the reasons he parted ways with Vince McMahon in 2004.

Ronda has gone on record about her dislike for WWE’s travel schedule in the past. Back in 2020, the former RAW Women’s Champion told Stephanie Chase of Digital Spy that the traveling part about WWE “was the absolute worst.”

Additionally, she wanted to work with her friends toward the end of her career in WWE. She was able to partially fulfill her wish by putting over Shayna Baszler at SummerSlam 2023. However, the same cannot be said about Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke, both of whom were released before Ronda could have had the opportunity to work with them.

With that being said, the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion is finally getting to work alongside Shafir on the independent scene and in AEW. She made her Ring of Honor debut alongside The Problem at the recently-held tapings. It remains to be seen if the two will appear together on AEW’s other programming in the future.

When was Ronda Rousey’s final WWE appearance?

Ronda Rousey last appeared on WWE television at SummerSlam 2023. The 36-year-old star put over Shayna Baszler at the Biggest Party of the Summer. Ronda lost to Shayna in their MMA Rules Match in under eight minutes.

It was reported at the time that Ronda had a “hard out” clause in her contract that allowed her to exit from the company before her contract could expire. Ronda and Shayna were the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions when she told Vince McMahon she would be leaving the company in July.