Last weekend, Ronda Rousey raised eyebrows when she made her surprise AEW debut on the 2026 Revolution pay-per-view, with the previous WWE and UFC star notably staring down then being separated from “Timeless” Toni Storm. Since then, fans and even AEW’s own talents, similar to Jeff Jarrett, have pondered the potential implications of Rousey’s AEW appearance.
“I’m here for it. Who knows where that is going,” Jarrett said on the “My World” podcast when asked for his tackle Rousey’s debut. “Toni is successful on this era, and you may’t say this about all talent. She might have been successful within the 60s, 70s, when the territories got super red hot within the early 80s, the Attitude Era. Are you able to imagine what she had done then? She is absolutely, really good. And I assumed all that was super hype. The primary three matches had [surprises]. I feel Ronda shocked some folks … [AEW’s future with] Ronda, TBD. I mean you would need to say her primary motivation to be there, what number of eyeballs were on her to get views for her fight last night? So much. She made news last night, I feel, in a positive way for her fight.”
As Jarrett alluded to, Rousey is about for a return to the MMA industry when she takes on former Strikeforce fighter Gina Carano at an event backed by Netflix and Jake Paul’s Most Precious Promotions on May 16. For Rousey, it can mark her first fight since December 2016, when she lost to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.
In keeping with reports, Rousey is believed to not be signed to AEW at this point, meaning she would still be a free agent in the professional wrestling world. Whether or not which means she is going to make more pro wrestling appearances has yet to be seen, though, as Rousey previously admitted to being one step out of that door.
Shayna Baszler To Join The Death Riders? Jarrett Is not Certain
Moments before Rousey called for a confrontation with Toni Storm at Revolution, her long-time friend and fellow MMA expert Marina Shafir faced Storm in a match where everyone was barred from ringside. Storm emerged victorious within the bout, though Shafir quickly scored revenge by striking her from behind as security stepped between her and Rousey within the ring.
With Rousey and Shafir leaving Revolution in smiles, Jarrett assessed the opportunity of Shayna Baszler, one other MMA figure-turned-wrestler, joining them in AEW, specifically as an addition to The Death Riders.
“Boy, that is a great query. Hey, never say never,” Jarrett said. “The explanation I even needed to pause there for a second was because when Marina got with [Jon] Moxley and crew, it just, to me, fit like a glove. And as a producer, creator, whatever it might be, I suppose what I’m saying is I’m undecided that may be a profit. Not saying you would need to put them together, but I do not know where Baszler [would fit]. I do not know in case you’re assuming, loop them back together I do not know if that’d be of their best interest. That is sort of where my mind immediately went. Standalone, that is a complete different query.”
Together alongside Jessamyn Duke, Rousey, Baszler, and Shafir are generally known as the 4 Horsewomen of the MMA, with each also later competing within the wrestling world. For Shafir, nearly all of her last two years have seen her aligned with The Death Riders, led by former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley. For Baszler, she stays a free agent in wrestling following her May 2025 release from WWE, though she continues to function a guest coach on the WWE Performance Center when available.
In the event you use any of the quotes in this text, please credit “My World” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.