RAW: The Ronda Rousey Championship Open Challenge

“How exactly do championship open challenges work? Do I just go out there? Do I talk to Constable Corbin? Text my dear friend, Stephanie?”

It’s a question even the most dedicated members of the WWE Universe have, so it’s no surprise that the RAW Women’s Champion would also want to know the proper protocol for championship open challenges. Especially since, post-successful Hell in a Cell championship defense, Rousey is looking to prove her status as the fighting champion she promised to be.

So she reaches out to her friends and allies in the locker room—Natalya and The Bella Twins—to ask them just how exactly this all works. And as Natalya points out—proving that Monday Night RAW really is the wild, wild West—the male Superstars don’t tell anyone in a position of authority when they decide to have an open challenge. They just go out and do it. (These open challenges might not be legally-binding championship opportunities then.)

“It’s that easy,” Rousey asks, and it’s amazing just how true that is.

When the time comes for the inaugural Ronda Rousey Championship Open Challenge, she is all smiles. At least, at first. (Also, Corey Graves speaks about Rousey successfully defending her championship against Alexa Bliss the night before and claims that he “never doubted her once.” Sure, Jan.) Before she gets into challenge-mode, she takes a moment to soak up the “RONDA ROUSEY” chants and even to congratulate Alexa Bliss for fighting as hard as she did at Hell in a Cell. It didn’t get her the W, but it definitely showed Rousey something she didn’t know the woman had in her.

But now that Bliss is out of the way, Rousey wants to focus on being one of the great champions of sports entertainment. Like Bret Hart. Like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Like Ric Flair. So that’s why the open challenge. And now it’s no more smiles, as she makes clear that if any of the women in the back “have the gumption” to step up, then they better step up now.

At first, it looks like maybe this is one open challenge that will go unanswered. But then Natalya’s music plays, and Rousey’s actually happy to see that her friend will be the one to go head-to-head with her in the ring. But Natalya doesn’t actually show… until she ends up being dragged out by The Riott Squad. Ruby Riott says this is Rousey’s fault and that she made them do this; because while they don’t dislike the RAW Women’s Champion, they don’t like her either. And they’re already tired of her championship reign, so Ruby plans to end it right now. Only, making it personal by attacking Natalya prevents Rousey from truly accepting the challenge, and she immediately punches Ruby as soon as the leader of The Riott Squad reaches the ring apron.

Then it’s a battle to survive, as The Riott Squad pounce on Rousey like a pack of hyenas, going straight for the injured ribs. The Bellas make the save, and Rousey is eventually able to hit her finisher on Ruby, but the first open challenge for Rousey’s RAW Women’s Championship is officially a bust. Maybe next week.