In her upcoming autobiography Our Fight, Ronda Rousey slams not only WWE’s culture but also Vince McMahon.
In one excerpt she directly accuses WWE executives of covering up various scandals.
“WWE bills itself as a sports entertainment organization, and just like in the mainstream entertainment industry, there was, by all accounts, a casting couch culture where men backstage in powerful positions pressured female talent for sexual favors in return for airtime. There were so many public accusations and scandals it’s hard to keep track, and more that I’m sure the WWE managed to sweep under the ring,” she writes.
She then details the Attitude Era with its Bra and Panties Matches matches while also ripping the Divas era for the women being “expected to look a certain way—think lots of makeup, little clothing, and huge boobs” by management.
“Four women were given less time to collectively wrestle than every single man on the roster got for his intro music alone. Presented this information as a person outside of the wrestling world you might draw the conclusion that there is a troubling foundational sexist, patriarchal culture within the WWE. You would be right. I have nothing but respect for the female wrestlers who paved the way for women wrestlers today. And nothing but disgust for the amount of sexist, degrading bulls–t they were put through,” she says.
Rousey also singles out McMahon.
“It’s hard sometimes to know where the evil, unethical, slimeball character of Vince McMahon played out for the cameras ends and the actual questionably ethical, many times sued, and multiple times accused of sexual misconduct Vince McMahon begins. That blurred line between character and reality is a recurring theme within the WWE Universe…Events are in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, as well as now twice a year in Saudi Arabia, a nation that restricts the rights of women in a way that I’m certain Vince McMahon wishes he could,” she writes.
Our Fight comes out April 2nd.
RELATED LINKS
- Ronda Rousey story archive
- Buy Our Fight: A Memoir at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca
- SlamWrestling Master Book List
