Rhonda, Now You’ve Gone Too Far

By Paul Strauss - 08/11/2015 - Comments

Rhonda Rousey has proven to be one of the most exciting personalities in sports. She has a sharp mind and proves to be a good person to interview. She never backs away from tough questions, and never backs done when challenged. So far she has been perfect in the sport of caged fighting. The most impressive part of her undefeated record is how quickly she dispatches her foes. Her opponents know she’s famous for a particular “arm bar” type submission hold. But, knowing that and preventing it from happening are two different things.

However, to believe she could actually beat someone like Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is amusing. The suggestion comes with the caveat that it be a no rules brawl. Rousey attempts to convince her fans and others that Floyd would be at a big disadvantage in such a contest. A “no rules” contest would lesson or eliminate Floyd’s superior boxing skills.

The truth is Floyd knows every trick in the book, legal or illegal. His mobility and quickness are so far above anything Rousey has ever come up against. Rousey has been fighting professionally for only a short time. Floyd has been fighting ever since he could walk. He’s faced every type of adversary. Many of them tried hard to rough up Floyd and ended up eating elbows and laces.

Rousey has never faced anyone as fast or strong as Floyd. She seems to think she could get hold of Floyd and use some of her judo expertise on him. More than likely one of two would happen when she makes an aggressive move. Either she would be grabbing air, or she would be on the receiving end of a multi-punch combination. If she survived that (not likely), she would soon be getting a repeat performance.

The reality of any such match up would be like throwing an amateur in with a professional. It shouldn’t happen. If it does, because of the potential money involved, then count on there being a wrestling match type script which would choreograph the romp around. It would be more horseplay and less chances of possible danger or risk. It could be fun for some. A promoter would love to play off the “good vs evil” aspect. The underdog Rousey would be presented as deserving of fans’ admiration and idealized for her courage. There wouldn’t be much difficulty in portraying Floyd as the bad guy. As the famous Dragnet cop used to say, “Just the facts”.