The definitive defense of Ronda Rousey may have arrived late Wednesday night. Perhaps not surprisingly, it comes from one of the Four Horsewomen, Rousey's inner circle of fighter friends.
Shayna Baszler, to be precise, rode to her buddy's aid, sticking up for Rousey in a column she penned for MMA website Combat Press. She even went so far as to compare Rousey with Muhammad Ali, another all-time great who, Baszler writes, was maligned in his time for arrogance but later revered.
Muhammad Ali is considered to be the greatest boxer to have ever lived. He transcended the sport of boxing to become a household name. His antics were looked down on and hated. His remarks were racist and disrespectful in a time of controversial tension. He spoke political views that were not popular. But, here’s the kicker: No one remembers any of that...Before you stretch your fingers and get ready to post a “laughable to compare Ali to Ronda Rousey” quote in the comments, at least admit that there are a lot of parallels between the two. Ronda paved a way for how women are viewed in sports. Ali paved a way for how African Americans are viewed in sports.
Baszler (15-10) does have a strong vantage point from which to evaluate the progress of women's MMA and Rousey's role in popularizing it. The 35-year-old first competed professionally in 2003—the virtual stone ages in a women's MMA context. Along with Rousey, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir, Baszler comprises the Horsewomen, a relatively short-lived, much-enjoyed and, at times, ridiculed group modeled after Ric Flair's Four Horsemen of professional wrestling fame.
Sadly for fans, the horsewomen haven't fared too well in the cage of late. Since 2014, Duke and Baszler went a combined 0-5 in the UFC. (The UFC released Baszler in June.) Shafir, who competes at featherweight, was knocked out in 37 seconds during her debut for Invicta FC.
And you may have heard something about Rousey, who lost her UFC women's bantamweight title last Saturday to Holly Holm via second-round knockout. She has been the subject of widespread online mockery and various other indignations ever since, in part for what detractors say is a sense of arrogance and poor sportsmanship. That perspective has been further heightened by the normally talkative and media-friendly Rousey's refusal to answer questions or even appear on camera following the loss.
Dana White: 'In no way, shape or form' did Ronda Rousey think she'd lose to Holly Holm https://t.co/7sovFLqdES pic.twitter.com/8uh050gqAQ
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) November 19, 2015
That tidal wave of glee in the wake of Rousey's defeat clearly drove Baszler to stick up for her friend and teammate.
"Holly Holm represents the American dream in more ways than one," Baszler wrote. "Hate Ronda, be happy she lost, but take the fact that she isn’t a trailblazing legend who has ruined her legacy out of the argument. That’s just ignorance."
