Who Should Be Ronda Rousey's Opponent at Evolution?

   Since the announcement of the first all-woman WWE Pay-Per-View Evolution, fans knew that Ronda Rousey would be a big part of it.  Rumors began circulating that her opponent for Evolution would be Nikki Bella.  As if that possibility wasn't scary enough, it got worse when Ronda won the Raw Women's Championship at SummerSlam a week ago.  That's not to say that wasn't a great moment.  It's scary to me because, especially with Ronda as Champion, that match will likely be the Main Event.  As much as Nikki improved during her career, she's the antithesis of the evolution the women in WWE made.  Frankly, no one wants to see Nikki be Ronda's opponent!  Not to mention, Nikki is still not far removed from her almost career ending neck injury and surgery so Ronda would have to be very careful.  Some claim that Nikki is reported to be the opponent due to her mainstream appeal.  I'd argue that Ronda has enough mainstream appeal on her own and should be in the ring instead with a gifted veteran.  

   The night after SummerSlam, a ceremony dedicated to Ronda Rousey's Championship win was hosted by Stephanie McMahon, because, of course it was!  As predicted, Stephanie again made the women's evolution all about herself, even claiming Ronda to be her protege.  When Ronda didn't agree, Stephanie warned all the women that Ronda would try to break all their arms, much like she did to former Champion Alexa Bliss.  Ronda then put Stephanie in an arm bar and nearly broke it, before celebrating in the ring with some of the women.  This gave me a scary thought, in that instead of Nikki Bella being Ronda's opponent, it could be Stephanie.  This is the stuff of nightmares!  I also don't understand why they continue this feud between Stephanie and Ronda.  This was now the third time Ronda almost tore Stephanie's arm out of its socket, fourth if you go back to their altercation at WrestleMania 31.  They competed against each other already at this past WrestleMania in a Mixed Tag Team Match, also featuring Kurt Angle and Triple H.  I sincerely hope that Stephanie is not Ronda's opponent.  For one, it would be a bad match and two, it would overshadow the accomplishments of other women that fought to make a change.

   I've now spoken about women that should not be Ronda's opponent.  There's a few more that either won't or shouldn't.  It won't be Nia Jax, as Ronda already faced her at Money In the Bank before Alexa Bliss cashed in.  She will clash with Nia in the future but not at Evolution.  Since Ronda's arrival at the Royal Rumble back in January, many fans have been predicting a match between her and Charlotte Flair.  That match is likely to occur at next year's WrestleMania so a match at Evolution is unlikely, especially because Charlotte is the new Smackdown Women's Champion, embroiled in a personal feud with Becky Lynch.  Ronda's opponent should also not be Asuka, as I believe that is a big money match that should be saved for another time.  Asuka is also coming off losing her streak at WrestleMania, followed by two losses to Carmella, and she needs some momentum, especially gong into a match with Ronda.

   At this time, I'd like to focus on who I believe should be Ronda's opponent at Evolution.  Firstly, I'll go with some honorable mentions.  Either Bayley or Sasha Banks would make great opponents for Ronda, as both are integral parts in the evolution of women in WWE, going back to what many believe is the root of it all, NXT.  Both have competed for a number of years and would help lead Ronda to a great match.  Someone else who would be a great fit for Ronda's opponent at Evolution would be Mickie James.  James is an accomplished veteran who is familiar with Ronda in recent storylines, as she was the right-hand woman of Alexa Bliss.  Mickie hasn't shown up in a while and she might be injured so that's probably out.  There's a possibility that any number of former female competitors could be her opponent as well.  Though Trish Stratus will be busy at Evolution against Alexa Bliss, Lita or Beth Phoenix would make great challengers.

   I've narrowed it down to one woman that I think deserves the spotlight at a historic show such as this.  That one woman is Natalya!  Unfortunately, Natalya came in during the "Divas" era, and her fantastic wrestling ability was overshadowed by other things.  She fought through that era into the women's revolution and evolution.  She is a third generation technical wrestler from the famous Hart family.  However, her skill is not the only reason why Nattie deserves this match.  She and Ronda Rousey are great friends, both as characters and outside of wrestling.  Natalya helped train Ronda in the ring before her debut.  In fact, not only did Ronda dedicate her Title win to her mentor Rowdy Roddy Piper, she also dedicated it to Natalya's father, the late Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, who recently passed away.  It would be touching for Ronda to give Natalya a chance to win the Women's Championship and potentially main event a PPV.  To me, there is no one more deserving at this time than Natalya.  

 If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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