‘Goosebumps’: Ronda Rousey’s triumphant WWE return sends fans berserk

The stunning return of a former UFC champion brought the house down at WWE’s night of nights, the Royal Rumble.

Ronda Rousey has returned to WWE — and is this year’s women’s Royal Rumble winner.

The “Baddest Woman on the Planet” was a not-so surprise entrant in the match during the pay-per-view from The Dome at America’s Centre in St. Louis on Sunday (AEDT).

Rousey, 34, will now likely chose to face SmackDown women’s champion Charlotte Flair – who she eliminated to win the Royal Rumble – at WrestleMania 38 from AT&T Stadium in Dallas on April 3-4.

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Rousey entered the Royal Rumble match at No. 28 to a huge pop. But gone was the gear paying homage to “Rowdy Roddy” Piper.

Instead Rousey was dress in all black with the word “Baddest” across her chest in white. She also eliminated both Bella Twins, Shotzi and with a big smile teamed up with fellow MMA Four Horsewomen Shayna Baszler for a bit. The match’s final four was Rousey, Baszler, Flair and Bianca Belair.

THE ROWDY ONE IS BACK.@RondaRousey is in the #RoyalRumble Match!!! pic.twitter.com/qUEHGwMlhn

— WWE (@WWE) January 30, 2022

Ronda Rousey has made the Royal Rumble. Epic. Goosebumps.

— Scott Fishman (@smFISHMAN) January 30, 2022

Omg Ronda Rousey has entered the Women’s Royal Rumble. #royalrumble

— Kellyanne Stitts (@KellyanneStitts) January 30, 2022

RONDA ROUSEY!!😳 This is why I Love #RoyalRumble@WWEIndia

— Rony Dasgupta (@TheRawKnee) January 30, 2022

This was Rousey’s first appearance on WWE television since she was pinned by Becky Lynch in a triple-treat match with Flair at WrestleMania 35 in 2019.

The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion stepped away from WWE to have a baby and her and husband Travis Brown welcomed daughter La’akea Makalapuaokalanipo in September.

Talk of the former Raw women’s champion making her return at the Royal Rumble began in the week leading up to the event as multiple reports hinted at the possibility.

Ronda Rousey made an epic entrance to WWE's Royal Rumble.

Fightful reported the WWE was pushing for Rousey, who has resumed training, to come back and it was a matter of if and not when she was back with the company.

A WWE official flew to California to meet with Rousey a week prior to the Rumble and her makeup artist has been scheduled to be at the Royal Rumble and Raw, according to PWInsider.

The Wrestling Observer reported that Rousey was back with WWE for a year and would be a regular on “Friday Night SmackDown” and that her versus Flair would happen at WrestleMania this year, saving a potential clash with Lynch for next year in Los Angeles.

WWE later confirmed Rousey will also be at Monday Night Raw this week.

Brock Lesnar, another former UFC champion, was victorious in the men’s Royal Rumble.

After losing his WWE title to Bobby Lashley earlier in the night, Lesnar recovered to defeat Scot Drew McIntyre — 19 years after he first won the Rumble.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.