Reacting to B/R Community Takes on Ronda Rousey's WWE Tweet and Wrestling Crowds

A day doesn't go by without somebody tweeting something that riles the wrestling community, and on Tuesday, Ronda Rousey was the main topic of discussion.

The former UFC bantamweight and Raw women's champion tweeted out "I've seen you same 'fans' chanting #WeWantWyatt last night chanting 'We want beach balls' over @WWEBrayWyatt performing. If the @wwe treated him like he was expendable it was because you ungrateful idiots did first."

As you can imagine, everyone from casual fans to industry insiders weighed in on her take regarding the way fans treated Bray Wyatt. Some agreed with Rousey. Some respectfully disagreed. Some saw it both ways. And, of course, some people were vicious in their replies.

Her tweet was in response to the overwhelming amount of support Wyatt received once the news had broke that WWE had released him from his contract. Most were shocked to see someone who was just in a high-profile feud at WrestleMania let go after being with the company for more than a decade.

Wyatt moved a lot of merchandise, had a unique character and proved to be one of the most creative minds when it came to storytelling. Some fans may have had a problem with how WWE used him, but few blamed Wyatt for those issues. That is why Rousey's tweet ruffled so many feathers.

Rowdy may have been projecting her own feelings about the WWE Universe with this statement because of the way fans treated her during her run with the company. Whatever the case may be, she clearly has strong feelings about this subject.

We asked the B/R wrestling community to share its thoughts on the topic, and the response was massive. We received hundreds of comments, many of which were thoughtful responses taking both sides of the argument into account.

"She's not wrong. That's all I'll say.” (@CMan9158)

"Whoever gets salty over this are the same ungrateful idiots she was talking about." (@Zeke94)

"She's spot on. A lot of marks in the so-called WWE Universe." (@RoRoWoods)

"She's right though. Fans consistently overstep their bounds." (@idubzero)

Many people, most being fans themselves, agree with Rousey that fans can often be ungrateful and even hypocritical when it comes to how they support wrestlers.

This is an area where Rousey has plenty of experience. During her run as a UFC champion, she dealt with her fair share of haters on a regular basis.

While she was initially well received, many WWE fans turned against her. Becky Lynch's rise to prominence may have played a part in how Rousey was treated, but it's unlikely it had much to do with how the majority of people viewed her.

As a woman who has found success in two male-dominated industries, Rousey has a unique perspective on the crowd. She has been lauded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, but some people just don't like her for one reason or another.

The truth is, Rousey is not 100 percent off base here. We have all seen fans hijack shows and chant horrible things at WWE Superstars who were just trying to do their job, but acting as if one or two crowds reflect the entire fanbase is silly, especially when there are countless examples of the fans supporting wrestlers.

Unfortunately, the most hateful and obnoxious fans also tend to be the loudest, both in person and on social media, so it's understandable why some people might think they are a reflection of the wider WWE Universe.

"Sounds like sour grapes from Ronda. It was cool having her in wrestling, but eventually that 'aww shucks' goofy smile started getting her booed. Fan chanting didn't get Bray or any other wrestlers released." (@luchablack08)

"Incorrect. That's the whole point of having fans to begin with. Some cheer for you and some don't. I think she's salty about how the WWE Universe booed her." (@SenorJuice24)

"Fans pay for the ability to chant whatever they want, but I can respect her perspective." (@jj_Steelersguy)

"I'm sorry. This is a terrible take from somebody who has barely been in the industry long enough to know anything about how that company is run." (@TTrill)

For every person who thinks Rousey is right, somebody else seems to think she is dead wrong. In fact, it was almost an even split among the B/R community.

The way Rousey worded her statement is likely what angered so many people. Calling fans "ungrateful idiots" certainly won't endear you to the WWE Universe. It even seems as if a lot of people have more of a problem with how she phrased her opinion than the opinion itself, which is a common occurrence on social media.

The fact that she was only in WWE for a year is why some people believe her opinion is irrelevant, but there is a lot of crossover between the MMA and pro wrestling fandoms, so she has been performing in front of many of the same people who watched her in WWE and UFC for several years.

What JJ said about fans paying to be able to chant whatever they want is correct. If we buy tickets, we should be able to cheer and boo for whomever we want. That's how it works. Unfortunately, that also means the toxic side of the fandom has the same voice as the supportive side.

"There is truth to both sides. Fans were harsh on his gimmick matches but loved Bray's character. She is nothing in the wrestling universe, but she is entitled to her opinion." (@thebigkatt)

"Ronda is wrong with this statement. If WWE wouldn't put its talent in horrible storylines and whack matches, maybe the fans would be more into a match." (@Blakstaak)

"The same fans made Bray one of the top merch movers and pushed The Fiend's entrance song to the top of the charts. Crap booking made fans lose interest." (@payool)

"Her point is incorrect in this instance because of the example she used to prove her point. The fans in the building are booing the creative team and the story, not the wrestler. She's conflating different points with wrong examples. Either way, I don't think it's a big deal." (@Hamsalad)

A lot of people have strong feelings one way or the other, but there is also a large number of readers who think Rousey was simply misdirecting her anger.

Many pointed out how fans are not booing Wyatt in the situation she mentioned but rather the creative team and the way the storyline was booked.

As entertaining as Wyatt is, even his biggest fans will admit that some of the feuds he was in were almost unwatchable. Having him lose to Goldberg and never get revenge might be the moment his supporters hate the most.

The only issue with this line of thinking is that we can't survey every fan who chanted for beach balls and ask them why. Some might have been doing it out of frustration with the creative team. Some probably did it because it was funny, whereas others would have done it because they don't like Wyatt.

One thing to remember is nobody wants to hate the product. Anyone who watches WWE—or any promotion—wants it to be entertaining and successful. When it gets repetitive, boring or downright hard to watch, that is when the complaints start rolling in.

Whether those fans choose to express their opinions in a respectful way is a discussion for another day.

Rousey's take drew a lot of strong opinions on both sides of the fence, and there were also a lot of people who think she is looking at things the wrong way. Is anybody right?

The answer isn't as cut and dried as that.

The only thing everyone can agree on is that the WWE Universe is loud and passionate about what it feels. The problem is not everyone in therein feels the same way. In fact, it seems like we are barely ever on the same page.

Some fans loved Wyatt for his creativity and the supernatural elements of his character, while others despised him because, in their eyes, his gimmick was unrealistic and made a mockery of the business.

If one fan is booing because they hate Wyatt and another is booing because they love him and hate how he is being booked, how do we differentiate between those reactions?

Because every fan is different, every crowd is different too. One city will boo someone out of the building one week after a different city welcomes that same person with open arms.

John Cena is getting cheered like a hero everywhere he goes these days. Were all of the people who booed him for years booing because of how he was booked and would have cheered if he were used in a different way? Maybe. We'll never know.

The sad truth we all need to accept is there will always be a toxic part of the fanbase because that exists everywhere. Whether it's music, movies, reality TV, sports or pro wrestling, there is always a small group that will make life difficult for the rest of us.

Rousey's anger was likely directed at those fans, but because she worded it the way she did, it came across that she thinks all fans are ungrateful. It's not always easy to say exactly what you mean in 280 characters, especially if you are tweeting from a place of anger.