At AEW Revolution 2026, Ronda Rousey made her debut with the company and confronted Timeless Toni Storm following her win over Marina Shafir.
Following her arrival, the question that many fans are asking is when they will see Rousey in an AEW ring again.
Despite recent reports that this was just a one-off appearance, there are plenty of AEW stars who could step up to the plate to face Rousey in her official in-ring debut for the promotion if that were to happen.
Here are eight potential options for Ronda Rousey’s first AEW opponent.
8. Timeless Toni Storm
When Ronda Rousey showed up in the company, she went face-to-face with Timeless Toni Storm at AEW Revolution 2026.
The four-time AEW Women’s World Champion is widely regarded as the biggest female star in the history of the company.
With her signature character, promos and in-ring ability, there might not be anyone better suited to face Rousey from the AEW roster than Storm.
While that seems to be what AEW was building to, it just might not come to fruition considering Storm was attacked on the March 18 Dynamite and looks to be out of action for quite some time moving forward.
7. Mina Shirakawa
After the attack on Timeless Toni Storm on AEW Dynamite, it was her Timeless Love Bombs tag team partner Mina Shirakawa who replaced her in her scheduled No Holds Barred Match against Marina Shafir.
Despite her struggles in singles competition, Shirakawa picked up easily the biggest win of her AEW run when she defeated Shafir.
Shirakawa will be looking to avenge Storm and wants to know who was behind the bloody attack on her friend and partner.
If the mystery assailant happens to be Ronda Rousey, this could lead to Shirakawa stepping up to take Storm’s place yet again in this high profile contest.
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6. Megan Bayne
AEW Revolution 2026 didn’t just have the debut of Ronda Rousey, but the event saw a new champion being crowned in the women’s division.
The Divine Dominion of Megan Bayne and Lena Kross defeated Babes of Wrath to win the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship.
With her mix of size, strength and athleticism, Bayne has been a force to be reckoned with ever since making her AEW debut in 2025.
‘The Megasus’ is someone who can match Ronda Rousey’s dominance and would make for an intriguing opponent for the UFC Hall of Famer.
5. Kris Statlander
Another AEW star who can match Ronda Rousey’s stature and physicality is Kris Statlander.
The former AEW Women’s World Champion is one of the most decorated and accomplished female stars in the company’s history.
After coming up short against Thekla in a two-out-of-three falls match at AEW Revolution 2026, Statlander will need to find a way to regain her momentum and a prominent spot in the company.
Statlander stepping up to challenge Ronda Rousey could be a great way to put her right back where she needs to be in the AEW women’s division.
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4. Athena
Back in 2023, Ronda Rousey made her Ring of Honor debut when she teamed with Marina Shafir to pick up a win over ROH Women’s World Champion Athena and Billie Starkz.
Nearly three years later, Athena is still the ROH Women’s World Champion and remains at the mountaintop of Ring of Honor.
With everything she has accomplished in ROH, it feels like a matter of time before she becomes a regular part of AEW television.
Athena earning her place on the AEW roster should see her squaring off with Ronda Rousey in her in-ring debut with the company.
3. Willow Nightingale
Starting as an enhancement talent and appearing on AEW Dark in 2022, Willow Nightingale eventually signed with All Elite Wrestling and has since become one of the most popular stars on the entire roster.
From beating her foes to becoming a history maker, Nightingale is the first woman to hold two separate AEW titles at the same time.
The current and two-time TBS Champion is someone who should always be in position for a prominent role on the company’s programming.
If AEW wants someone who can be a formidable opponent for Ronda Rousey, the promotion would be hard-pressed to find someone better for this match than Willow Nightingale.
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2. Thekla
On the February 11 edition of AEW Dynamite, Thekla defeated Kris Statlander in a Strap Match to win the AEW Women’s World Championship.
Since then, ‘The Toxic Spider’ has showcased what makes her one of the best female stars that All Elite Wrestling has to offer.
Showing her aggressive style in the ring and no-nonsense attitude outside of it, Thekla has shown she is not willing to back down from anyone.
If Ronda Rousey wants to sit atop of the entire women’s scene, the UFC Hall of Famer could go right for the reigning AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla in her debut match.
1. Mercedes Mone
Since signing with All Elite Wrestling in 2024, Mercedes Mone has proven herself as arguably the biggest female star in the history of the company.
Mone made history by becoming the longest reigning TBS Champion and holding a record-breaking 13 titles around the world at the same time.
With everything she has achieved across the past two years, ‘The CEO’ is someone who could stand toe-to-toe with Ronda Rousey in her first match in AEW.
Considering their history with one another and their first meeting back at WWE Royal Rumble 2019, Rousey could face off with Mone one more time in an AEW ring.
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