Reviews

I remember the fight that ended Ronda Rousey's reign as an undefeated UFC fighter. I remember thinking that she was a still a great fighter, regardless of her wins/loss record, but of course that would have had devastating repercussions for her.

I really loved the first half of this book which was largely a recount of the moments and training up to that moment. Rousey was raw and vulnerable and it really did move me. But as she came to turns with that loss and how it ended her UFC fighting career, she transitioned herself into a WWE fighter.

Here, the story lost steam for me, but honestly, I'm just not a fan of WWE so it was probably more that than anything. There's no doubt that Rousey is a trailblazer and one tough woman! Her determinination and fight are admirable, and with the current rise in women's sports, we also have her to thank for paving the way for the future of women fighters/wrestlers.

danielatkinson1's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

shopboxcarbooks's review

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informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

insaneterrapin's review

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

kyproff's review

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challenging hopeful informative fast-paced

5.0

bookanonjeff's review against another edition

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dark hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

The End Of An Era. I write this review nearly a week after reading this book, and hours after the conclusion of Wrestlemania 40 - the beginning of a new era of WWE. Which is fitting, because so much of what Rousey talks about re: her involvement with the prior regime in WWE had been relatively well documented both in court and in the court of public opinion over the last couple of years in particular, as Rousey was experiencing some of it and then working with her writer to write this book. Yes, much of this book are complaints about how she was mistreated in various ways by both her longtime UFC trainer and later by Vince McMahon, whom Rousey rarely holds back on her disgust and disdain for, but there is actually much about this book to like as well. For one, for those looking for celebrity "look who I know and run with" kind of memoirs... this is absolutely that. (As contrasted to Rebecca Quin's Becky Lynch: The Man which released a week earlier, and which played a heavy role in Quin's Wrestlemania 40 presentation, which was pretty well the opposite of that.) Particularly husband Travis Brown and the other three "Four Horsewomen" of UFC, Rousey talks a lot about all of them and largely in a particularly glowing manner, while not holding back on those she disliked in both her UFC and WWE runs. Indeed, there is little "foundational" material here - perhaps because this is her second book and the prior book perhaps covered more of that, being written before her WWE run? And perhaps the very coolest encounter she recounts is actually with a Mexican colleague, ring name Santos Escobar, as she was getting ready to finally hang up her fighting boots and return to life on the farm. A similarity she shares with another former UFC and WWE star... Brock Lesnar, not mentioned once in this particular tale.

Overall an interesting read that "peels the curtain back" more than some, if in a more negative/ pessimistic/ self-centered manner than others. Still, a truly interesting read and very much recommended.

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