In the glittering aftermath of WWE’s Crown Jewel extravaganza in Perth, Australia, where spotlights pierced the night like diamond shards and the crowd’s roar echoed across oceans, one voice cut through the celebration like a sharply aimed armbar. Ronda Rousey, the former UFC champion turned WWE trailblazer, didn’t mince words—or punches—when it came to Stephanie Vaquer’s hard-fought victory. “She’s overrated,” Rousey declared in a blistering social media rant that has wrestling forums ablaze and fans picking sides faster than a tag-team switch. The target? Vaquer, the Chilean sensation who just etched her name into history by toppling Tiffany Stratton for the Women’s Crown Jewel Championship. Rousey didn’t stop there, accusing WWE brass of shoving Vaquer down the roster’s throat like an unwanted submission hold. It’s a feud of words that’s reignited old debates about talent, timing, and who really calls the shots in sports entertainment.

Let’s rewind the tape to Saturday night, October 11, 2025, under the cavernous roof of Optus Stadium, where 60,000 fervent souls turned the event into a global spectacle. The women’s main event wasn’t just a clash of champions; it was a collision of eras. On one side, Stratton, the brash, blonde bombshell who’s been untouchable in 2025, strutting in with her WWE Women’s Championship gleaming like fool’s gold. Undefeated in premium live events this year, she’d racked up 281 days as titleholder, her Prettiest Moonsault Ever a finisher that left opponents seeing stars—and fans begging for more. Across the ring, Vaquer, “La Primera,” the first South American woman to claim WWE gold, entered with the Women’s World Championship slung over her shoulder, her NXT Women’s and North American titles already in the rearview. Just a year into her WWE journey after stints in CMLL and Stardom, Vaquer had stormed through barriers like a human wrecking ball.

The match unfolded in a whirlwind of athletic fury, clocking in at a taut 10 minutes that felt both electric and fleeting. Stratton dominated early, her technical prowess on full display with rolling sentons and vicious stomps that had the Perth faithful gasping. Vaquer, ever the resilient underdog, absorbed the punishment, her eyes locked on redemption. The turning point came in the closing stretch: Stratton leaped for her signature moonsault, but Vaquer sidestepped like a ghost in the ring. What followed was poetry in motion—the Devil’s Kiss cradle backbreaker folding Stratton in half, capped by a breathtaking corkscrew splash that planted the champion flat. The three-count echoed like thunder, and just like that, Vaquer had inflicted Stratton’s first loss of the year, joining Liv Morgan in the exclusive Women’s Crown Jewel lineage. As confetti rained and Vaquer hoisted the gaudy new belt—complete with its commemorative ring—the arena erupted. Backstage, she cut an emotional promo, tears mixing with sweat, dedicating the win to her father who’d flown in from Chile. It was the stuff of WWE dreams: a historic quadruple crown in one calendar year, from NXT feeder titles to world domination.

But enter Rousey, the Rowdy One, whose shadow still looms large over women’s wrestling despite her 2023 departure from the company. Now thriving as an actress, author, and unfiltered commentator, Rousey has never shied from stirring the pot. Her takedown of Vaquer dropped like a mic drop on Instagram Stories late Sunday, viewed millions of times before vanishing into the ether. “Watched that ‘big win’ from halfway around the world,” she wrote, her tone dripping with sarcasm sharper than her signature armbar. “Cute flippy stuff, but let’s call it what it is: overrated. WWE’s booking her like she’s the second coming, pushing her past girls who’ve bled for this longer. Management’s got their golden girl—hope she earns it before the shine wears off.” No direct quote from an interview, but the post lit up X (formerly Twitter), with fans dissecting every syllable. Hashtags like #VaquerOverrated and #RouseySpeaks trended globally, pitting purists against newcomers in a digital cage match.

Rousey’s critique isn’t born in a vacuum. She’s been vocal about WWE’s women’s division since her exit, often lamenting what she sees as favoritism toward “flash over fundamentals.” Vaquer’s rocket ride—debuting in late 2024, snagging NXT gold within months, and now stacking majors like poker chips—has drawn whispers of “protected push.” Insiders point to Triple H’s booking philosophy, favoring international stars to broaden WWE’s global appeal, especially post-Saudi expansion. Vaquer’s multicultural backstory, from Santiago streets to Tokyo dojos, fits the narrative perfectly. Yet critics, echoing Rousey, argue her in-ring style—high-flying, submission-heavy—lacks the raw power that defined pioneers like Rousey herself. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio piled on during his post-show breakdown, dubbing the match a “bathroom break” despite its clean finish, suggesting backstage buzz mirrored the lukewarm crowd pops.

Vaquer, for her part, hasn’t bitten back—yet. In a post-match interview with ESPN, she kept it classy, eyes on the horizon: “This isn’t about one win; it’s about opening doors for every girl who looks like me.” Whispers swirl of her next challenger—Rhea Ripley looms large after a tag-team triumph earlier in the night, promising a “Mami vs. Primera” dream feud that could headline Survivor Series. Stratton, licking her wounds, vowed revenge on SmackDown, her undefeated aura cracked but not shattered. And Rousey? She’s already moved on, teasing a book tour and hinting at MMA nostalgia, but her words linger like a ghost bump.

This dust-up underscores wrestling’s eternal tension: hype versus heart, push versus proof. Vaquer’s victory was a milestone, a testament to grit in a sport that devours the timid. But Rousey’s salvo reminds us that glory is fleeting, and true legends earn their stripes through fire, not just spotlights. As WWE barrels toward its next chapter, one question hangs heavier than any championship belt: Is Vaquer the future, or just WWE’s latest scripted sensation? The ring will tell—but for now, the debate rages on, as fierce and unforgiving as the women who fuel it.