NEW YORK -- Ronda Rousey is the new WWE Raw women's champion, after scoring a submission win over Alexa Bliss on Sunday night during SummerSlam at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Though the victory came via armbar, which is the same way Rousey became Strikeforce bantamweight champion, UFC women's champion and one of the most prolific athletes in the world, winning a title in the WWE carries a different kind of significance.
Though the outcome of the match is scripted in the world of WWE, Rousey's rapidly improving acumen as an in-ring performer and adaption to the choreographed style have made her an instant hit with WWE fans.
Rousey's foray into the WWE has been a whirlwind over the past eight months. She walked out in front of a capacity crowd at January's Royal Rumble pay-per-view and announced she was signing with the company. In April, Rousey teamed with Kurt Angle in a tag team match at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans against Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Stephanie McMahon -- and shocked the world with an impressive performance in her first match.