In a new interview on TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast, Raquel Rodriguez said she’d like to take on mixed martial artist turned actress Gina Carano.
As we’ve covered here before, Carano is set to fight UFC Hall of Famer and three-time WWE Women’s champion Ronda Rousey in a MMA bout. That match is being promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and will air on Netflix on May 16.
Carano was one of the first prominent female faces in UFC before she exited competitive MMA fighting in favor of a career
in Hollywood. She then found mainstream success on the Disney streaming hit The Mandalorian, but she was fired from the show in 2021 after social media activity that included sharing conspiracy theories and a post that many felt was anti-semitic.
The 43-year-old Carano hasn’t fought professionally since a loss to Cris Cyborg in 2009. Even still, Rodriguez said she’d like to take the star on, at least in a WWE ring.
Carano’s name came up when Inside the Ring hosts Branson Quirke and CJ Perry asked Raquel about celebrities in WWE.
After saying she “would love to work with” Colombian singer Karol G, who Raquel called “such a positive influence,” she threw out the names of rap stars Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B.
Rodriguez said she and fellow Judgment Day member Liv Morgan “always talked about tagging against Cardi and Megan the Stallion.”
“I still would love to tag against Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion. I’m going to keep putting it out there because I think Liv and I versus them would just be so iconic for our careers, for their careers,” she said, adding, “Just because we’re the greatest tag team of all time and they’re just great at what they do as well.”
She then dropped Carano’s name into the conversation.
“I would love to work with another big girl, a big girl that hasn’t had an opportunity to step into a [wrestling] ring, like a Gina Carano,” Rodriquez said before also suggesting a match against rugby star Ilona Maher.
Later in the interview, Rodriguez discussed previously wrestling Carano’s upcoming opponent.
“I love Ronda. I’m so excited for her, for this point of her career,” she said. “I think working with her was just some of the most creative times in my career, because she brings a different element to the ring. She brings that MMA factor.”
Rodriguez continued: “The thing about Ronda too is she moves in a way that she’s like double-jointed or something, where she can just like twist out of it and get out of things. There were parts in our matches where I watch them back now, where even I remember in that moment, where I just felt like a big tree, and she was just like this spider monkey moving all over me.”
The Texas native noted that Rousey was her first opponent on WWE’s main roster after she was called up from NXT.
“I’m so excited for this this new fight with her and Gina Carano,” Rodriguez said. “It’s going to be awesome.”
What do you think about a potential match between Rodriguez and Carano? Would you rather see Raquel and Liv take on Cardi B and Megan The Stallion? Sound off in the comments to let us know what you think.
