Ronda Rousey has been an Olympic medalist in Judo, shattered barriers in the UFC, and brought mainstream legitimacy to women’s wrestling in WWE. The Baddest Woman on the Planet has also tested the waters in Hollywood. Now, she’s adding another arena to her legacy.

The Rowdy One has made her debut in the graphic novel spectrum. Her novel, ‘Expecting the Unexpected’, has officially dropped, and fans are seeing something rare. The former WWE Women’s Champion is bringing her combat instincts not just to a fight scene, but to a storyboard.

The project arrives at a very interesting point in time. Rousey recently made headlines by declaring that she won’t return to WWE. She infamously despised moments of her time in WWE, calling it a complete ‘sh*t show,’ as she never received any direction for her matches. Yet despite that blunt exit, much of WWE’s fanbase still rallies behind her. Why? Probably because, despite her short run in the Juggernaut of professional wrestling, the Baddest Woman on the Planet is a multiple-time Women’s Champion, a Royal Rumble winner, and was the eighth Women’s Triple Crown champion in the ‘old format’.

Through a post on Instagram, AWA Studios gave a little bit more insight into Rousey’s graphic novel. “Ronda Rousey choreographed all the action scenes in her new graphic novel EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED,” they posted. The UFC Hall of Famer is seen working alongside 2nd-degree Black Belt martial artist Mike Deodato Jr. to perfect the realism in every action sequence.

Rousey initially wrote the script for the Novel as a screenplay, but then, after working with Marvel’s editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, it became a graphic novel. The story revolves around a hit-woman who unexpectedly gets pregnant. The main plot is how the hit-woman handles motherhood while continuing to take out her targets.

The former WWE Superstar stated in an interview, “There is so much I don’t know about comics, coming into this space, this is my first one ever… Axel Alonso, who is the former editor-in-chief at Marvel, he helped me to take that and make it into a comic book script. And we pored over it panel by panel to really hone in on the story. I learned a lot from him, I learned a lot from Mike [Deodato].” Now, with her graphic-novel clip going viral, the WWE Universe is keeping its hopes alive in seeing the former Women’s Champion make her return to the squared circle.

Despite her reluctance, Ronda Rousey finds herself inundated with calls for a WWE return

One fan wrote, “This looks so great.” The visual side-by-side of comic panels and Ronda Rousey hitting her trademark arm bars clearly made an impression. It’s also refreshing to witness a celebrity getting physically involved in their art rather than ghost-authoring it. What do you think?

An avid member of the WWE Universe chimed in with, “WWE needs you, queen.” Rousey’s star power in WWE was undeniable. It is safe to say that she played a key role in women main eventing the biggest stage of them all, WrestleMania. While fans are still gunning for her return, Rousey doesn’t share the same sentiment.  She mentioned in her interview on the ‘Bertcast’, “So, I’m probably not going to be going back. I’m very grateful for the experience and what I was able to help the women do to get to the main event of Wrestlemania. But, you know, it’s not my circus, not my monkeys.”

“Please back to WWE ronda” another fan begged. Despite her own firm stance against a return, fans are fueled by nostalgia and unfinished business energy. They remember the WrestleMania main event hype and dream of what one last run could look like, especially now that WWE’s creative landscape has shifted post-Vince McMahon.

One user praised the artistry of the graphic novel by stating, “Awesome, man Mike Deodato Jr really make the fight scene with the same energy as real thing.” Rousey’s realism colliding with Deodato’s comic-book flair created a hybrid that fans clearly appreciate. When action looks authentic on the page, it’s because someone took hits off camera.

Which is where this fan’s reaction comes in, as they pointed out, “Can a stunt man get a tag? Lol.” A lighthearted nod to Rousey’s stunt collaborators wanting credit, and proof of fans appreciating the team effort behind creative projects.

And finally, one fan wrote, “I can’t wait for the sequel!” Fast enthusiasm for follow-ups says something big: this isn’t just curiosity buying, readers are already invested, as Ronda Rousey may have found a new loyal audience beyond cages and rings!

So it is clear that fans still chant for one more WWE run, and the idea of a surprise comeback will always swirl when someone with Ronda Rousey’s legacy steps into a gym or posts a training clip. Do you think Ronda Rousey will ever return to the squared circle?