Professional wrestler Ronda Rousey continues to firmly establish her credentials as a Dragon Ball Z mega-fan.
According to Comicbook.com, at this year's Money in the Bank pro-wrestling event, the mixed-martial artist appeared in an outfit that references Vegeta, the Prince of All Saiyans, with a stylized M painted on her forehead. Taken together, the attire is a clear homage to Dragon Ball Z's "Majin Buu" saga. During the story arc, the proud Z-Fighter allows his jealousy and rivalry with protagonist Son Goku to get the better of him, sending Vegeta down a deadly path that ends with him embracing his darker, more violent side.
Dragon Ball Fans Show Their Love for Vegeta
Of course, Rousey isn't the only Dragon Ball Z fan to recently showcase their love and appreciation for the Prince of All Saiyans. For example, one talented fan gave Vegeta a feminine reimagining in a genderswapped cosplay that recreates the character's iconic blue-and-white armor and replaces his spiky hair with a long, flowy style. Similarly, another creative Dragon Ball Z fanatic shared their pixel animation that sees Vegeta and Goku blasting away at each other with multicolored energy beams.
The Dragon Ball franchise kicked off in 1984 when Akira Toriyama first published his classic series in Shuiesha's Weekly Shōnen Jump, which currently stands alongside Eiichiro Oda's One Piece and Gosho Aoyama's Detective Conan as one of the best-selling manga in history with over 260 million copies sold globally. The story follows Goku from childhood to adulthood as the food-obsessed and battle-happy youth trains in martial arts and goes on wacky but often dangerous adventures. Along the way, he and his friends encounter a wide variety of villains, including the bio-android Cell and the galactic tyrant Frieza. While fans first meet Vegeta as a bad guy, his and Goku's relationship eventually evolves from antagonism to a close, friendly rivalry.
Several recent developments have occurred in the Dragon Ball franchise beyond fan-made content and homages. Most notably, many of the series' tie-in movies, including Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge and Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13, are now available on Crunchyroll. Dragon Ball Super: Broly hits the platform on July 6.
Moreover, figurine manufacturer Jimei Palace revealed a limited-edition statue set that depicts two versions of Majin Buu -- Kid Buu and Innocent/Good Buu. The pair retails for $800 and stands just short of two feet tall.
VIZ Media distributes Toriyama's manga in North America, and several of Toei Animation's anime adaptations are available on Crunchyroll.
Source: Comicbook.com