Ronda Rousey to battle mental scars on her return to Melbourne

IT’S the scene of her greatest sporting failure, but Ronda Rousey’s return to Melbourne for the WWE Super Show-down could help her finally overcome the pain of her shock UFC loss here three years ago.

RONDA Rousey is overcome with emotion as she returns to Melbourne — the home a humiliating UFC loss that made her quit the blood sport.

But now as a WWE wrestler, three years on from her knockout inside the octagon, she is battling with the mental scars left in the city.

She has confided to her fellow WWE wrestler, legend and executive vice president of talent, live events and creative, Triple H, about her inner pain.

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“I think this will be very therapeutic trip for her for the fact she can come to a place where somewhere in her psyche is a very painful memory for her,” Triple H told Page 13.

“In time she will learn to embrace those things that were most devastating to her.

“I just know what it will mean to her as a performer to step out in that crowd and get the love that she deserves.

“There is a lot of emotion surrounding it but she very excited to do it and I know she is thrilled.”

Ronda Rousey during her shock UFC loss to Holly Holm in Melbourne in November 2015. Picture: Getty Images

“Rowdy Ronda”, as she is now known in the bizarre world of WWE, suffered her first UFC defeat at Etihad Stadium in November 2015 when challenger Holly Holm knocked the badass to the canvass, virtually ending her time as a mixed martial champion and leaving her shattered and bloodied.

Triple H said she was out for redemption in her six way tag team match at the MCG in front of more than 75,000 fans at the WWE Super Show-Down.

“This will be the biggest act of her life. She is the most driven and passionate athlete I have ever seen. That’s why it was so devastating,” he said.

WWE wrestler, and executive vice president of talent, live events and creative, Triple H. Picture: Mark Stewart

THE BIG DEAL

A LOOSE conversation five years ago, has led to the world’s biggest wrestling superstars putting on their Lycra and trunks in Melbourne.

Promoter Paul Dainty floated the idea with WWE heavyweights in the United States: Stage a huge event at the MCG featuring current wrestlers and those with former glory. Soon after Visit Victoria jumped on board and backed it in. No doubt some big dollars were also thrown around.

Smaller scale tournaments were originally being tossed around to be played out on the big stage — but then all else was elbowed out of the way. It was to be Super Shown-Down — a wrestling mega event, telecast live to 180 countries on Pay Per View, with a historic match between legends Triple H and The Undertaker to be one of the key match ups.

“It was a loose conversation,” Triple H, who also sits in the WWE corporate office, said,

“For us every place in the world is on the table — it’s about where is the best place to go not only for the WWE but our fans. There is no sporting city in the world like Melbourne.”

A couple of site surveys and building surveys later the “G” was the chosen one, and even wrestlers cleared their schedules to be at the event.

Ronda Rousey will be in action at the WWE Super Show-down at the MCG.

MELBOURNE INK

THE girls from the Riott Squad want to leave their mark on Melbourne in the ring when they take on the Rousey and the Bella Twins.

“We will deliver her second loss here. We want to keep that streak up,” the Riott Squad’s Liv Morgan said.

But they also want a permanent reminder of their time in Melbourne. The feisty ladies yesterday got matching tattoos together at a city studio.