Ronda Rousey family mulls reality show in TT

It is Demars’ first time in Trinidad and she has been meeting her relatives here and sharing stories about their ancestors.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday at an event in Long Circular Mall, organised by Jason Fraser, head of TT Sambo and Combat Sports Federation, De Mars said she has been on the phone with Rousey telling her about this country and is keen for her famous daughter to see Trinidad and meet her family here.

De Mars, the first American to win a World judo gold medal in 1984, said her family is currently in negotiations with a company seeking to do a reality show and said she will be pushing for filming to be done in the scenic sister isle of Tobago where she visited last week.

“We had been talking about a reality show in our family owned business and I said Tobago will be the perfect place.

All the girls want to come to Trinidad because we have been talking about it for years...

We’ve been working on the reality show for a while and been in negotiations. We haven’t signed with the company, we’ve had a couple offers and hadn’t found the fit. But when I was in Tobago it just seemed this would be the perfect way to get our team down here and film here because I think it would be interesting. Our team is very hardcore and triple ‘A’ personality working 80 to 90 hours a week and I think it would be really good TV,” she said.

Rousey, who became a household name with her stunning performances in the octagon, is still viewed as one of the biggest MMA stars despite two losses in her last fights. The 30 year old’s stardom has transitioned into acting with appearances in the multi-million dollar franchise, Fast and Furious 7, and the action-packed movie The Expendables 3.

Rousey’s impressive grappling skills and 12 straight victories from 2011 onward saw pundits wonder whether Rousey could even be successful fighting men as she seemed unbeatable against her same gender.

But a vicious knockout to Holly Holm on November 15, 2015 which saw Rousey medically suspended left the former champ’s pride badly wounded and she even contemplated suicide. Her mom yesterday discussed the role she played in helping Ronda battle the depression of losing her first fight and seeing her unbeaten record gone. “I think anybody who is a top athlete, there is a moment right after (a loss) where your world caves in. One thing what Ronda has going for her is that she has a really tight family that loves her. She comes home and I have four grandchildren who just climb over her and you realise these are the things that matter.” She continued: “You know it’s funny, when she was competing in judo as a little kid she used to go to the Junior Nationals, I would tell her: ‘You know Ronda if you don’t win I’ll still love you, just not as much.’ Then one day at age 14 she said to me ‘Mom you know what you said really hurts my feelings’ and I was shocked because I was joking.

But I tell her now ‘I love you just as much.’” De Mars yesterday said she believes her daughter’s legacy is cemented as a pioneer for women in combat sports and sports in general. “It is amazing and I always tell my kids that it’s better to be the first than the best. Someone could always come along that is better than you but they could never be more first than you. I think it’s great. Sports are wonderful but I coach kids in South Los Angeles (I tell them) I have a phD and a gold medal and one of them enables us to live at the beach in Santa Monica and it’s not the gold medal. For Ronda, she’s so much more than that (MMA), she’s super good at Math and works with our (software) company testing the games so I think for every kid, it’s important to keep in mind that you’re more than what you won this week.” De Mars, who has four daughters includng 18 year old Julia who is vacationing with her, said ideally she would not like none of her children come in harm’s way and would not recommend MMA but said they are so strong-minded that they will pursue whatever career they wish to. Fraser, commenting on hosting Rousey’s mother in Trinidad, said talks are underway for the reality show and he is planning an MMA event as well to possibly mark her presence here.

“We have begun talking about the possibility of having a reality show done and the family (here). For that to happen all the daughters have to be in Trinidad and Tobago. As long as it materialises they’re gonna be here and we’re gonna plan an event around that and have Ronda Rousey here as our guest.”