Mention the words “professional wrestling” to an MMA fan and you’re likely to get one of two reactions—either a knowing nod or a disgusted sneer. No one is on the fence. There is no middle ground. You either embrace the madness or reject it out of hand.
But, like it or not, wrestling has always walked hand-in-hand with mixed martial arts.
In America, the sport was built by the Gracie family. They were trained by a former pro wrestler Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese grappler who shared a lifetime’s experience on the mat with the Brazilians who made ground fighting their world. Royce, the Gracie brother who dominated the Octagon in the early years, found archrivals in pro wrestlers Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn—just like his father.
Fighters like Kimo, Tank Abbott and Tito Ortiz followed their example, borrowing liberally from the pro wrestling they had grown up with on television, to become larger-than-life characters who made fans care. By the time Brock Lesnar finally arrived, a pro wrestling ethos was firmly in place.
In Japan, the connection is even more explicit. Pancrase was built by pro wrestlers who took their shoot style to the next level, keeping the strikes and submission holds and eliminating the predetermined endings. Pride Fighting Championships, likewise, was a promotion carried on the broad backs of pro wrestlers, with Nobuhiko Takada, Kazushi Sakuraba and Naoya Ogawa leading the way at the box office.
The talent flow, of course, also went the other direction. Wrestlers like Don Frye and Abbott gave wrestling a shot, and both Shamrock and Severn graduated from the independent scene to the WWE thanks to their UFC fame. Wrestlers like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and even the Undertaker have also borrowed moves and mannerisms from the world of mixed martial arts.
It’s no one-way street.
Although we often hear about wrestlers like Bobby Lashley and Dave Bautista trying their hand at MMA, we rarely consider a move in the other direction. Yes, “King” Mo Lawal was signed to work for both Bellator and TNA—a move that didn’t quite work out for either group.
But what about WWE? That’s the big leagues, where the best of the best scrap for position, money and power. Could anyone from the UFC swim with those sharks?
I think the answer is clearly a resounding “yes.” In fact, here are five stars who would make it big in the wacky world of WWE. Have some names to add to the list? Hit me up in the comments.