Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has used pro wrestling personalities to sell pay-per-view (PPV) events, which is why Brock Lesnar and CM Punk were given prime real estate on major mixed martial arts (MMA) fight cards.
At a cost of $2.5 million and $500,000, respectively.
Not surprisingly, the promotion’s reliance on pro wrestlers to move tickets was met with contempt from the combat sports universe, as some fans argue that World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is fake and tarnishes the authenticity of cage fighting.
No shit, Sherlock.
“Some of those MMA guys just don’t like pro wrestling, so they’re not gonna endorse anything that might indicate that pro wrestling has some tangible value,” former WWE announcer Jim Ross told MMA Junkie Radio. “If you’re an MMA fan and you’re gonna get pissed off at pro wrestling, then I hope you get equally pissed off at movies and dramatic television shows.”
I hope he’s not suggesting the latest Avengers movie, where grown men parade around the universe in colorful costumes and pretend to fight one another, was … (gulp) … fake.
Bruce Lee films inspired an entire generation and yet every fight scene in every one of his movies was carefully choreographed. That’s probably why Frank Mir doesn’t want you shitting on his pro wrestling dreams.
“It’s a different entity, I don’t even know how you compare the two,” Ross continued. “Comparing the two shows your ignorance. ‘Well, it’s not real.’ No shit! Did you know that John Wayne was not a cowboy?”
Unfortunately, MMA fans can’t really complain about the UFC-WWE connection because without the pageantry borrowed from the land of make believe, no one would care about two guys fighting for pure sport.
If they did, UFC wouldn’t have to stoop to this level.