Former Pride middleweight champion and UFC fighter Wanderlei Silva may elect to make his professional wrestling debut back where it all started.
The 38-year-old Silva is linked to a match with former UFC veteran Phil Baroni on a February 20 card with Japanese mixed martial arts and pro wrestling promotion Inoki Genome Federation. MMA Fighting’s Dave Meltzer first reported the news on “The Axe Murderer.”
Last Thursday, Silva hinted of the potential for a World Wrestling Entertainment match with the man who coached opposite of him on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil Season 3, Chael Sonnen.
Silva last fought in the Octagon in March 2013, defeating former middleweight contender and current UFC commentator Brian Stann via second-round TKO. He was then scheduled to face Sonnen at UFC 175 in July, but the fight was canned after Silva failed to submit to a random drug test from the Nevada Athletic Commission.
The Axe Murderer received a lifetime ban and a $70,000 fine from the NSAC in September for his failure to comply with the random drug test in May.
Just a few days before the ban, Silva announced his retirement from the sport.
The Brazilian’s meeting with Baroni has yet to be confirmed by IGF, and no deal has been finalized. Baroni, who last fought for Bellator in a losing effort against Karo Parisyan in July, has begun training for an eventual pro wrestling debut at the Future Stars of Wrestling School in Las Vegas.
“The New York Badass” has been studying the sport under the guidance of Total Nonstop Action wrestling talent Kenny King, former WWE star D-Lo Brown and indie veteran Michael Modest. The 38-year-old Baroni looks to have an easier time transitioning from the cage to the squared circle than Silva may have.
Baroni is known to fly off the handle at times. The Long Island native was as boisterous as MMA fighters come, often talking trash that would put former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar to shame (link contains NSFW language).
Microphone skills are highly coveted in the pro wrestling business. In some cases, a well-done promo can overshadow even the most sensational matches.
With an attitude like Baroni’s and a solid education on the mat, there’s no ceiling for him in the sport.
He was also a standout high school wrestler and a two-time All-American at Nassau Community College.
Silva, on the other hand, has no previous wrestling experience. The Axe Murderer hasn’t pursued too many takedowns in his 17-year MMA career.
The Curitiba native has long been a fan favorite for his go-for-broke style of fighting that has produced memorable bouts with Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson and Kazushi Sakuraba.
However, Silva’s lack of a collegiate wrestling background doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t make an impact in the sport of pro wrestling. Former UFC heavyweight champion turned New Japan Pro Wrestling commentator Josh Barnett has experience wrestling for the latter.
“I appreciate that they haven’t slowed down the hard-hitting style of the matches. These guys are pushing it just as hard as they ever have,” Barnett told Sporting News’ Brian Fritz.
Silva and Baroni have both fought in Pride and share an interesting history. In 2006, a fight erupted following a bout between Mark Coleman and Mauricio Rua at Pride 31.
Silva and Baroni were both involved in the scuffle, as they were part of the corners of Rua and Coleman, respectively. Should the pair’s proposed wrestling match come to fruition, it would not be without the consent of Silva’s prior employer, the UFC.
“With Silva still under contract to UFC, even though they can’t use him due to Nevada refusing to license him after he refused to take an out-of-competition drug test in May, it would require UFC giving approval to appear,” Meltzer said.
He certainly hasn’t done anything to warrant UFC president Dana White‘s signature. The Brazilian has been outspoken as to the pay practices of the promotion and has also partially blamed the company for his retirement.
The UFC has recently allowed Barnett to wrestle for the IGF and has done the same with Mirko Filipovic in the past.
The IGF event scheduled for February 20 will take place at the Tokyo Dome City Hall, which seats 3,000. IGF’s founder, Antonio Inoki, is one of the biggest stars in Japanese wrestling history. Inoki was also a central figure in the early Japanese MMA scene.
With the IGF, Silva would have the freedom to fight in worked matches, but also MMA bouts as well. The IGF championship, which is currently vacant, can and has been contested in both.
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