Would WWE Be Smart To Host MMA Events With WWE Wrestlers?

[Luke Flywalker]

Now before you snap all "WTFZORS NO WAI THAT REAL SHIT IS TOO BRUTAL!!!", listen the fuck up...err... read the fuck up!

Now, anyone who has followed Tazz, knows he once trained/competed in MMA fights. When he was training Lashley, he was showing him stuff beyond just wrestling, he showed him cagefighting. I've heard rumors that Tazz and Vince have had serious talks about MMA matches in the WWE, something Vince has strongly considered since the Owen/Shamrock Octagon match.

A large number of WWE Superstars have trained for MMA while in WWE, in hopes of Vince pushing these events. Guys like Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and Bobby Lashley have left the company to pursue it (even though Kurt ended up going into TNA). Many believe some of these guys felt betrayed by Vince for not going through with the idea.

Guys like Kane and Undertaker have not only trained for it, but have shown traces of it in their matches. Others like Matt Hardy, Gregory Helms, CM Punk, William Regal, and Finlay have all trained for MMA, but stuck to wrestling, and their physicality in matches rings out MMA fight. Hell, just a month ago, Matt Hardy locked Helms in a butterfly hook and followed up with elbows to the jaw/temple.

I don't know how solid the rumors of Vince wanting to do it are; but if they were true, would the WWE be successful in allowing some of these guys to have MMA matches? Would it help any characters? Or do you think it's stupid altogether?

*Note* I don't give a fuck about rumors of Kane knocking out Sylvia, he said it's not true, but did acknowledge that he and Taker have done MMA training before.

 

[monkeystyle]

Brawl for All? That worked out awesome.

 

[noumenon]

Short answer...no...
The risk for injury would be too great for them to even consider doing it.

It would also allow people to see the wrestler's true stengths. What if hypothetically we had a match between Cena and Edge, with Edge knocking Cena the fuck out, easily. How could you ever sell Cena as superman again.

 

[MikeRaw]

I'm sorry, but that would make the WWE a laughing stock. Remember, if they do an MMA match, it would still have to be scripted and fake, just like every other WWE match, and that would be plain dumb.
One of the reasons people watch WWE is because while it's fake, it can be more entertaining than soem UFC matches. But in WWE, as soon as a match slows down, the fans chant "borrrring, borrring"... Could you imagine if it was as slow as some MMA fights?

The big reason here though, is, MMA already exists and is popular. Making a a mockery of it would be awful. The match would be awful, and again, it'd be horrendous to have a fake MMA match, when there's already a legit company liek the UFC out there with real fighters.

 

[Kaedon]

Yeah, the business is a work, keep it that way. If they want to do a worked shoot, thatd be cool I guess if you dig MMA, but I dont. I thought the B4A was fun for its time, but I dunno about now.

 

[monkeystyle]

I thought the B4A was fun for its time, but I dunno about now.

You mean despite the multitude of injuries that resulted from that tournament?

 

[Double J]

I have to agree with the other guys, given how injury prone everyone seems to be as of late, having them fight for real would just send more of their talent out for awhile. Also as Noumenon pointed out, they wouldn't be able to put certain people in because of the hype they've given them.

WWE would have to have it's own section for them with just certain wrestlers in it and even then would put them out for awhile. Think about UFC fighters, they what once every few months? WWE would have to have enough guys to fight to keep it going instead of a once in awhile occurance.

Vince would be better off bringing the XFL back.

 

[Luke Flywalker]

I didn't say put everyone in, I said put guys who train for it. Half of 'em are midcarders anyways. CM Punk vs. Regal in an MMA match wouldn't be appealing to you? Helms vs. Matt Hardy wouldn't sell for you? They wouldn't have to script these. Have a one-night live event at the end of the year or something and let a few guys go at it. You can pad 'em up if need be. I think some of these guys could do it.

I agree about injury and whatever, but the aspect of it isn't appealing to anyone?

 

[Moonlight Drive]

No, it wouldn't be appealing at all. I watch Raw to watch wrestlers wrestle, not to watch wrestlers in MMA fights. If you want MMA, why not just watch professionals?

 

[Airfixx]

^^^^Bullseye!!!

No further duscussion needed.

(...But for what it's worth, no-one would take the WWE guys seriously until such time that they faced a known, credible MMA guy anyway.)

 

[THE Brian Kendrick's Biceps]

Hell, just a month ago, Matt Hardy locked Helms in a butterfly hook and followed up with elbows to the jaw/temple.

So because they perform that move in a worked wrestling match, they're obviously a good enough fighter to get the person into the move in an actual fight and connect with it, despite the fact that they now next to nothing about MMA?

That's completely and utterly ridiculous. Sending a bunch of guys who pull punches out there and telling them to fight for real is only going to result in embarrassment. Do you really think it would make for a good spectacle? Really?

Also, by saying that they're competing in a real fight, you're admitting wrestling is fake. But then if you say it's just an MMA match, not calling it real as opposed to fake, no one will care because it won't be any different to wrestling.

 

[SnackZ]

I think it could work only if Vince started his own MMA company and had guys transfer into MMA completely and bringing in guys from Strikeforce or EliteXC or WEC to make it legitimate. The matches would be real and there would be no cross fighting ie: no wrestlers can be in MMA and no MMA guys can compete in Wrestling. If someone like CM Punk wanted to do MMA then he would have to stop wrestling and only do MMA, they could do storylines like the E does and promos and have huge entrances and fireworks and shit like that. But having full time wrestlers fighting in the MMA portion would not make sense to me due to their pushes/wrestling storylines being put in jeopardy. I think it can be done but it would take time.

 

[MikeRaw]

I didn't say put everyone in, I said put guys who train for it. Half of 'em are midcarders anyways. CM Punk vs. Regal in an MMA match wouldn't be appealing to you? Helms vs. Matt Hardy wouldn't sell for you? They wouldn't have to script these. Have a one-night live event at the end of the year or something and let a few guys go at it. You can pad 'em up if need be. I think some of these guys could do it.

I agree about injury and whatever, but the aspect of it isn't appealing to anyone?

No, not at all. I'm not an MMA fan to begin with. And the people that are watch MMA as well as wrestling.
Let's put it this way... Would we want to see to MMA guys, like Kimbo Slice vs George St Pierre in a Hell in a Cell?
No.
And we also don't wanna see (I know I don't and I take it from this thread neither do others) WWE guys in an MMA fight.
There's not even that many that are trained in MMA to begin with, and the ones that are got into wrestling for a reason. I just couldn't sit back and watch wrestlers make a mockery of an actual sport, with actual competitors.
Plus, again, the match would be awful..

This idea screams "TNA" or "Russo", lol.

 

[Airfixx]

they could do storylines like the E does and promos and have huge entrances and fireworks and shit like that.

How exactly do you propose to incorporated storylines into a non-scripted SPORT exactly? (It's not like you can rely on predicted outcomes to the fights.)




The only way this could work is if Vince were to start up an entirely seperate company with no discernable, nor implied relationship with WWE. From there it also must be noted that should Taker (for example) compete in MMA he could never go back to pro-wrestling with any degree of credibility cos his featuring in MMA effectively confirms the 'fake' nature of WWE and in turn the fact that he'd been faking (and is again) in his WWE appearances.


Ultimately, pro-wrestling & MMA can never be 'bed fellows'.






Incidentally can whoever it was that mentioned it above please tell me exactly what MMA styles Kane has exhibited in his WWE matches?

 

[SnackZ]

I don't mean storyline persay - I mean like if their was a match scheduled for 3 months away that their would be a nice build up with interviews and promos and them talking shit about each other and you seem them training (like HBO Boxings 24/7). Then when you have a title match and a number one contender match guys can call each other out and there can be a nice build up.

And I agree with your nn returning to wrestling after leaving to do MMA and the separate company thing.