A WWE & UFC Alliance?

[CM Steel]

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon & UFC bossman Dana White are pretty tight together when it comes to business. And they respect what each other is doing in their own business world's. Dana White has made it clear various times in interviews that he doesn't want to cross-brand with the WWE or any other wrestling promotion. But on Vince McMahon's side, who really knows?

Back awhile ago when Brock Lesnar lost his UFC heavyweight championship. The Undertaker was at that fight when Brock lost his belt. Where we would see a stare down between the two former WWE rival's, setting up a storyline driven feud between the two where they could of had a special type of match at Wrestlemania 27 this year. But it didn't happen because Dana White wouldn't let it. Vince McMahon could of very well been behind that whole stare down at that UFC fight that night against Dana White's wishes.

Now that the UFC is switching networks going to FOX. The former home of WWF Saturday Night Main Event. Could we see a future cross promotion event between the WWE & the UFC?? Brock Lesnar's charactor is in the new WWE'12 video game (dagger tattoo and all).

 

[JohnJohnson]

Now that the UFC is switching networks going to FOX. The former home of WWF Saturday Night Main Event. Could we see a future cross promotion event between the WWE & the UFC?? Brock Lesnar's charactor is in the new WWE'12 video game (dagger tattoo and all).

Hmm does that mean that WWE and TNA will be doing a cross promotion because Impact is on the old home of Raw? I mean do we not still see Flair and others on WWE tv? I think you're reaching.

I'm not against the idea of a cross promotion involving Brock, but honestly crossing the too will make WWE look extremely fake especially because WWE is much slower paced and there are a lot of moments where no one is attacking each other(like both being downed by a clothesline). UFC fighters would have to slow down a lot and be 10x less aggressive to perform with a WWE superstar. It will also look faker by comparison because of all the striking in WWE never leaving bruises. Not to mention that blood is so taboo in WWE now. Which I don't get because when it was PG before people bled all the time(esp Flair). Also for a cross promotion to work, both ends will have to agree, not just one.

 

[GameOver]

You already said it, Dana wants nothing to do with WWE, they aren't what he is marketing.
and who told you they were tight? are u bum buddies with Vince and Dana White?

the only way it works is guys have to be able to act instead of just going hell for leather.
The other way around guys going from WWE/WCW or whichever go there thinking they are legit tough and they may well be, but step into a real situation where there is actually something at stake and they get there ass whipped.

Brock Lesnar was tough enough to survive it, who else has gone from wrestling to UFC and survived? noone. MMA guys have had success in WWE/WCW though since that's primarily just acting and they already have the knowledge of how holds are applied.

Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock and Steve Blackman were great cross talents they had a gimmick which worked in the Attitude era on the WCW side they had Tank Abbott but he was a joke.

 

[Huey]

I'm a fan of the UFC and pro wrestling (not just the WWE.) I don't view them as competition to my PPV dollars. I bought UFC 140 because it had a good card, I will not buy 141 because it doesn't. I did not buy TLC but I will buy the Royal Rumble without regard to what UFC 142 brings. I do believe if the WWF and WCW didn't get involved in close circuit and PPV broadcasts that the medium may not be here today. There is much that Dana White can learn from Vince McMahon, and vice versa.

That said, I'm not crazy about the mma/pro wrestling crossovers. In my opinion Seeing Stone Cold, The Rock or the Undertaker in the stands at a UFC is fine. If Brock Lesnar wants to come back and go to the WWE that's fine too. A UFC fighter as special raw host is cool, if Joe Rogan wants to interview the Rock about a new movie or his return to the ring more power to him.

What I don't like is what's currently going on in RoH with the Richards/Edwards 3 match. This match could sell itself. Two talented wrestlers with a lot of history. A story you can get interested in. Having Dan "The Beast" Severn as Edwards' training partner is ridiculous. Many modern MMA fans may not even know who Dan Severn is and it makes Eddie Edwards look weak.

I like stiff pro wrestling and submission pro wrestling. Paying homage to Daniel Bryan's submission work and his training in MMA makes sense. Daniel Bryan bringing in Royce Gracie as his top secret weapon against the Big Show does not.

The Undertaker using a gogplata is cool, Randy Orton locking on a guillotine choke instead of a DDT from the middle rope isn't.

 

[rge2010]

How on earth can WWE and UFC do cross promoting? One is legit fighting, the other is pretend. UFC associating themselves with WWE will harm the legitamacy of their company and everything it stands for.

Brock Lesnar losing to Undertaker at WM would make him and the company he works for look like idiots.

 

[Negrodamus]

I think cross promoting would be a good thing, it doesn't have to mean UFC guys fighting WWE guys or vice versa. it wold be just another way of getting the 2 businesses seen and promoted.
Advertising cost would be cheap and with the new WWE network UFC can promote their events and as well WWE can promote their events at UFC shows. It can benefit both since WWE stars go and watch UFC and im sure there are some UFC guys who watch and respect WWE.

My only problem with this would be that these are 2 hard driven workaholics for their product and can anyone of the 2 share the limelight and take an equal share of the pie. thats the only place where I could see a problem.

 

[Azane]

This topic again!

UFC and WWE are like Football and Baseball, they don't work good together, there's fans of both products, but they don't all crossover well.

UFC wants to keep away from WWE because they're been trying to keep their sport legitimate, while WWE is entertainment.

UFC appearances in wrestling have been..... disappointing (I forgot who it was in TNA, but I remember botchamania having a field day with it)

 

[Chadmw]

No way would Dana White allow someone under UFC contract to wrestle, why would he take the chance of one of his fighters getting hurt.

Now you may see UFC fighters in the audience of WWE events like you see WWE wrestlers in the audience of UFC events.

Or you may see Dana let someone like Brock do promotional work for the WWE (like WWE12) but nothing more

 

[J.J.]

Brock Lesnar was tough enough to survive it, who else has gone from wrestling to UFC and survived? noone. MMA guys have had success in WWE/WCW though since that's primarily just acting and they already have the knowledge of how holds are applied.

Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock and Steve Blackman were great cross talents they had a gimmick which worked in the Attitude era on the WCW side they had Tank Abbott but he was a joke.

Brock Lesnar also wrestled in High School and College where he excelled as a top competitor, plus he's a big man. It's not fair to throw Tank Abbott's name in there unless you're referencing his loss to Oleg Taktarov - still one of the better UFC fights ive seen. He never accomplished anything while he was UFC to worth mentioning.

To answer the question, absolutely not. I dont think the staredown was planned and was probably just a cheap way to recognize one another from their past.

Triple H accompanied Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to the ring when he fought Juan Manuel Marquez but that didn't mean there would be an alliance between WWE and boxing.

 

[CM Steel]

This topic again!

UFC and WWE are like Football and Baseball, they don't work good together, there's fans of both products, but they don't all crossover well.

UFC wants to keep away from WWE because they're been trying to keep their sport legitimate, while WWE is entertainment.

UFC appearances in wrestling have been..... disappointing (I forgot who it was in TNA, but I remember botchamania having a field day with it)

Your comparing football & baseball to pro wrestling & MMA? Then I guess athletles like Brock Lesnar & Bobby Lashley would play the roles of Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders, because they did both sports (entertainment).

And is UFC/MMA a legitimate sport? Then how come "the sport" of MMA still ti'l this day gets bashed on ESPN and other sports networks? Tell me that? Because all MMA is is human cock fighting anyways.

 

[One to Remember]

Crack Swagger are u a complete imbecile? You can't cross promote pro wrestling with MMA are you high? This has got to be the most idiotic pipe dream i have ever seen on a rasslin forum in the history of my 11 years on the internet.

Look MMA cant slow down and wrestling might not be able to speed up. Wrestling is going to come off looking fake and circus like if TOO MANY pro wrestlers are destroyed. If non credible wresttlers take on too many MMA fighters it will hurt MMA's standing and the UFC's standing and create doubt withen its fan base and its coolness will evaporate withen second.

And is UFC/MMA a legitimate sport? Then how come "the sport" of MMA still ti'l this day gets bashed on ESPN and other sports networks? Tell me that? Because all MMA is is human cock fighting anyways.

I thought Azane had made this remark but i see it was you again with more nonsense. You cant go by whats on ESPN because they have a pecking order of sports and that determines how they spread programmming accross their SECONDARY NETWORKS and how much time that sport in general spends on any one given channel. Football and B Ball are on ESPN, Arena Football or Softball might be on ESPN2, Bowling and Batmitton tourneys might be on ESPN3, Wrestling is on ESPN Classics and the AWA had to pay when it was on ESPN1.. The X Games are an "ESPN2 SPORT" (a term i've coined) because its sporting catogories are not generally accepted 35 years down the line and a decade and a half or so after the event's founding. UFC is covered on ESPN Networks and MMA fighters do give analysis on sports. UFC is under state athletic commision control and is considered boxing legally..

Your arguments are better suited for the ORIGINAL UFC (1993-9).

THESE ARE THE WRESTLERS THAT CAN COMPETE WITH CREDIBILITY IN UFC:
Big Show
Khali
Benjamin
Angle (a few years prior)
Kozlov
Lashley
Meng (in his prime)
Batista
Henry
Goldberg
Swagger
Barrett
Morgan
Ryan
Bryan

that it.

If those guys competed only their amature wrestling, collegiate athletic, or Olympic credentials would be listed before any fights.

They have to be non determined bouts.. Only the original UFC was cock fighting and even then I say what of it? Its bad enough you got Shamrock only holding the WWF I-C title and Tank Abbott dancing with 3 Count..

Its not going to work because one is predetermined and one is undetermined but a link to wrestling would take the heat off of UFC from parental groups, and sporting purists but at too great a cost to the UFC which doesn't need ESPN acceptence anymore.

 

[Davi323]

There is a difference between cross branding, and cross promoting. While mixing the WWE with the UFC, with each company's talent appearing on the others and competing would be ridiculous, that is not the same thing as the WWE advertising UFC events and the UFC advertising WWE events. As has been pointed out, they don't consider themselves competitors with each other. Cross promoting would just be if you pat my back, I will pat yours. NOT "hey, lets have Cain Velazquez fight John Cena, that would be awesome!"

Cross promoting merely means that both the WWE and UFC understand that by mentioning each other, they can expand both of their viewing bases, it's mutually beneficial. It's no different than Raw guest hosts who appear to pitch their new movie, TV show, book or charity or something.

In this case, promote means advertise, not promote in the wrestling promoter/book matches kind of way.

 

[One to Remember]

Cross promoting merely means that both the WWE and UFC understand that by mentioning each other, they can expand both of their viewing bases, it's mutually beneficial. It's no different than Raw guest hosts who appear to pitch their new movie, TV show, book or charity or something.

In this case, promote means advertise, not promote in the wrestling promoter/book matches kind of way.

NOPE NOPE NOPE, Can't do it, its not withen your control Davi, not Dana's, or Vinnie's. All combat sports are TOO CLOSE. They can not distance themselves even if they share common struggles not related to athletics!! Wrestling, and MMA are connected because MMA features wrestling, just like kickboxing and boxing are connected and kickboxing and karate are connected. Baseball and softball are connected. Hockey and La Cross are similar but not connected. Tennis and table tennis/pong are not connected but batmitton and tennis are.

Boxing, wrestling, and karate are a derivative of a larger older combat sport, MMA is a derivative as well as a reblending of subgenres. You cant seperate them far enough to allow them to interact the way you want.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Why? How about the WWE does a cross promotion with Rocky Balboa vs John Cena?

Pro wrestling is entertainment. You don't get shitty 2 second fights to end huge feuds. MMA fans generally look down on wrestling because they're douchebags. Pro wrestling fans generally seem to enjoy pro wrestling because of the story and emotion.

 

[One to Remember]

Why? How about the WWE does a cross promotion with Rocky Balboa vs John Cena?

Pro wrestling is entertainment. You don't get shitty 2 second fights to end huge feuds. MMA fans generally look down on wrestling because they're douchebags. Pro wrestling fans generally seem to enjoy pro wrestling because of the story and emotion.

um balboa vs cena is almost as dumb as Mack Swagger's original idea(s).. Sly is soo old at this point, it should have happened no later then 1990 come on man.

yeah this is entertainment but you still maintaint the front.. kayfabe is over and legit wrestlers like Thesz are long gone but wrestlers still have to promote wrestling as a athletic competition/sport. they cant go in depth about choreography or storylines very often..

 

[JaneyD]

Ok this idea will just hurt the UFC or any MMA promotion.

The only scenario I see with UFC and WWE is this: (Mind you its a hell of a long shot)

Why not another Ken Shamrock vs Tito Ortiz? This time in a WWE ring. Maybe Ken will finally get his win

I love The Huntington Beach Bad Boy, but his time is up. His back is beyond repair, his Ground and Pound days are over and he is down to his last match in his contract. The man can still draw a crowd, and Ken Shamrock is known in both the MMA world and the WWE. And during their encounters in UFC, their pre-fight promotions were more entertaining that what went down in the octagon. So why not have it in the squared circle? haha.

 

[One to Remember]

Ok this idea will just hurt the UFC or any MMA promotion.

The only scenario I see with UFC and WWE is this: (Mind you its a hell of a long shot)

Why not another Ken Shamrock vs Tito Ortiz? This time in a WWE ring. Maybe Ken will finally get his win

I love The Huntington Beach Bad Boy, but his time is up. His back is beyond repair, his Ground and Pound days are over and he is down to his last match in his contract. The man can still draw a crowd, and Ken Shamrock is known in both the MMA world and the WWE. And during their encounters in UFC, their pre-fight promotions were more entertaining that what went down in the octagon. So why not have it in the squared circle? haha.

Every idea from a stupid topic are going to lead to dumber ideas i see. Why would UFC fighters duke it out in a WWE ring? Thats like tennis players being invited on a b ball court to settle a grudge match.

I read this morning Del Rio was Olympic bound in 2000 but Mexico did not have the money to sponsor wrestling. And he has an MMA back ground. He has credentials to participate in MMA vs Pro Wrestling bouts. It has to be the wrestlers who have back grounds in non predetermined sports..

 

[CM Steel]

Every idea from a stupid topic are going to lead to dumber ideas i see. Why would UFC fighters duke it out in a WWE ring? Thats like tennis players being invited on a b ball court to settle a grudge match.

I read this morning Del Rio was Olympic bound in 2000 but Mexico did not have the money to sponsor wrestling. And he has an MMA back ground. He has credentials to participate in MMA vs Pro Wrestling bouts. It has to be the wrestlers who have back grounds in non predetermined sports..

Your the one who's stupid dummy! (in my Redd Foxx voice)

Stevie Wonder can see that an inter-promotion or some assoicate to that would make great business sence. WWE & UFC have been in touch of hands with each other ever since the days of Ken Shamrock & Dan "the Beast" Sevren in the mid to late 90's. And each athletle's come to one another events anyways.

Kurt Angle is a MMA wanna-be. So with that allience if it were ever to happen? Why not give someone like a Kurt Angle or a Jack Swagger something to shoot for?

And Merry Christmas Muthafucka!!

 

[One to Remember]

Your the one who's stupid dummy! (in my Redd Foxx voice)

ahhh pop you've gone all senile now, come on get with it you old fool!! (in my Demond Wilson voice)

Stevie Wonder can see that an inter-promotion or some assoicate to that would make great business sence. WWE & UFC have been in touch of hands with each other ever since the days of Ken Shamrock & Dan "the Beast" Sevren in the mid to late 90's. And each athletle's come to one another events anyways.

stevie would see that because seeing is his greatest atribute and point of reference..
They have not been in a touch of hands at all. Shamrock's sorry ass WWF career and Danny Boy holding that pathetic devalued NWA Heavyweight title for half of the '90s don't impress me or anyone else. If he had held it from 1990-4 that might mean something. It doesn't matter who you see standing in the front row man, them liking it has no bearing on whether or not their respective sports can even mesh. Of course your point isweak because you use two weak fighters past their prime in ur example who did wrestle. Those are two red flags that your idea is bunk.

Kurt Angle is a MMA wanna-be. So with that allience if it were ever to happen? Why not give someone like a Kurt Angle or a Jack Swagger something to shoot for?

IF KURT ANGLE CAME TO ANY MMA BOUT AS A FIGHTER THE SCREEN WOULD LIST HIS COLLEGIATE ACCOLADES AND OLYMPIC CREDENTIALS. When Lesner appeared it just listed him as the 2000 NCAA Wrestling national champion. If Del Rio competed they would list his MMA record and that he went to the Pan-American games. Andthose list of pro wrestlers are the ones that have credentials, i did not say they had viability, focus man focus.

The wrestlers have to compete dumb dumb and they have to be strong enough to hold their own. the UFC can not have its fighters lose to anyone in a match deemed kayfabe. the sports could interpromote but at a great cost, too great a cost. Get the twinkle out of your eye and quit thinking like a child, it can't work..

And Merry Christmas Muthafucka!!

shut the fuck up *****..

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

um balboa vs cena is almost as dumb as Mack Swagger's original idea(s).. Sly is soo old at this point, it should have happened no later then 1990 come on man.

yeah this is entertainment but you still maintaint the front.. kayfabe is over and legit wrestlers like Thesz are long gone but wrestlers still have to promote wrestling as a athletic competition/sport. they cant go in depth about choreography or storylines very often..

I wasn't seriously suggesting it, more saying the idea is equally ridiculous because it doesn't make any sense.

They don't promote wrestling as an athletic competition and hasn't been in 20 years. It's promoted as combat theater. Even back in Thesz's day, if you really look at what is going on, people are going to see heels vs babyfaces, they aren't going to see a tournament to determine the best wrestler. Even when wrestling started in carnivals in the 1800s, it was all about heels and babyfaces. Like Al Snow said, it's always been the same, it's like the wheel, you can put spinners on it, come up with more sophisticated treads, but at the end of the day, it's still the wheel and you can't reinvent the wheel.

 

[DirtyD79]

I just don't see it happening. The exact second word got out about it you'd have MMA fans saying "Get that fake crap outta here!" Especially once they see stupid childish crap like Hornswoggle or John Cena's spinner belt. As if that's not bad enough you'll also have people wondering if UFC is fake too. Brock Lesnar is the exception not the rule and he still gets dogged about his past in wrasslin'. Sadly pro wrestling has always had a low brow white trash reputation in the eyes of most "legitimate" media types. It's also seen as childish by a lot of the general public. Both images UFC is trying hard to avoid.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

It would never happen for two big reasons

1) Dana White hate the idea of cross promotion. Fedor, the best fighter of all time will never fight in the UFC because his management team wants to cross promote and Dana will never agree. I feel like I'm posting on Sherdog here but DW is a guy who helped the sport of MMA grow to where it is but is also a bit of an asshole who really cares about his money

2) A lot of MMA fans despise pro wrestling. I don't fully understand it but it exists. I had never seen the term "fake fighter" thrown around so much until I became a big MMA fan. Not all of us are like that, I'm here posting, but a sizable majority feel that way

 

[Harthan]

I can see why Vince would love to do this, though it might gall his pride so much that he wouldn't, if it were a realistic option. But why in the world would Dana? Dana is the new Vince McMahon, only cooler, hipper, and younger. His empire is in its prime. He's operating one of the coolest forms of entertainment out there and he's raking it in. What incentive does Dana have to attach his name and his product to a slumping form of entertainment generally recognized in these modern times as primarily for kids and geeks in their mom's basements? It's just not a good business decision for Dana and he's far too savvy of a businessman not to know that. I won't pretend that I don't think a UFC/WWE supercard a la Dream's recent co promotion with some Japanese indies wouldn't be awesome, but for the time being, it just doesn't make sense on Dana's end. In five or ten years time, if the UFC sees a downturn? Perhaps.

 

[Harthan]

This is an interesting spot of news that popped up yesterday, that updates this situation. At the end of this month, Chael Sonnen is taking on Mark Munoz at UFC on Fox 2, and apparently, CM Punk will be joining him. This is an interesting pairing, as these two are both well known for their charisma and promos in their respective fields. They also have had some back and forth on Twitter in the past, indicating some kind of relationship here.

It's fairly surprising that the UFC is okay with this. Dana is generally against associating with the WWE. I can think of only two times in the past that they've had anything to do with each other in a business context. Back in the day, the WWE licensed some UFC footage to hype up Ken Shamrock. Years later, the UFC would do the same thing for Brock Lesnar. Other than that, any business relationship between these two entities has been nonexistant, and Dana seems to like it that way. Now, CM Punk will be associated on national television in a high profile fight alongside Chael Sonnen. It's an interesting decision that makes one wonder about what this means, if anything.

It's possible that Punk won't even be shown on television alongside Sonnen, as his entrance might get cut for time constraints. It's also entirely possible that Punk is featured quite prominently alongside Sonnen. Only time will tell. What's truly interesting is what this might mean, if anything, for the future of WWE and UFC relations. What I find interesting is that the night after this fight, the Royal Rumble occurs. Is it possible that Sonnen might repay the favor to Punk, and watch his back against the advances of John Laurinitus and Vickie Guerrero during his title match? Fairly unlikely, admittedly, but not impossible, and worth speculating about. Furthermore, does this indicate the UFC's willingness to open some relationship with the WWE? Hard to say right now, but this might be the beginning of something big for 2012.