Impliment MMA Moves Into Wrestling

[Y 2 Jake]

MMA is currently bigger than wrestling in my opinion. Well not MMA but UFC. So why don't wrestling promotions try to impliment more MMA moves into wrestling. You have certain superstars who have shoot fighter gimmicks. But usually they just don't work.

But why don't more wrestlers impliment choke holds into wrestling (I know there supposed to be illegal). Straight punches and kicks. Obviously not everyone needs to do this. But for bland wrestlers it would be perfect. Imagine what it would have done for somebody like Sylvester Terkay if his finishing move was a simple punch or a knee from a clinch. It could have come from anywhere and it would add excitment to a wrestler who is pretty boring.

 

[Agrex]

The problem with that is that some wrestlers have finishers that are very impactful, and look hard to perform. Then you have a guy go out there and throw a punch to finish a match. That would make the move look unrealistic. WWE/TNA would have to completely change their styles to imply MMA moves. In my opinion it will never happen. WWE gets most of their money from little kids. Do you think a little kid is going to be interested in lets say a punch to finish a much, most probably, no! They like big flashy moves, and that's what WWE gives so it's not gonna happen. Unless it's for one wrestler, or for one match.

 

[iget4:20higher]

Taz was very good at doing this. He incorporated judo into wrestling which I think is a first. You can tell the moves were legit and not some scripted bullshit. The way he makes them land on their neck makes even a smark go "damn!"

TNA needs to take advantage of this. Joe is good and all, but he is not MMA material. His kicks are good, but not great. They need to have Angle learn a couple of moves or maybe even bring Sylvester Terkay. That'd be impossible of course because as we all know...he worked for the WWE and that automatically makes him a a no talentee "reject" in the eyes of many.

 

[TakerHardy13]

i agree w/ the people who say that MMA moves wouldnt really work in wrestling, but only to the extent of a finishing move. I think they could still have an MMA fighting style but have a more flashy finishing move. I gotta say also that Undertaker rarely but still has used a triangle choke as one of his moves which is an MMA submission.

 

[Slim Pickns]

I don't think any MMA moves would make a good wrestling finisher, at least for WWE. They have all but removed submissions from there matches so it would be weird to see someone come in and win their debut by making Funaki tap to a triangle choke.

Remember when Tank Abbot was in WCW and he won his matches with a punch? That didn't work to well and Abbot didn't last very long at all.

 

[Kasey]

For the WWE this wouldn't work at all. The company is too geared around hokiness and the standard stable of wrestlers couldn't do strong-style if you grafted Kenta's shorts on their respective asses. TNA or ROH could definitely do this because they have some of the guys on the payroll who could pull this kind of stuff off. Konnan remarked about this whole scenario on one of his 5150 broadcasts and it was an eye-opener for me then. TNA has the roster of former indy guys who know how to work stiff and make the matches look almost real...the only problem is that they're gearing the product towards the same ********s who froth at the mouth over WWE's garbage while some of the better workers are reduced to b-liners who makes burnouts like The Steiners and 3D look good. A bad move in my opinion, because they can't beat the WWE at their own game...so why try?

They should adopt the strong-style and phase any of the talent out of the top spots who can't do it. I'm sorry, but more main event angles with Nash or Hall being brought up isn't the way to set yourselves apart. Those guys were in their prime when I was in the ninth grade. I think a few of the guys that don't wrestle that way could learn (i.e. Christian Cage) but on the whole I don't see TNA going this route (just look at the Low-Ki situation...which pisses me off to no end). Angle is pretty much there and has been for a while. They just need to eliminate his wife from the scene so can stop doing his "Vanilla King Booker" shtick with her annoying ass. As a whole, I think solid in-ring work with some shoot-style stiff wrestling and some MMA maneuvers thrown in would be awesome. Anyone who needs proof it would work needs to look no further than Samoa Joe. His submission finisher is one of...if not THE most over hold in TNA. However, seeing that TNA continually panders to the "house on blocks" type of fan...I don't see them doing this kind of change anytime soon. Jakester...you are on to something. I think this type of move would be an amazing way for them to re-invigorate a product that hasn't piqued my interest since the latter part of 2006. I say cut the bullshit out (fuck the comedy skits and pointless bits) and focus on the one thing some of TNA's athletes can do right...wrestle.

 

[puroresu4life]

Before the rise of UFC and MMA in Japan u had UWF,UWFI, Battlearts, Pancrase, RINGS, Pro-wrestling kingdom. This was all pro-wrestling but 'shoot style'. It isnt something new. Its just in the US fans have been brainwashed into thinking what the WWE does is pro-westling when in reality it isnt. Thats Soap Opera.

 

[Deexter Jorgan]

well if anyone has seen lockdown joe and angle tried to do an mma style match which true fully ended up looking like a submission style match, due to angles size it made some of his moves look unreal but due to the nature of the match it just couldnt work like a standard mma match which would use a combination of styles, they worked mostly submission matt base, and also due to angles ego it made things even more worse IMO

 

[Wrestlefan73]

The two are so completely different that it is impossible for any wrestling match to even look like a legit MMA style match. Take the match at Lockdown. Either a wrestling match or an MMA style match, you can't have both in the same match. Look whenever a choke was applied. The ref gave the break the hold count, or one of the two grabbed the ropes. Has anybody EVER seen that happen in a real MMA match? I sure haven't. And when has there EVER been an attempted cover for a 3 count in an MMA match? Um, NEVER!

TNA should just leave it alone for two reasons. 1. If there is one of TNA's MMA style matches on a card, it will make every other match look fake and lessen the quality of those matches. 2. If I want to watch MMA, I'll watch it, if I want to watch wrestling, I'll watch that. Just because I like football and baseball, I don't want to watch a combination of both of them at once.

I've seen the reports that Kurt was knocked out during the match. If it was really an MMA style match, it would have been stopped by the ref. That right there should at least shut Kurt Angle up about saying he can hang with Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, and Randy Courture in a real MMA match. After reading he was KO'ed by Joe, there is no way, no freakin way he would last more than one round with ANY MMA fighter! Kurt needs to shut up and just be a wrestler now.

 

[jaceynightheat]

Depends on the person, gimmick, move itself.

RVD does a lot a kickboxing styled stuff in wrestling, that works. Taz mixing in judo worked for some reason. Angle & Joe pretending to be UFC, not at all.

Pro Wrestling is full of dead people, clowns and other crazy stuff. Taking it too serious takes away from the fun.

 

[MattButcher]

I really enjoyed the Lockdown match, and I was thrilled to have Joe and Angle give the strong-style a try. You know that Joe can work it because that's been his bread and butter for years. Angle has been able to bring his amateur background into pro-wrestling, and both the Nagata and the Nakamura matches he's had this year were more shoot-style than sports entertainment. I didn't think their match was the best thing since Akira Maeda or anything, but I feel it was a step in the right direction.

I think a move towards more physical and martial arts based product would be a good move for TNA. As it's been stated previously, this is not without precedent: the Japanese style of pro-wrestling is one of the major precursors of MMA competition. This kind of product is not perfect and has some pitfalls (as anyone who has been watching those IGF shows can tell you), but a lot of the sports-entertainment elements of TNA bear the reek of the declining WCW. TNA is in a good position to attach themselves to the UFC popularity bandwagon and provide a real "wrestling alternative," to US wrestling fans. Having said that, I think that TNA should retain some of the "three ring circus" model wherein they offer a variety of styles including juniors, hardcore, women's matches, some comedy, and also strong-style.

 

[Father:_Polley]

i think that while there is an aspect of wrestling which would benefit from stiff work with better use of submission and strikes, there's always going to have to be that aspect of entertainment involved. as much as i love submission wrestling, i don't want to watch angle lock in a leg grapevine and wait 5 minutes for the other guy to tap.

there always has to be that element or 'wow, that move was impressive'. thats' why as illogical as some finishing moves are (the rock bottom where the rock's face would be driven into the mat, stunner hurting the backside more than the jaw), they work because people want the impressive, slightly unbelievable aspects of pro-wrestling.

aside from that, as shocky has pointed out, the rules of wrestling don't lend themselves to MMA.

in conclusion, more submissions and the occassional legit looking strike, but within reason would work. 10 minute chokes wont work

 

[Mighty NorCal]

meh, I cant see it helping anything. The younger audience will get bore of the slower paced stuff, and the older audience may feel their intelligence is being insulted, by seeing "real" moves. I can see a place for it among a a select few "stiff" workers, ala Angle and Joe in TNA, and the way Ken Shamrcok used to work in WWE.

 

[Wrestlefan73]

Another reason the stiff MMA style won't work is beacuase of the after effects of doing stiff MMA style matches every couple of nights. Look at Kurt Angle for example. When he was in WWE, which is pure entertainment, he was hooked on pain killers for his broken neck, and when he was asked to go into rehab, he quit. Now, how long do you think he will live if all his matches are stiff MMA style?

 

[mikeRC]

i cant stand MMA style fighting it bores the shit out of me to see a fight last less than 3 minutes in which one guy grabs the other and holds him on the ground till you get bored and realise you wasted money on ppv. i also find it completely stupid that TNA would try this. their tag line used to be "We Are Wrestling".

 

[McCobbM]

I dont think they should be used. I like REAL MMA matches i think they are unpredictable and exciting, which is also what I like about wrestling.
MMA matches are a different breed though. I mean i think it would be a little too absurd to have a guy landing muy thai kicks, and then set up a top-rope moonsault, or Death Valley Driver, or muscle-buster, or dead-level suplex(that the name form the video game, its when they keep the guy in the air for a while so the announcers can say "Look at the Strength of.....")
Some moves in wrestling are so absurd everyone knows they are fake (the top-rope moves, and the ones that begin with a taunt, and some of the submission holds) turning to MMA style is only going to promote UFC.

 

[RKO Orton]

For the WWE, no. It doesn't fit their style at all. The only guys able to put any type of those moves off are in TNA, where I can see this happening.

TNA could become more serious and have more MMA matches. Angle could be in a few, along with Joe, Styles (even though he's a high-flyer) and others. I'd rather have that then stupid gimmick matches. If it's promoting MMA, don't worry about it. People will just be thinking TNA's doing regular wrestling moves, so go for it. Don't do it for all matches though, only a select few can do it anyways.

 

[Big E]

If you took a look at the current WWE roster I would say just under half either are using or have used an MMA or UFC style move with undertaker being the obvious, along with as stated in the above post Tazz and RVD, you could also include CM Punk who's style is based on high kicks, and UFC type offense, even the GTS is a variant on a UFC move, although invented in Japan by KENTA. Another superstar currently on smackdown is Vladimir Kozlov who encorporates judo style moves into his moveset and as stated by the commentators he is training samba, judo and several other martial arts disciplines.

 

[MattButcher]

I suppose it could be worth mentioning that there is a difference between legitimate "shoot style" professional wrestling which definitely involves MMA moves, and just a stiff or physical style of professional wrestling. Most of the maneuvers in the Joe/Angle match were within the realm of wrestling as I see it. I can't remember the last MMA bout I saw that was won by a crossface or STF. Most of the "shoot" pro wrestling I've seen really looks like a submission wrestling bout and doesn't involve any ddt's or power bombs. Consequently, I'm not a huge fan of "shoot" pro wrestling and I think it has largely been replaced by legitimate MMA contests.

It's true that TNA probably overbooked the MMA angle on that match, but I think that's the lesser of many crimes against the business committed by TNA. The action that occurred in the ring that night was more like a strong style or king's road style that wouldn't be out of place on a 90's AJPW card. I guess despite the MMA trappings, I just like the idea that TNA could present a more serious competitive style that doesn't get a lot of billing other places. I recently finished a MOTY 2006 comp that a friend of mine gave me and I saw several examples of this kind of wrestling from the WWE, mostly involving Benoit, Finlay, or Regal. I like the style, I don't care where I find it, but it would be nice to have an American promotion that is committed to it more so than booking sports entertainment or celebrity tie ins through the roof.

 

[MMAFan]

MMA and Wrestling work hand and hand...A good wrestling background is great for a start in MMA...

 

[DeadmanInc.]

I think certain MMA moves could work in WWE, but MMA style matches in WWE would be a disaster. They are completely different from each other. I have never been a fan of MMA matches because they tend to be really short and boring. WWE matches are usually about 15 minutes of high impact maneuvers.


Certain MMA submissions could work. We've already seen Undertaker successfully incorporate the Triangle Choke and Gogoplata into his arsenal. Michelle McCool has also used that toe hold that Frank Mir beat Brock Lesnar with.