MMA fighters or Amateur wrestlers in the WWE?

[CM Steel]

For years now in the WWE we've seen guys come in from both the worlds of MMA & amateur wrestling. But which field of athletes should the WWE focus more on in signing to the E? In the 1990's the UFC breeded up guys like Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Daniel Puder who later on came into the world of wrestling. While from the field of amateur wrestling the WWE recruited guys such as Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and Jack Swagger to come in and try their hand in the pro ranks.

Now if you were working within the WWE and were recruiting talent for the company, which field of these athletes would you focus on more in bringing in for the future? The MMA fighters or the amateur wrestlers??

 

[GelBrache]

Amateur wrestling is a form of MMA.

Anyway, I would choose MMA. You actually have to learn to talk and give interviews and cut promos for your fights and that's more important these days than actual wrestling ability. -scoff- But yeah, I'd take MMA fighter in WWE over an amateur wrestler.....

Unless you find a super amateur wrestler who majored in theater arts or something


Edit: I'm surprised that you didn't mention Rampage

 

[mrjoe94]

In this day and age? MMA for sure. Mainly because, like the previous poster said, the UFC are starting to get their fighters to do WWE-style promos too sell the fight. Hell, Chael Sonnen cuts better wrestling promos than half the WWE roster.

 

[Makaveli31]

Both worlds are vastly different than when Shamrock and Severn were in the WWE. The UFC was not even remotely what it is today in terms of popularity and even money-wise. I don't watch today's WWE but I don't know of a star, with the exception of Brock Lesnar who later went on the UFC, who had a background in MMA or even Olympic-level wrestling in the last 10 years.

Kurt Angle came in at a time when UFC and MMA in general were still in it's money-losing infancy. I have no doubt if Angle were in his prime now, just coming an off an appearance at the Olympics he would be in the UFC and not WWE. How much did Chael Sonnen make in his fight against Anderson Silva or even his lower-tier fights? You'd have to pay him asubstantial amount to get him to cross over.

 

[vthokie8]

Chael Sonnen could make the jump right now based on promos. As far as size, I think he would be a little small. Remember, he is only 205lbs, Maybe 220 before the cut. I always felt that Tito Ortiz would be good in wrestling as well. He has the look and the promo skills.

I do think that with MMA becoming as popular as it has Vince and Dana would be dumb not to try and work something out. Whether it be a guy like Anderson Silva, GSP or Jon Jones having a match at Wrestle Mania against an up and coming heel or an established guy with nothing to do, much like Mayweather and Big Show. The only hiccup I see is Dana like to be the one making money off his guys, and you can't blame him. I'm sure he would ask for quite the paycheck to loan a guy like Silva or GSP to Vince for a night.