The MMA opportunity the WWE missed out on!

[Savion83]

In the professional wrestling world that is the WWE, we've seen over the years mixed martial artist come into the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (Shamrock, Severn, D. Puder), and we all seen wrestlers leave for the world of mixed martial arts (Lesner, Lashley, Bautista). WWE chairman Vince McMahon is not a real big fan of MMA as we all know by now. But his son former WWE business head Shane McMahon is a huge fan of the sport on the other hand.

Over the years both Shane McMahon and former ECW head & WWE employee Paul Heyman approached Vince about incorperating some of the MMA's style and ways into the WWE in some format? But Vince McMahon has been against that idea for some time. Because Vince is stricky on the wrestling.

But in 2007 at that years "Cyber Sunday" pay per view, where the WWE universe can select the kinds of matches that they want to see between the wrestlers. Building off the fued of Matt Hardy vs. the then WWE U.S. champion MVP. The "E" set up the selection from A to C for the two superstars.

A: A Wrestling Match

B: A Boxing Match

And C: A MIXED MARTIAL ARTS MATCH!

This was the WWE's first chance to test the waters in the WWE to incorperating MMA in wrestling! But due to Matt Hardy getting injuried by Rey Mysterio the Smackdown right before the CS PPV, the match up was cancelled. Instead they just had MVP defend his United States championship against Kane (Mark Henry and the Great Khali were the other two choices).

That was the last time we as the WWE universe heard anything about MMA in the WWE ever since. MMA did play a key roll in professional wrestling when we would see a wrestler tap out to a submission hold instead of just waving their hands around to the ref.

If Vince McMahon could ever wake up and smell his son-in-law. Could MMA work in the WWE?

 

[Rulk25]

Short answer No

Long Answer still no

The problem with trying to do MMA is A) Its brutally short if doen well or its just a bunch of pacing aroudn teh ring. If done brutally it will really expose most as it is near impossible to make the kind of shots the MMA does and still have them fake without looking fake.

B) it is inviting shootfighting. I mean if you want it to look real you have to make your punches as close as possible so it would not take much for someone to take a liberty and say its a mistake.

C) if people want MMA the will go and watch an MMA fight not a scripted version.

Could it work on a limited basis with right fighters and protections possibly but I would say only a handful of the WWE's current crop could pull it off without getting boring chants. Yes Vince incorporated aspects of ECW and it worked but then ECW was a niche that only a small rabid crowd really knew about while MMA is quickly replacing boxing as a US phenomenon

 

[killerd105]

OP, you seem to forget that the undertakers finisher that he used for about two years straight, the hells gate, was an MMA submission. Now taker has the right to pick his own finisher but if wwe and vince were against it so much they would of never let him use it.

Also, MMA style is just too dangerous for wwe right now in their current position. Its too risky for someone to get injured like Bobby Lashley is now. So they're better off keeping each other out of the others hair for now.Besides the second "w" does stand for wrestling .. not MMA . They should just keep doing what they're good at ?

 

[Scrump_1]

MMA and WWE should never cross paths.
I mean seriously, can you imagine Cena or Orton legitimately fighting someone?
Hell knowing Orton the person he'd be fighting would hit him the wrong way and they'd get fired.

 

[gers09]

NO for simple reason it too violent too many would get injured. WWE stars are trained athletes but not for MMA. Vince can not afford half his his guys in the injured list MMA guys have more physical training the WWE don't remember MMA is legit WWE well isn't

 

[TheCuttingEDGE]

As Rulk25 said, people (including me) wouldn't be interested in a scripted MMA like fight. To me, the only way that MMA could ever be incorporated in Wrestling, is to have more realistic type submissions, there are so many, that just don't look like a submission move, but if they were to have more MMA style submission moves, like an armbar which could be used in a tag match to keep an opponent in a corner, while a tag happens, leading to a splash off the top rope. Thats how I could see MMA mixing with wrestling, as there are very few other ways to do it without becoming an unscripted scripted MMA match.

 

[Matowar]

I think the big issue would be fighting everyday. There is no way that MMA guys could fight every day like wrestlers do. The human body can take only so much punishment before it dies and if MMA fighters did it every day they would live all of about a month. We watch wrestling because its back and forth with high spots MMA has no high spots. When was the last time a MMA guy climbed the ring and did a double axe handle? Never. Because the guy would obviously move lol. I do enjoy MMA but I love wrestling because anything can happen. But it was at least you are thinking outside the box, keep up the good work.

 

[mikeyboy]

Not just no , but hell no , wrestling and mma should never cross paths nothing happens for most of the matches in mma and when there is action its just a few seconds long then its over . simply put its to boring for wrestling fans they wolud get tired of it real quick. i know i do. It might have worked back in the 70's when there was alot more mat wrestling but not today fans want fast paced back and forth matches with spectacular finishers , not submission holds.

 

[damonjets]

I say yes to a certain extent. It would take a brilliant mind to do it and do it good.

 

[neildittmar]

If I understand correctly, the OP is suggesting that MMA elements (moves, holds, stipulations, etc.) be incorporated into WWE. Not that the company should embrace an MMA format (read: real fights). As another poster mentioned, one look at the fall out from "Brawl For All" (many legit injuries, plodding/boring match-ups, and an incredibly anti-climactic ending) illustrates how poor of an idea the latter is.

In any case though, the current PG rating in WWE wouldn't allow it.

The true appeal to MMA is in its brutality, not to mention the fact that these are real fights against real fighters. WWE is the exact polar opposite, particularly in its current PG incarnation. Most of the moves would be considered "too extreme" for the current WWE product, along with the fact that any blood or cuts would also be deemed unacceptable as has been the norm lately.

Add to this that a high majority of "MMA" type wrestlers have been forgettable at best (Dan Severn) and outright failures at worst (Sylvester Terkay), there is really no justification in bringing this style to WWE.

 

[Wainy]

Whilst MMA matches in WWE would be shit, I would like to see the company incorporate more of a strong style ala Japan, i.e, realistic looking kicks & punches, a tiny bit of martial arts training to make them look more legit as tough men & suplexes & submissions being used more & done correctly. I would also like to see any of the greener guys down in the developmentals trained not only in a "pro-wrestling style", but they should all be given at least, basic amateur wrestling training. Back in the day, everyone had an excellent ground game, now days it's been dumped in favour of just being able to hold a rear chin-lock on for 3-4 minutes! With this thread in mind, I would love to see WWE sign Quinton Jackson & Bob Sapp, they both have extensive (if, variangly successful!) MMA carrers, & with their charisma & look, they could both go on to be huge stars now that their MMA careers are entering their twighlight years!

 

[red ass skull muhfukkah]

I think the MMA fight would have worked well on so many levels between Hardy and MVP. With the way that feud was setup it would have been interesting and very entertaining imo.

I don't think the OP is saying to have real MMA fights, he's just saying incorporate some elements into matches. Which is already being done, just look at Bryan Danielson and CM Punk. They both use lethal strikes and kicks, and Danielson's modified Cross face is something he learned while MMA Training. It would be interesting to see more MMA submissions used as many others have said. And I think and MMA style fight could work but only once and only if it isn't done in a completely serious way. It would need something to make it entertaining rather than being a real fight.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

I think Ryanlavendier is the only person who got the point the OP was trying to make, as soon as people hear incorporate MMA, everyone just assumes that it means turning wrestling into MMA. The use of physically tapping out is an example of incorporating MMA. I'd be all for that, maybe utilizing more knockout finishes instead of just pin and submission.

I think where the WWE really dropped the ball was when Shane proposed WWE buy out Pride and turn it into a WWE branded MMA federation and Vince was against it.

 

[MOExecution]

Look when I think adding MMA into the wrestling business I don't think they would go ALL OUT and use real punches or use any of the stances or anything like that. I believe when people say Incorporate MMA into the wrestling business I think that they mean add more like mat wrestling, if you get what I mean, into wrestling, add more MMA like submissions/finishes into wrestling. Of course I am not all for the knockout finishes, and of course none of these guys are trained to fight like a Mixed Martial Artist, BUT adding MMA would give it a different look, feel, and make it seem more realistic if you get what I mean. Just think about it some of the grounded submissions (Figure Four Body Lock) you can get out of if you actually try and fight your way out and it would be way more interesting and entertaining then just watching and actually believing this guy is trapped, cannot get out, or is in pain! It would just have to be done the right way for it to work out is what I am saying.

 

[Window Licker 101]

Non proffesionally trained individuals shoud never fight. Accidents are bound to happen and without the right training and experience serious injuries could occur. Plus this is suppose to be a WRESTLING ppv not an MMA event. If WWE fans wanted to see a fight they could watch the UFC but they paid money for their seat at the WRESTLING to see WRESTLING.

 

[SpoodBeest]

I never, ever want to see MMA incorporated in the WWE. I will flat out say that it just would not work. Everything within the world of professional wrestling is scripted and having scripted out MMA "fights" would be terrible. Does anyone even remember when TNA tried this when they had AJ Styles vs. Frank Trigg, that was truly abysmal. Vince should absolutely always deny any requests to have matches like this, because they just wouldn't work. MMA is there for a reason, it's real fighting for the blokes that like to watch and brag about it. WWE is professional wrestling that scripts all matches, so script an MMA "fight" and you pretty much have a disaster on your hands. It just wouldn't work.

Also do you really think the fans that night at Cyber Sunday were honestly going to vote for Hardy and MVP to compete in a MMA "fight", you must be joking because we all knew going into that match that the obvious stipulation for them was just going to be a straight up wrestling match , so that when Matt went over MVP he could get a title shot somewhere down the line. But Matt got injured and put that feud on hold for a little while and we got we got. But that match was sure as hell not going to be some MMA bout.

 

[CyDeez]

To answer the OP... Ima say no!

To taint MMA and have "scripted" matches to that style is a FAIL. I do however like guys that have an MMA style in the ring (Bryan Danielson). But I think having scripted real fights is just wack.

Imagine if they ran with this storyline back in the day with The Brawl For All... The winner was Bart Gunn LOL... They could never have given him a push because he was lame.

I think the best way to incorporate MMA is to not really do it at all... I think having certain guys with a similar style though works in it's own right.