Who is the toughest shootfighter on the current WWE roster?

[RoyHahn]

There are several members of the current WWE roster who have a shot to be the toughest shooters in the company today. I’ll do a quick review:

CM Punk has experience in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai, two essential components of MMA.

Hardcore Holly is known to be a legit fighter, which he proved in his close match in Brawl for All against eventual winner Bart Gunn.

JBL similarly has a reputation as being a brawler, and he advanced to the finals of Brawl for All ten years ago. He has obviously lost a lot of his good shape since then.

Kane has experience from a shootwrestling federation in Japan, and is known to be very strong.

Santino Marella fought MMA in Japan before becoming a pro wrestler, and specialized in Judo.

William Regal is known to have extensive skill in the ancient art of catch wrestling.

Big Show is known to be massively strong, having apparently bench-pressed Brock Lesnar “like a twig” a few years ago. He is also huge and during his hiatus from the WWE, trained to become a pro boxer.

The Great Khali is simply huge and massively strong.

Shelton Benjamin has an extensive amateur wrestling background, having won several national collegiate championships.

Umaga is simply very strong, agile, and fast.

The Undertaker is known to be a tough fighter, with past experience in boxing.

Vladimir Kozlov has a known background in Sambo, MMA, and grappling, combined with size and strength.

Finlay has a background in freestyle wrestling and Judo, combined with overall brawling ability, though his age is a negative.

Jack Swagger has an extensive amateur wrestling background.

Mark Henry is simply massively strong.

So as for the question of who is the toughest shootfighter in the WWE, I would say that the following are the top five:

1. Big Show – Big Show is obviously huge, both bulk-wise and height-wise. He is massively strong. Yet, it is his boxing experience which makes him unstoppable. Combining size, strength, speed, and skill result in a deadly package which makes him the best shootfighter in the WWE.

2. Vladimir Kozlov – Kozlov is VERY close behind Big Show. His MMA experience is very threatening, and his size and strength are apparent. He could very well be #1, but at the time, it seems that Big Show beats him out by a hair.

3. Santino Marella – Funny enough, Santino’s MMA experience in Japan makes him one of the best shooters in the WWE, especially since MMA in Japan is often far more competitive at lower levels than MMA here in the US.

4. CM Punk – His MMA experience and his agility makes him a very intimidating opponent.

5. Shelton Benjamin – He would be higher on this list, but amateur wrestling is not always useful in a true fight, at least not to the extent that MMA or boxing are.

Kane would also be very high up, and could easily be on this list.

What are your thoughts?

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

Top 5:

1. The Big Show: I don't know how anyone can say anything against him. He's over seven feet tall, 450 pounds, and has a fist the size of my head. He trained in boxing, too. I just don't see how anything is going to stop a man his size.

2. Vladimir Kozlov: I picked Vladimir number two for the same reasons as Roy did. His Sambo skill and MMA experience make him very difficult to beat. Not to mention, he is obvously a huge dude. And he looks like he's pretty quick as well.

3. Mark Henry: Mark Henry is simply strong. And he's built like a frickin tank too. I'd like to see a smaller guy try and do anything to him. Try and strike him.. That wouldn't do anything. If anyone tried to wrestle him, they'd have a very tough time trying to take him down, keep him down, lock in a hold and make him tap before he snaps them in half. I just don't see it happening.

4. CM Punk: His fake kicks in the ring look like they hurts. I would not want them to turn real. He could use his knees and feet to hurt you in so many ways..

5. Santino Marella: I would have put Santino as 4, but he's gotten a little chubby. He's a very skilled fighter, but not as much as when he was littler.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Most wrestlers think they're tough because they're wrestlers. For a fake sport a lot of it's athletes take it very seriously and believe their own hype. Somebody like Big Show or Umaga could kick the shit out of most guys purely because of their size, but they couldn't kick the shit out of somebody with plenty of proper fighting experience. Unless, of course, they've had training themselves.

I've heard the rumous of Santino being tough, but I've yet to see him as anything but a comedy WWE wrestler, and rest assured, I've been looking on You Tube.

If any of them were really talented fighters they wouldn't be in WWE. MMA currently pays more, unless you're somebody like Triple H or Undertaker. If Kozlov was good enough, he'd be in MMA.

Also being good at a certain discipline doesn't mean shit. I've got a brown belt in Kickboxing and the only thing I'm good for is punching drunk people. To be a proper fighter you need more than a belt. Which is why's C.M. Punk's experience in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai is just that, experience.

 

[jmt225]

I would go with Shelton Benjamin, easily. He's basically just a smaller version of Brock Lesnar, and we've seen how well Brock is currently doing in the UFC.

Think about it... they went to the same college, were roommates, both had tremendous records in their respective weight division, ect.

Shelton would wipe the floor with pretty much anyone in WWE. Big Show might be the one exception, but pound for pound, Shelton is the best shoot fighter in the company. And it's not even close.

 

[kilva]

I'd have to say Vladimir Kozlov. I dont care how much other people say how this guy has no talent, but I'm sure he was a former Samba Champion, and a pretty Good shoot wrestler, and he is also pretty big. Try messing with him and you'll end up on the hospital with broken bones, a disfigured face, 2 black eyes and your all you teeth knocked out

 

[George Michael]

I've never seen any of the current roster in a shootfight, but I would assume based on his amateur wrestling experience, Shelton Benjamin would be a natural shoot fighter. His speed seems uncanny compared to others, and his style is most reminicent of Angle and Lesnar's; two amazing natural athelte/competitor's. I hope he gets more focus, because I think he's a guy who deserves it, purely based on his ability.

That being said, he needs to reveal a lot more of his instinct as a shoot fighter/wrestler. It's great that he can do a stinger splash and some other high risk maneuvers, but to hold a main event spot, he should take up a more 'ground and control' style, locking up his opponents. He needs to save the 'big' moves for big matches, and stop giving them away for free.

 

[reddevil69]

Well I know for a fact that Undertaker works out and trains with UFC fighters at his home...Matt Hughes being one of them....and Taker has stated that in 1990 if Ultimate Fighters made the money they did now, he probably would have gone that route and tried his hand at it. As far as Big Show goes, Taker already called him out in 1999 when he arrived in the WWE and Show backed down and that has been verified by more than one wrestler, including HHH and I have a videotaped interview with him to prove it. I think Taker could hold his own with anyone in an alley fight.

 

[Miko]

Dunno really, training's all well and good but I've seen plenty of "highly trained individuals" get their arses handed to them against legit tough guys, one certain example was when some dude said he was a black belt in karate and got KO'd. So I dont read too much into that.

One guy who I think could handle himself would be Regal, I mean did you see him brawl with Kennedy that time, cut the dude above and under the eye in what certainly looked the hard way. Jericho deserves an honourable mention if the Goldberg stories are true, according to a few interviews I've heard he isnt easily intimated.

Kane because his hits just seem so fucking hard, I refer you to his Umaga match where he whacks him on the outside and Umaga's eyes seem to glase over. Plus he's apparently a really nice guy and there is just something unnerving about someone that big being friendly and reading Shakespeare.

Obviously Big Show and Undertaker are right up there because they are so big and Undertaker's had to threaten people in the past, including Big Show apparently.

So if I had to guess I would go with one of the big guy's like Show, Taker or even Kane because while I believe that size isnt everything, in their cases does anything else even make a difference?