For as much as MMA fans whine about WWE

[Super Mario]

For as much as MMA fans bitch about WWE and how it isn't paralleled with professional wrestling in some sort of manner, WWE sure is mentioned a whole hell of a lot by Dana White. He was just on the radio speaking about how Roddy Piper still gets royalties from the 80's from his action figures and merchandise and stuff like that, and how he's trying to model the UFC's merchandise stuff like that from the world of pro wrestling and WWE.

You hear all the time how there are no comparisons between MMA and pro wrestling, but there are several. Not the actual execution of the FIGHTS in the cage, but in nearly every other aspect of the business they are comparable.

 

[kdailey4315]

I agree. No matter what you think of the WWE The McMahon's were marketing geniuses. The amount of merchandising they do is unparalleled. When I was a kid you couldn't go 10mins without seeing Hulk Hogan or something related to the WWE.

 

[Super Mario]

I agree. No matter what you think of the WWE The McMahon's were marketing geniuses. The amount of merchandising they do is unparalleled. When I was a kid you couldn't go 10mins without seeing Hulk Hogan or something related to the WWE.

From a marketing and fight hyping aspect, they are very similar, but the purist fans refuse to admit it and bash pro wrestling every chance they get.


As a fan of both, it drives me nuts.

 

[kdailey4315]

I agree. No matter what you think of the WWE The McMahon's were marketing geniuses. The amount of merchandising they do is unparalleled. When I was a kid you couldn't go 10mins without seeing Hulk Hogan or something related to the WWE.

From a marketing and fight hyping aspect, they are very similar, but the purist fans refuse to admit it and bash pro wrestling every chance they get.


As a fan of both, it drives me nuts.

Those are the same douchers that think Brock is a joke and "JUST a pro wrestler"

 

[Super Mario]

That is true, BUT the pro wrestlers who Tweet and act like Brock represents all pro wrestlers drive me insane too. I read a few Tweets from the likes of Matt Hardy and others who were acting all hard, saying thanks to Brock for showing the MMA world that pro wrestlers aren`t jokes, and that just didn`t sit well with me. Brock isn`t in MMA to promote how tough pro wrestlers are. Brock didn`t even LIKE pro wrestling. He did it for the money, and for the sole reason at the time amatuer wrestlers really didn`t have a viable career option after college that made big bucks. So he went to WWE, made millions, then moved on. He never had a passion for pro wrestling, that is why I was never a fan of his in WWE. But when he left, THAT is when I started to respect him. Because he was willing to take the difficult road just to challenge himself. 1st with the NFL, then MMA. But MMA fans who continually bash pro wrestling drive me nuts.

 

[kdailey4315]

That is true, BUT the pro wrestlers who Tweet and act like Brock represents all pro wrestlers drive me insane too. I read a few Tweets from the likes of Matt Hardy and others who were acting all hard, saying thanks to Brock for showing the MMA world that pro wrestlers aren`t jokes, and that just didn`t sit well with me. Brock isn`t in MMA to promote how tough pro wrestlers are. Brock didn`t even LIKE pro wrestling. He did it for the money, and for the sole reason at the time amatuer wrestlers really didn`t have a viable career option after college that made big bucks. So he went to WWE, made millions, then moved on. He never had a passion for pro wrestling, that is why I was never a fan of his in WWE. But when he left, THAT is when I started to respect him. Because he was willing to take the difficult road just to challenge himself. 1st with the NFL, then MMA. But MMA fans who continually bash pro wrestling drive me nuts.

That's retarded. In my mind Brock doesn't even represent anything about pro wrestling. I think he's a heavy weight version of Josh Coscheck. An All American NCAA DIV1 wrestler. If people looked at it that way he would get the respect he deserves.

 

[ProspectHussler]

That is true, BUT the pro wrestlers who Tweet and act like Brock represents all pro wrestlers drive me insane too. I read a few Tweets from the likes of Matt Hardy and others who were acting all hard, saying thanks to Brock for showing the MMA world that pro wrestlers aren`t jokes, and that just didn`t sit well with me. Brock isn`t in MMA to promote how tough pro wrestlers are. Brock didn`t even LIKE pro wrestling. He did it for the money, and for the sole reason at the time amatuer wrestlers really didn`t have a viable career option after college that made big bucks. So he went to WWE, made millions, then moved on. He never had a passion for pro wrestling, that is why I was never a fan of his in WWE. But when he left, THAT is when I started to respect him. Because he was willing to take the difficult road just to challenge himself. 1st with the NFL, then MMA. But MMA fans who continually bash pro wrestling drive me nuts.

That's retarded. In my mind Brock doesn't even represent anything about pro wrestling. I think he's a heavy weight version of Josh Coscheck. An All American NCAA DIV1 wrestler. If people looked at it that way he would get the respect he deserves.

There is definetly some WWE left in him.

 

[Super Mario]

I think that`s just Brock. He has a long history of letting his emotions get the best of him, and doing exactly what he wants without thinking too much what other people think. Like the huge back tattoo. He got that without approval from WWE, and was reamed for it. And as far as everyone saying he is just cutting pro wrestling promos, that just shows the ignorance of the haters who don`t even watch any wrestling. Because if they did they would know Brock was NOTORIOUS for how ****** he was at cutting a scripted promo. That is why they had Paul Heyman as his manager, so he could talk. When Brock had to think about what he had to say it always came off akward. So when he does stuff like he did at 100, that isn`t pro wrestling, it is just Brock not thinking too much and letting his emotions get the best of him, like has happened since he was a kid.

 

[ProspectHussler]

I think that`s just Brock. He has a long history of letting his emotions get the best of him, and doing exactly what he wants without thinking too much what other people think. Like the huge back tattoo. He got that without approval from WWE, and was reamed for it. And as far as everyone saying he is just cutting pro wrestling promos, that just shows the ignorance of the haters who don`t even watch any wrestling. Because if they did they would know Brock was NOTORIOUS for how shatty he was at cutting a scripted promo. That is why they had Paul Heyman as his manager, so he could talk. When Brock had to think about what he had to say it always came off akward. So when he does stuff like he did at 100, that isn`t pro wrestling, it is just Brock not thinking too much and letting his emotions get the best of him, like has happened since he was a kid.

Has he ever not shook a hand during his collegiate wrestling career? Any type of controversy there? I honestly don't know and this is a legit question.

 

[Super Mario]

I don`t know about that, but if anyone actually expected him to touch gloves with Mir before this last fight must not have been paying much attention to all the **** Mir talked for the last 17 months. Brock wasn`t there to be congenial. He was there to kick ass and avenge a loss. And that`s what he did.

 

[JzWand]

I did not expect any type of glove touch from Brock/Mir.

BUT, both guys IMO are class A **********, bottom line.

Brock portrays the typical meathead attitude. AT the same time, I am objective enough to say the guys wrestling ability, size, and strength make him a great MMA fighter.
Mir to me is just a cocky idiot.
I seriously could watch that guys get his face bashed in every day of the week and twice on sundays.
And I used to be a huge Mir fan.

Regarding pro wrestling, dont really know what to say other than I find it completely boring and non entertaining.
As an MMA fan, I dont bash it, but I am the first to admit I find it difficult to watch while being an MMA fan.
I could understand if it was some sort of shootwrestling with submissions or even Pancrase events, but just the stupidity of 15K fans screaming WHAT?
At least I think thats what they were screaming!

I dont get it, I dont want to get it, but your free to like whatever the hell you want I guess.

 

[Super Mario]

TO ME pro wrestling always been, and always will be, just a telivison show. In the same manner that Entourage is television show, and Law & Order and Smallville. Nothing less, nothing more to me. I have watched wrestling literally for as long as I can remember. As a kid I would watch Memphis Wrestling every Saturday morning, NWA/WCW and the WWF. And I have always continued watching. It was just something I grew up with and enjoy. That doesn`t make me any less of an MMA fan as some MMA fans who don`t enjoy pro wrestling suggest somethimes. Although since I have gotten into MMA more and more these last few years I am finding that I enjoy pro wrestling less and less. Now I don`t know if that has anything to do with MMA, or it is just that the pro wrestling products suck ass these days, or that I am just getting older and my tastes are changing. But the bashers drive me nuts because they bash just to bash. For no other reason but just to do it.

 

[Card Magnet]

Sam, I agree with you - wrestling to me is just a show as well.

For those of you who watch football, do you bash Any Given Sunday (or any other football movie) because it's set to a script? I don't think baseball fans bash Major League because it's not footage of a real game. If you enjoy watching golf (ugh), would you bash a movie like Happy Gilmore because they are following a script? If you enjoy NASCAR, would you bash Days of Thunder because it's scripted?

The answer is no (or at least I would hope so). You may bash the movie because you don't like it, but not because it's scripted as opposed to the real thing. One is a competitive sport/activity, and the other is just a production meant to be enjoyed as a production.

I hate when people go with an argument that wrestling is 100% fake. It's not entirely fake, it's scripted. It takes an incredible amount of athleticism to pull some of that stuff off, and you've got to be able to endure some pain for it as well. Of course it's not as rough as MMA or even boxing, but they do take some real hits.

 

[Super Mario]

In many ways being a pro wrestler is much more difficult than being an MMA fighter. Most UFC and big time org fighters will fight around 3 times a year. So they will have their training camp for like 8 weeks before those fights. Compared to being on the road nearly 365, in a different town every night living out of a suitcase, no off season, working through injuries, no vacations unless it is like Christmas, several overseas tours a year, working both house shows, PPVs and televised shows, finding time to work out to maintain appearances, no real time with their families, etc. This is the life they choose, but for idiots to just say it is fake is moronic. And they have no clue what they are talking about. I wonder if these jackasses watch movies and get mad and say something like `This is ******* stupid, Jason Bourne isn`t a real spy, that`s just Matt Damon.` Idiots. Yes, it is scripted, but fake it is not.

 

[JzWand]

In many ways being a pro wrestler is much more difficult than being an MMA fighter. Most UFC and big time org fighters will fight around 3 times a year. So they will have their training camp for like 8 weeks before those fights. Compared to being on the road nearly 365, in a different town every night living out of a suitcase, no off season, working through injuries, no vacations unless it is like Christmas, several overseas tours a year, working both house shows, PPVs and televised shows, finding time to work out to maintain appearances, no real time with their families, etc. This is the life they choose, but for idiots to just say it is fake is moronic. And they have no clue what they are talking about. I wonder if these jackasses watch movies and get mad and say something like `This is fracking stupid, Jason Bourne isn`t a real spy, that`s just Matt Damon.` Idiots. Yes, it is scripted, but fake it is not.

Sam, look it would be stupid for me to say there are no similarites.
And yes, each one has their lists of difficult job duties.

But you forget that as big as MMA is becoming the fighters are just as big. I bet you Wanderlei Silva, Forrest Griffin, Rampage, etcs travelling schedule is close to that of a wrestler when they dont have afight lined up. Thsi is how many of them make a huge portion of their income. Seminars, autograph sesions.
And I guarantee you sitting in a sauna trying to get those few last stubborn pounds is about as hard as anything a wrestler has to do as well.
You also have to remember that Wrestling just does nto have a good reputation of their guys living well post wrestling life. I wont bring up certain instances, they there are many!
Say what you want, but a UFC fighter is an athlete plain and simple. After a fight, its time to party, but then you get back to the regime, especially after a loss.

Yeah the odd guy has his demons. But the majority are not drug addicts etc.
They arent popping percs because if you dont Vince will fire your ass.
Next thing you know your addicted, and your life is in shambles.
And dont tell me about this wellness BS.

Didnt Kurt Angle leave WWF because he got addicted to something due to injuries and Vince McMahon wouldnt let him have some time off to address those issues?

That woudl NEVER happen in a real sport, plain and simple.

 

[HPC]

From a business aspect, without WWE being as popular as it is, UFC wouldnt be.

WWE is the first big fighting show to be successful, and that success transfered over to UFC.

Most of the people who are WWE fans watch UFC, and vice versa.

There is nothing wrong with liking wrestling, or UFC, and it always strikes me as funny when fighters are on MMA Live calling wrestling fans "hillbillies", because if WWE had not been so popular, UFC would not get as much mainstream attention as it does (and even that is not alot).

People who bash wrestling and people who watch them are always going to do it, for whatever reason, and honestly, who cares. It's entertainment. UFC can even be classified as "sports entertainment", even though it is combat.

WWE set the stage for UFC to thrive because of programming, marketing, venues, staging, merchandising, video gaming, etc. The list goes on and on of how the two are related business wise.

I stopped caring if people bash WWE, I like it and I like MMA, who cares if others dont.