WWE looking into MMA

[cyr]

Source: MMANews.com

World Wrestling Entertainment may soon be stepping into the world of Mixed Martial Arts. At a stockholder's meeting in May, Vince McMahon said WWE had previously explored the idea of a WWE-branded MMA product. Vince said the recent explosion in popularity of the sport is undeniable and that MMA is a natural expansion for them.

Billionaire Marc Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has come out and revealed that he's been talkig with WWE executives about creating a mixed martial arts organization to compete with UFC.

Here's what Marc Cuban had to say:

"We've been in discussions with the WWE, Vince and Linda McMahon and Shane about doing some cross promotions under the HDNet Fights banner. Since they do a great job of putting together events, within some of the restraints that I talked about, the no ring girls and obviously the events have to be straight up, there?s no scripted anything, but they want to get into that side of the business. They realize that if they just brand it as WWE, that people aren?t going to believe that it?s not scripted, but if they work with Mark Cuban and HDNet Fights and the Dallas Mavericks approach, then people will trust it.?

Shane McMahon is said to be a huge mixed martial arts fan and has pushed for WWE to consider starting a legit MMA brand.


Very interesting, could be a huge flop though much like the XFL.

[Insane Clown]

Yes! Another side project for the WWE to embark while they still need to do a ton of work with their actual wrestling product! But hey, who gives a crap about that?!

I mean, who has all that time to watch Monday Night Raw in between watching the XFL and WBF and all those blockbuster WWE Films productions? Right?

Right...?

[timeforsleeep]

i hope they don't bring an mma production that has over-sensationalized gimmicks, storylines, etc.

that would be very annoying.

[the_mvp]

id love to see a no-gi grappling organisation.

obviously theres k1, so i think that a grappling organisation would fill a niche in the market.

granted, i acknowledge majority of people may not understand ground game & not watch it, striking bouts are more newbee friendly!

its an option though!

[golds2006]

why dont they jus fuk off?

[cgc]

Probably be as successful at their XFL attempt.

[the_mac_attack]

I wonder if he'll have an illegitimate child in the MMA division, as well

[matpal]

You know this would be just chalked full of soap opera crap. OK for professional wrestling, not OK for real sports as proved by the XFL.

[97srad750]

And this is why I wouldn't take Mark Cuban seriously.

[tprollin40]

Vince shoulda brought PRIDE and kept it as is.

[cgc]

Originally Posted by tprollin40

Vince shoulda brought PRIDE and kept it as is.

There is no way he, or his kids would have left well enough alone. They would have had to have SOME "creative" hand in it.

Honestly, it would be very hard for me to take ANYTHING that the WWE had their hand in seriously.

[joelz54_99]

I hope they dont discredit the sport. People who are new to the sport will think that mma is wwe and think its scripted.

[HerbSuel]

Originally Posted by joelz54_99

I hope they dont discredit the sport. People who are new to the sport will think that mma is wwe and think its scripted.

Let's hope WWE has nothing to ever do with MMA.

[DieselZ]

WWE and MMA shouldnt ever be in the same sentence.

Absolutely disgusting.

Its bad enough Brock Lesnar will be in the UFC... Hes the next marketing ploy by the UFC, the next Bisping...

[zmurphy]

Absolutely disgusting.

Its bad enough Brock Lesnar will be in the UFC... Hes the next marketing ploy by the UFC, the next Bisping...[/QUOTE]

i agree with the idea of WWE "entertainers" coming to the UFC, would suck and most of them would be useless.

but i think w/ some experience and training, i think Lesner could suprise alot of people.

its not like he doesn't have real true grappling skills and strength. i don't think anyone should assume he won't be any good, just because he came from the WWE.

i don't watch WWE, but if someone is a great collegiate wrestler and wants to make $ after college is over, what are their choices? there are only so many spots on the Olympic teams.

just my 2 cents.

[Maine]

Lesnar was a more qualified wrestler than Matt Hamill was when he was in the TUF house plus he's a lot more athletic as well, same with someone like Kurt Angle, only Kurt has a lot of injuries and, from what Dana says, wants to just get into the cage with no mma training.

Now someone like Triple H, though athletic, would need a huge amount of training in every aspect of mma fighting and cage work to get to a point where he could even be taken seriously. If the wwe do start an mma promotion with this Cuban dude, the mma side should be kept completely seperate from the wwe side.

[joelz54_99]

Originally Posted by Maine

Lesnar was a more qualified wrestler than Matt Hamill was when he was in the TUF house plus he's a lot more athletic as well, same with someone like Kurt Angle, only Kurt has a lot of injuries and, from what Dana says, wants to just get into the cage with no mma training.

Now someone like Triple H, though athletic, would need a huge amount of training in every aspect of mma fighting and cage work to get to a point where he could even be taken seriously. If the wwe do start an mma promotion with this Cuban dude, the mma side should be kept completely seperate from the wwe side.

MMA training is completely different than anything they have ever done. Thats why you've heard some pro boxers say they wont do mma.

[Maine]

Originally Posted by joelz54_99

MMA training is completely different than anything they have ever done. Thats why you've heard some pro boxers say they wont do mma.

Yes but a pro boxing background is definately far better than a wwe pro wrestling background, if you have no amateur wrestling experience pre-pro wrestling career that is.

But a part of me would actually love to see someone like Batista get locked in a cage with Big Nog, Fedor or Mark Hunt, probably more to the fact that i'm not a Batista fan .

[HerbSuel]

Originally Posted by Maine

Yes but a pro boxing background is definately far better than a wwe pro wrestling background, if you have no amateur wrestling experience pre-pro wrestling career that is.

But a part of me would actually love to see someone like Batista get locked in a cage with Big Nog, Fedor or Mark Hunt, probably more to the fact that i'm not a Batista fan .

Agree 100% that boxing is a much better background.

[Right Hand Man]

IMO pro wrestling is hitting a natural lull after its popularity peaked in the mid to late nineties, and vince is looking to capitalize on a sport that will likely surge enormously in the next few years, in order to keep up the cash flow. I don't think any mma org started by the mcmahons will discredit mma, but I think it may discredit professional wrestling as more and more of the pro wrestling fanbase transfers over to mma

[Forrest319]

I think this could be cool. Look at all the mma fighters in Japan that are involved withpro wrestling. A WWE branded mma product could bring back the entrances and pyro that UFC is missing. Something more similar to pride...

[Maine]

Originally Posted by Forrest319

I think this could be cool. Look at all the mma fighters in Japan that are involved withpro wrestling. A WWE branded mma product could bring back the entrances and pyro that UFC is missing. Something more similar to pride...

I thought that would be one of the big things on the list of "unprofessionalism" that Cuban would hate.

[ElMariachi]

Originally Posted by cyr

Source: MMANews.com

World Wrestling Entertainment may soon be stepping into the world of Mixed Martial Arts. At a stockholder's meeting in May, Vince McMahon said WWE had previously explored the idea of a WWE-branded MMA product. Vince said the recent explosion in popularity of the sport is undeniable and that MMA is a natural expansion for them.

Billionaire Marc Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has come out and revealed that he's been talkig with WWE executives about creating a mixed martial arts organization to compete with UFC.

Here's what Marc Cuban had to say:

"We've been in discussions with the WWE, Vince and Linda McMahon and Shane about doing some cross promotions under the HDNet Fights banner. Since they do a great job of putting together events, within some of the restraints that I talked about, the no ring girls and obviously the events have to be straight up, there?s no scripted anything, but they want to get into that side of the business. They realize that if they just brand it as WWE, that people aren?t going to believe that it?s not scripted, but if they work with Mark Cuban and HDNet Fights and the Dallas Mavericks approach, then people will trust it.?

Shane McMahon is said to be a huge mixed martial arts fan and has pushed for WWE to consider starting a legit MMA brand.


Very interesting, could be a huge flop though much like the XFL.

No, this could work. The XFL was a flop from the get-go. But with the backing of Mark Cuban and the legitimacy that he brings, the WWE could easily bring forth a successful MMA organization, especially if they play it straight and put the focus where it belongs, on the fighters and not some T&A bulls%^t.

[j_neatherlin]

this is the last thing we need...a WWE affiliated MMA brand will tarnish the sport. People wont take it seriously and many people probably wont be convinced that it's not choreographed like the WWE.

[djshortsleeve]

Originally Posted by golds2006

why dont they jus fuk off?

Anyone in the industry would love to see this happen. Competition would be good for the fighters (more money) and the consumer (possibly better products).

[adeel77]

Originally Posted by j_neatherlin

this is the last thing we need...a WWE affiliated MMA brand will tarnish the sport. People wont take it seriously and many people probably wont be convinced that it's not choreographed like the WWE.

whos to say that some of the ufc fights are not set up already ?? I heard alot of pride fights were set up... Is that 100% fact ? as I yet to see any reliable information.

[HardGainer82]

Originally Posted by adeel77

whos to say that some of the ufc fights are not set up already ?? I heard alot of pride fights were set up... Is that 100% fact ? as I yet to see any reliable information.

Not "a lot" but some were, especially in the older days. Primarily Takada's fights. And there have been rumors of a worked fight or two back in the very early UFC's, but anyone who thinks that the modern UFC is fixing fights is very foolish.

[HerbSuel]

Originally Posted by djshortsleeve

Anyone in the industry would love to see this happen. Competition would be good for the fighters (more money) and the consumer (possibly better products).

Glad to see you are representing everyone in the industry. Kind of a bold statement on your part.

[cgc]

Originally Posted by djshortsleeve

Anyone in the industry would love to see this happen. Competition would be good for the fighters (more money) and the consumer (possibly better products).

It if was a legitimate company, I think competition would be good....I'm sorry, and I used to be a huge pro wrestling fan, but any legitimate sport the WWE would touch (like their venture with both bodybuilding and football) has been tainted and or failed.

They just need to stick with what they know....

.

[VENGEANCE_X]

Originally Posted by joelz54_99

I hope they dont discredit the sport. People who are new to the sport will think that mma is wwe and think its scripted.

If people start to think that way they are idiots to begin with. Who cares what they think.