MMA Could Never Survive Without Elements Of Pro Wrestling

[Blackjack]

I watched a documentary in the late 90's (I believe it was called "the unreal story of professional wrestling,") that went into all of this. IIRC the shoot matches had no time limits and would degenerate into guys laying on each other for hours which hurt the appeal too.

In wrestling it isn't feasible to "lay on your opponent for hours" because once his shoulders are down, he's liable to be pinned. BJJ with no time limits does allow that, interestingly enough, since there is no threat of being pinned.

 

[Blackjack]

Pro-wrestling is a scripted TV show, just like those are scripted tv shows/movies. You're welcome for the groundbreaking information.

That's a relatively recent development. Pro wrestling, the most popular sport of the twentieth century, was not scripted until the late 1990s, despite having been incredibly successful since the beginning if the twentieth century. When matches started becoming workedd, there was no script for the matches. The matches were called in the ring, usually by the heel wrestler. 60 minute matches, which were commonplace in wrestling for decades, had they been scripted, would have required wrestlers with memories like computers.

 

[Weuylf]

I love the drama, both fake and real, gets me invested in fights and fighters much more than it usually would.

I'm 100% for ''the more you bring in the more you are payed' but when it comes to fights themselves there shouldn't be any distinction and it should be based on meritocracy. The problem is that some loud guy can easily get more opportunities than the silent respectfull type and that takes a bit away from the legitimacy of the sport as a whole. There should be a line that is drawn somewhere to avoid these situations. I don't feel the new ownership is gonna elevate the sport from a competitive standpoint and we're gonna see much more of fan favorite match ups instead of legit contendership. Hopefully not but I'm all for wwe shenanigans.

I don't watch wrestling but damn some UFC fans are so insicure about that ''sport''. It's like kids arguing about who has the better toy.

 

[EGarrett]

In wrestling it isn't feasible to "lay on your opponent for hours" because once his shoulders are down, he's liable to be pinned. BJJ with no time limits does allow that, interestingly enough, since there is no threat of being pinned.

BJJ does it too of course. In terms of catch wrestling, they would lay on each other in non-pinning positions, probably like this...

 

[Blackjack]

reported

You've been posting here for half a year. I've been posting here for eleven and a half years. To say I have more experience here and more understanding of the way this forum works is quite an understatement. You go for quantity over quality. You average 8 posts for every one of mine.

 

[chinarice]

That's a relatively recent development. Pro wrestling, the most popular sport of the twentieth century, was not scripted until the late 1990s, despite having been incredibly successful since the beginning if the twentieth century. When matches started becoming workedd, there was no script for the matches. The matches were called in the ring, usually by the heel wrestler. 60 minute matches, which were commonplace in wrestling for decades, had they been scripted, would have required wrestlers with memories like computers.

Sorry for the wording then. Predetermined outcomes.

 

[countswagula]

MMA would be perfectly fine if everyone made 4-5 mil career wise, the promoter 10-20 mil, everyone would be rich and happy.

The UFC has about 500 fighters signed, if everyone made 5 million in their careers that would be 2.5 billion dollars - the sport probably hasn't moved that much money since its inception, let alone during the career span of one generation of fighters. The bigger problem with your argument is this whole "fair share" mentality - if every fighter made the same amount of money despite the fact the vast majority only generate a small portion of the revenue compared to a few top athletes, why on earth would the big promotions sign anyone but the most profitable guys?

 

[Krazybee129]

It's funny how a lot of people on here shit on pro wrestling but a lot of top level athletes and legit tough guys who could do well come from pro wrestling (Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, hhh) are all fighters who were in pro wrestling.

LOL hhh??when was he legit tough guy or top level athletes?

 

[in the liver]

That's because MMA is more similar to pro wrestling than the sports are. In combatsports, especially pro wrestling (and face it, MMA is basically pro wrestling without a predetermined outcome). For years before MMA existed, pro wrestling fans would dream of getting the opportunity to get to see their favorite pro wrestlers fight each other for real.

MMA isn't like tennis or baseball or basketball. The intent in MMA is to cause your opponent pain and to damage his body. It's such a primal, violent sport that aesthetics, the most beautiful plays or maneuvers are not what seems this sport to the fans. The fans want to see two fighters who have some sort of a personal difference who will finally get to settle that difference in The Octagon.

So, how does the audience decide who to cheer for and who to boo for? What is their reason for even caring who wins? There isn't a hometown team to cheer for as in most big sports, so how do you get the fans to care who wins and who loses? How do you keep them from being so indifferent about who wins and who loses that they don't just stay home? The way you make the audience care about the fighters is through their personalities!

needs more soap opera fo sho

 

[WinZip]

Boxing is the same exact way. You have to try and build up drama and personalities because drama and personalities sell fights (or anything, for that matter).

 

[Lockard The GOAT]

OP is f'n stupid.

"Pro wrestling wasn't scripted till the late 1990's." Bwahahahahahaha!

 

[Craw]

MMA is pro wrestling without scripting.

That's a fucking fact.

 

[porcodio]

(and face it, MMA is basically pro wrestling without a predetermined outcome).
!

...

 

[Frankie Baby!]

It's funny how a lot of people on here shit on pro wrestling but a lot of top level athletes and legit tough guys who could do well come from pro wrestling (Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, hhh) are all fighters who were in pro wrestling.

yup

 

[Which Doctor]

It's funny how a lot of people on here shit on pro wrestling but a lot of top level athletes and legit tough guys who could do well come from pro wrestling (Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, hhh) are all fighters who were in pro wrestling.

 

[mangokush]

MMA & Pro Wrestling have alot more in common than Sherdog would like to admit.

 

[Lemmy]

Pro wrestling, the most popular sport of the twentieth century, was not scripted until the late 1990s

Two BS in just one line:
1) football (soccer) is the most popular sport
2) i've watched prowrestling from the mid 80s to the early 90s and it was already scripted, so scripted that even elementary school children could recognize it

 

[Blackjack]

needs more soap opera fo sho

"Fo sho"? Don't butcher my language.

 

[neverwas]

who's never laughed when chael has been sounding off? this is why we need more like him. so if the ufc apes the wwe more, i don't care. its all part of the show.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

One of the most annoying things about MMA fans is their refusal to admit that the average fan isn't some highly-educated connoisseur with a basement full of Japanese MMA events on VHS. Your average fan drinks cheap, domestic beer, listens to top-40 radio, watches reality TV, and is definitely not an expert on MMA. Trash-talk is annoying as fuck, but it's needed to get these people (who also happen to be UFC's biggest and highest-paying audience) into the fight(s).

UFC, and especially WME, do not care about hardcores.