Opinion: Like a Chair to the Face

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

On April 3, 2023, it was officially announced that William Morris Endeavor, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, was buying World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. Moreover, Endeavor announced its plan to merge the industry leaders in real and fake fighting into a single corporate entity under the name “TKO.” Clearly, this is a momentous move, far greater than any championship battle or the signing or departure of any individual fighter. I didn't want to deliver a hot take at the time, but with a few weeks to think about and read the news surrounding the deal, it's worth considering how it will affect the sport.

To begin with, it's oddly poetic. MMA had an intense rivalry with pro wrestling from the late 90s to the mid-00s. They openly competed against one another with live events pay-per-view offerings. They shared many of the same fans. Influential journalists like Dave Meltzer, whom I've discussed in a past column, covered the two equally. Pro wrestling legend Antonio Inoki promoted numerous MMA events in Japan as well as Brazil. There was even overlap between its competitors, with the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba beginning as a pro wrestler, Japanese pro wrestler Nobuhiko Takada's duels with Rickson Gracie being instrumental in starting Pride Fighting Championships, and famous fighters like Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock, Mark Coleman, Don Frye and Dan Severn all having stints, some very long, in pro wrestling. In Shamrock's case, he was a pro wrestler before, during, and after his actual MMA career! And yet, in the end, both real and fake are owned by the same parent company, which itself started as a Hollywood talent agency, the very same ones Dana White infamously ranted about when Randy Couture left the UFC to try to fight Fedor Emelianenko. White's tantrum aside, he has a point. The backdoor scheming of Hollywood talent agents is the very antithesis of the purity of combat, which is direct, honest, and beautiful.



Read Full Article Here

https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Opinion-Like-a-Chair-to-the-Face-189881

 

[Adamant]

I just want WWE to be TV-14 again. And bring back blood and sex, and get away from the little bitch men and bring back real men as wrestlers.
<{dayum}>

 

[mudrubble]

Uh-oh.... what did Francis fuck up this time?

 

[mudrubble]

I just want WWE to be TV-14 again. And bring back blood and sex, and get away from the little bitch men and bring back real men as wrestlers.
<{dayum}>

Sex? If the girls fuck live in the ring, or even take off their clothes and display the goods clearly in camera-friendly angles, I will consent to watch. My confession.

 

[Liverkick-king56]

If anybody even mentions "TKO" at the next press conference I bet Dana is going to flip out and throw his chair at the Schmo yelling about how it's not related to the card.

 

[Carrotman23]

Excellent article! The only thing I'd maybe add is large corporations/company's sometimes buy or merge those that they see as rivals less so for revenue in the direct sense, rather its simply a way to have control over a larger share of the market, even to the point of deliberately tanking the Company that they bought. A little far fetched maybe in this case as you correctly pointed out the UFC isn't competing in the direct sense with professional wrestling anymore nor boxing but considering this buyout means the WWE was on the market perhaps other venture capitalist or other promotions(PFL, Showtime's Bellator) in MMA were looking into buying the WWE too and Endeavor decided to sweep in and shut that down.

Disney streams ESPN+ and Disney is the ultimate behemoth in swallowing up as much entertainment ventures as they can; funnel WWE and UFC fans into one blob regardless of whether they can make the WWE produce large short term profits. Again as you wrote, it doesn't matter what the UFC does anymore to most people, they have their brand, the outrage has already died out.

 

[Adamant]

Sex? If the girls fuck live in the ring, or even take off their clothes and display the goods clearly in camera-friendly angles, I will consent to watch. My confession.

 

[mudrubble]

I mean, that's a good start, sure. But... I don't know if it's my screen resolution or what, but.... it looks like all these ladies are wearing some form of panty/underwear/bikini bottom......

Um...... WTF??!?!?

Are they anti-social??

EDIT: Ew..... panties..... why they hide the slipperyskinz??

 

[Carrotman23]

Also I missed Dana White getting pissed for a mild joke interview question from the Shmo about Holland chairing someone pro wrestling style, hilariously jackass/humorless and mobster like of him and also perhaps a sign that they really do intend to keep the two separate. Which again makes me think even more that its network thing (ESPN, Disney) rather then the promotion. The real big boys at ESPN and Disney pushing Endeavor to buy out the WWE. Sure Dana is a big bad business man and a lot richer then most people but he's such a pawn lol. The court jester for the men behind the curtain cranking the levers.

Of course I don't really know how these real higher up things work but its interesting to think about and I'd lastly add like your wrote fighting is pure(even sacred to some) and I wish it was treated more as such, a real double edged sword for the sport to get as big as it has.

 

[Bearknuckle]

They should just go crazy with mixing wwe and ufc.

just once in a while during a fight, another fighter jumps in and goes 2v1 on another while herb dean is trying to break it up.

 

[TempleoftheDog]

Wait wait wait..

Does this mean what it appears to mean?

Endeavor announced its plan to merge the industry leaders in real and fake fighting into a single corporate entity under the name “TKO.” Clearly, this is a momentous move, far greater than any championship battle or the signing or departure of any individual fighter.

No more UFC, just TKO. No more WWE, just TKO?

I fucking hope not. That would be fucking horrible. I don’t want to be associated with pro wrestling. It’s scripted, and is not to be taken seriously. UFC is a fucking circus the past few years. But the outcomes aren’t predetermined, at least.

Any legitimacy the name UFC still has immediately goes down the shitter, if their names are linked like that. And there have been too many fishy things happening that call the UFC’s legitimacy into question already.

I don’t talk about pro wrestling. And I don’t put down wrestling fans. I grew up watching all the big names in Stu Hart’s promotion (those are HUGE wrestling names, btw). From the early 70s, until they went to the WWF circa the mid 80s. On tv every Saturday afternoon from 8 days before (Friday nights) in Calgary. It was called Stampede Wrestling. Then live in person in Edmonton every Saturday night. That was called Klondike Wrestling. Same org. It’s just how they differentiated them in Calgary, and Edmonton. Only the Calgary shows were on tv.

Meet a new person, and ask if they watch TKO? Am I asking whether they watch pro wrestling, mma, or both?

Corporate entity.. The UFC is a corporate entity. The WWE is a corporate entity. How does the public differentiate the two if it’s all suddenly called TKO?

Please tell me it doesn’t mean that.

They wouldn’t throw away the 30 year brand of UFC, would they? Or the 21 year brand of WWE (WWF 43 years), would they?

It can’t mean that. Please tell me nobody is that stupid.

 

[mudrubble]

Wait wait wait..

Does this mean what it appears to mean?



No more UFC, just TKO. No more WWE, just TKO?

I fucking hope not. That would be fucking horrible. I don’t want to be associated with pro wrestling. It’s scripted, and is not to be taken seriously. UFC is a fucking circus the past few years. But the outcomes aren’t predetermined, at least.

Any legitimacy the name UFC still has immediately goes down the shitter, if their names are linked like that. And there have been too many fishy things happening that call the UFC’s legitimacy into question already.

I don’t talk about pro wrestling. And I don’t put down wrestling fans. I grew up watching all the big names in Stu Hart’s promotion (those are HUGE wrestling names, btw). From the early 70s, until they went to the WWF circa the mid 80s. On tv every Saturday afternoon from 8 days before (Friday nights) in Calgary. It was called Stampede Wrestling. Then live in person in Edmonton every Saturday night. That was called Klondike Wrestling. Same org. It’s just how they differentiated them in Calgary, and Edmonton. Only the Calgary shows were on tv.

Meet a new person, and ask if they watch TKO? Am I asking whether they watch pro wrestling, mma, or both?

Corporate entity.. The UFC is a corporate entity. The WWE is a corporate entity. How does the public differentiate the two if it’s all suddenly called TKO?

Please tell me it doesn’t mean that.

They wouldn’t throw away the 30 year brand of UFC, would they? Or the 21 year brand of WWE (WWF 43 years), would they?

It can’t mean that. Please tell me nobody is that stupid.

"You watch TKO?" Bob asks as he pours 2 glasses of scotch, spilling as much on the bar as in the glasses
"Team America FUCK YEAH, man" John replies with a toothy grin, as he reaches for a glass and raises it, anticipating a toast to TKO
Bob grabs his glass and lowers it to the table firmly. Then he pulls his sunglasses down slightly - enough to see the blue of his eyes, and in a sudden, serious tone, asks "WHICH TKO?"
John gets THAT look in his eye, like Chuck, and his grin widens and glistens "THAT TKO...."
Two glasses raise, smash, and shatter among many "FUCK YEAHs".... blood and whiskey are on the bar, THAT TKO is on the TV, and toothy grins are had by many....

 

[HHJ]

If anybody even mentions "TKO" at the next press conference I bet Dana is going to flip out and throw his chair at the Schmo yelling about how it's not related to the card.

We really need journalists to constantly ask about when CM Punk is coming back,and where does The Bloodline fit in the rankings.

 

[ForeverYoung]

Read Full Article Here

https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Opinion-Like-a-Chair-to-the-Face-189881

"And even if two pro wrestlers fought one another in a MMA ring, it would look awful and sloppy"

Now I know they're outliers and not the norm but i wouldn't be salty if they did Brock Lesnar vs Bobby Lashley at UFC 300. Both guys have an extensive background in the sport and that fight alone would sell ALOT.

 

[HHJ]

Wait wait wait..

Does this mean what it appears to mean?



No more UFC, just TKO. No more WWE, just TKO?

I fucking hope not. That would be fucking horrible. I don’t want to be associated with pro wrestling. It’s scripted, and is not to be taken seriously. UFC is a fucking circus the past few years. But the outcomes aren’t predetermined, at least.

Any legitimacy the name UFC still has immediately goes down the shitter, if their names are linked like that. And there have been too many fishy things happening that call the UFC’s legitimacy into question already.

I don’t talk about pro wrestling. And I don’t put down wrestling fans. I grew up watching all the big names in Stu Hart’s promotion (those are HUGE wrestling names, btw). From the early 70s, until they went to the WWF circa the mid 80s. On tv every Saturday afternoon from 8 days before (Friday nights) in Calgary. It was called Stampede Wrestling. Then live in person in Edmonton every Saturday night. That was called Klondike Wrestling. Same org. It’s just how they differentiated them in Calgary, and Edmonton. Only the Calgary shows were on tv.

Meet a new person, and ask if they watch TKO? Am I asking whether they watch pro wrestling, mma, or both?

Corporate entity.. The UFC is a corporate entity. The WWE is a corporate entity. How does the public differentiate the two if it’s all suddenly called TKO?

Please tell me it doesn’t mean that.

They wouldn’t throw away the 30 year brand of UFC, would they? Or the 21 year brand of WWE (WWF 43 years), would they?

It can’t mean that. Please tell me nobody is that stupid.

I dont think it will be like that. It will probably be like Dream Stage Entertainment in Japan. They ran Pride,and also Pro wrestling.

 

[ultra321]

I want nothing to do with fake ass bullshit soap opera crap for pubescent boys...


this guy and people like him can go back to Saturday morning rock living under and stay the fuck there... keep them the away from our SPORT with their lame nasty childish moronic bullshit.
this will be UFC's "New Coke" moment...

 

[ultra321]

pathetic, take that garbage to the steam and cream where it belongs...