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Thread: Professional Wrestling

  1. #61
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    Slightly OT

    All I can say is WTH JAPAN?

    Gene Ching
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  2. #62
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    It's just buzz now...

    ...but I'd watch this fight.

    KURT ANGLE CONSIDERING MMA FIGHT Name Drops Kimbo Slice
    1/27/2016 7:46 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF



    Kurt Angle could lay a real life smackdown on a real life fighter ... 'cause the wrestling legend says he's considering doing a real MMA fight -- and named Kimbo Slice as a possible opponent.
    Angle -- who's been doing commentary for Bellator -- recently appeared on "The Roman Show" and was asked if he'd ever step out from behind the media desk ... and into the ring.
    Angle says there's a VERY SMALL chance he agrees to a fight -- since he's 47 years old now -- but if it does happen, he's already thought about who he wants to fight.
    "Of course, I'm not going to fight a guy in their prime," Angle said ... "It's obviously gonna be one of the older guys. But if it does come to fruition, it'll be a helluva fight, whether its Kimbo Slice, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn ... or even Royce Gracie."
    He added, "If I do decide [to fight], it'll be with a Hall of Famer ... it won't be someone in their prime in their early 30s, no way, not now."
    Fingers crossed!

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  3. #63
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    Slightly OT

    Shoulda seen this one coming...

    WWE signs first wrestler from China


    WWE talent recruiter Paul "Triple H" Levesque, right, shakes hands with Bin Wang, the first person from China to sign with the organization. Provided by WWE
    6:00 AM PT
    Darren Rovell ESPN Senior Writer

    The WWE announced Thursday in Shanghai that it has signed its first wrestler from China to a development contract.

    Bin Wang, a 22-year-old from eastern China, will relocate to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, to hone his skills in an effort to become his country's first superstar in the sport.

    The signing coincides with the organization announcing a deal with Chinese streaming service PPTV, which includes distributing its main shows "Raw" and "Smackdown" in Mandarin. WWE will also return to Shanghai, where the organization first hosted an event in 2010.

    The signing was the responsibility of Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE's executive vice president of talent, live events and creative.

    "If things work out, we think having Bin would lead to people here talking about the product more," Levesque told ESPN.com. "Once the NBA found Yao Ming, they didn't even need to find a second or third or fourth guy. Once fans got hooked, they followed the same stars as other fans did. He would open the door for them to learn more about our other guys like John Cena and Seth Rollins."

    Levesque said that, in recent tryouts, Wang was raw, but "has the talent, charisma and confidence to eventually succeed."

    The WWE's Performance Center opened three years ago to train the organization's future stars. It has seven rings and features acting classes that help prospects perfect their on-camera work and develop the personality of their characters. Participants can also get help learning a new language, if needed. Levesque said Wang will need to improve his English.

    Eighty percent of the organization's current roster has worked with the development center in some way, Levesque said.

    The six-foot-three, 220-pound Wang has spent the last two years training in Japan under WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki.

    We don't have a thread just dedicated to the WWE, do we?
    Gene Ching
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  4. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    Shoulda seen this one coming...




    We don't have a thread just dedicated to the WWE, do we?
    Not sure, but this should be in here somewhere:
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  5. #65
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    Slightly OT

    We really need a thread here dedicated just to pro-wrestling. Actually, maybe that should be in the Media forum.

    Japanese pro wrestler shows off his professional-level bra handling skills in the ring
    Casey Baseel 13 hours ago



    Pile drivers, headlocks, and bra clasps are all in a day’s work for Taichi.

    36-year-old Taichi Ishikari, known in the ring as simply Taichi, made his professional wrestling debut at the age of 22, and has been part of the industry ever since. In his nearly decade and a half entertaining fans, Taichi has been on both the delivering and receiving end of countless strikes, holds, and throws. That’s all to be expected in his line of work, but in a recent tweet Taichi shared an experience that’s much more unique among professional grapplers.

    ▼ Taichi (right) and Miho Abe (left)

    タイチVerified account
    ‏@taichi0319
    それにしてもプロレス界長い歴史の中で、リング上で女の子のブラジャーのホックを付け直してあげたのは、お そらく俺だけじゃなかろうか…
    放送事故になったかと思ってさすがの俺もビビったな…
    ほっ…
    During a recent match, Taichi was joined in the ring by model and media personality Miho Abe, who was dressed in a rather revealing bra-like top. Professional wrestling being what it is, during the program some sort of commotion occurred, and Abe’s top came undone, at which point Taichi sprang into action and reattached it for her.

    Thanks to his physical prowess, the honor of the comely 28-year-old (who proudly boasts that her nicknames is “The Walking Pheromone”) was preserved. “I wonder if I’m the only one who’s had to fix a woman’s bra hook in the ring,” mused Taichi, who also expressed his relief that he was able to keep the cameras from capturing more than they should and earning the wrath of broadcasting authorities.

    So let this be a lesson, all of you who’re looking to make a career in pro wrestling. To make it as a star, you might not just need strong muscles and energetic charisma, but quick fingers too.

    Source, top image: Twitter/@taichi0319

    In his decade of being a writer, Casey has never had to professionally help a woman with her bra, but you can follow him on Twitter anyway.
    Gene Ching
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  6. #66
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    Ronda and WWE

    Ronda Rousey Next Fight WWE Return Rumors: Stephanie McMahon 'Chomping At Bit' For 'Rowdy' To Make Wrestling Comeback [VIDEO]
    By Mike Smollins @MikeSmollins
    on Jun 30, 2016 12:18 PM EDT


    UFC star Ronda Rousey. (Photo : Getty Images)

    Ronda Rousey made waves at WrestleMania 31, but she hasn't been seen in the WWE since.

    "Rowdy," an avid WWE fan, jumped over the barrier and helped Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson during his spat with Triple H and his wife, Stephanie McMahon in March 2015. Rousey got into a verbal war with the pair and then took both of them out.

    Though the former UFC women's bantamweight champion has expressed great interest in returning to the company someday, her schedule has been very busy.

    On top of training for her eventual return to the Octagon, Rousey's movie career is taking off as well, leaving her little time to get involved in WWE storylines.

    McMahon recently spoke about the formerly undefeated UFC star's appearance in the WWE and her unfinished business with her.

    "I would just say anything can happen in the WWE," McMahon told Fox Sports when asked about a potential Rousey return. "I've been chomping at the bit for a long time to have Ronda as a part of WWE, but she has a few other things on her road map I think."

    Rousey lost a UFC fight for the first time in her career at UFC 193 back in November when she was knocked out by Holly Holm. The loss sent "Rowdy" on a downward spiral and she later admitted she had suicidal thoughts before being pulled from the brink by her boyfriend, fellow MMA fighter Travis Browne.

    She hasn't accepted another fight since the loss, while Holm went on to lose the belt to Miesha Tate, who will defend the title against Amanda Nunes on July 9 at UFC 200 in Las Vegas.

    Rousey has been training for a return to the Octagon, but president Dana White said she won't rush back to action.

    As for her appearance in the WWE, White originally described it as a "one-off" at WrestleMania 31, but things could be changing. The WWE struck a cross-promotion deal with the MMA affiliate, allowing Brock Lesnar to return for one night only to face Mark Hunt at UFC 200.

    The WWE may lend the UFC Lesnar and ask for another appearance from Rousey down the line in return, while there are also rumors of the company having interest in Paige VanZant.

    One way or another, it seems inevitable that Rousey will find her way back to the squared circle.



    More crossovers. Not sure if these benefit WWE or UFC more.
    Gene Ching
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  7. #67
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    slightly OT

    More about Kung Fu than MMA, but this is our main WWE thread. There's a vid behind the link. There's also a nice sidebar that I can't cut&paste.

    WWE's push in China: Could this man give pro-wrestling 1 billion new fans?
    By Chieu Luu, CNN
    Updated 0231 GMT (1031 HKT) September 14, 2016
    Meet China's first WWE wrestler

    Source: CNN

    Meet China's first WWE wrestler 01:51

    Story highlights
    WWE is investing heavily in China
    It's training eight local wrestling wannabes
    John Cena is known and loved by Chinese fans
    Shanghai (CNN)With a flash of a smile Wang Bin will charm you. With a furrowed brow he'll have you fearing for your life.

    At 6-feet 3-inches tall, with 220 pounds of lean muscle, 22-year old Wang is a giant among his Chinese countrymen.
    His handsome, expressive face and impressively imposing physique is why World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wants to make him one of its "superstars."
    Wang is the first Chinese pro-wrestler to sign a developmental contract with WWE.
    He's spent the past three months training at its "Performance Center" in Orlando, Florida and was back in China last week to have his first match at a WWE live show in Shanghai.
    "I'm having my debut WWE match in my motherland. I'm so excited and very happy," Wang, a native of Anhui province, told CNN a day before his big match.
    "My family and friends will come to the arena and watch me compete."


    Wang had his first show at the weekend.

    China strategy
    WWE's shows are a lively mix of athleticism, drama and comedy.
    Wrestlers with over-the-top personalities punch, kick and throw each other around a 20 x 20-foot ring to settle scripted storyline feuds, or compete for a coveted championship belt -- all before thousands of screaming fans who cheer for their heroes and heckle their villains.
    The company has millions of fans around the world, but a combination of regulatory restrictions and an obvious language barrier have been challenges to growth in China, where it has a fiercely loyal but comparatively small following.
    Over the past six months, WWE has made some big moves to expand in the world's biggest marketplace -- home to a massive and increasingly wealthy middle class.
    In April it hired Jay Li, its first vice president and general manager for China. In June it signed Wang as a performer and announced a deal with Chinese streaming service PPTV to carry its two premier weekly programs, "Raw" and "Smackdown," live with Mandarin commentary and Chinese subtitles.
    "Our strategy is fairly consistent," said George Barrios, WWE's chief financial and strategy officer. "We come into the market. We're really consistent to building the brand. We bring the video in. We localize it in the language."


    Chinese fans of WWE are growing in numbers.

    Stars in training
    Last week, WWE announced it had signed seven more Chinese nationals to developmental contracts. They'll be joining Wang in Orlando and begin training next year.
    "I think its super important," Li said. "Signing a Chinese superstar generates additional interest for the casual fans who've just heard about us. Now they all of a sudden have a reason to log on and check it out."
    Li said he's found the best way to explain WWE's product to Chinese people is by comparing it to Kung Fu novels. "And they get it immediately," he said. "It's scripted entertainment that's full of action."
    John Cena, arguably WWE's most popular active performer, is known and loved by many Chinese fans for being able to say his catchphrase "You can't see me" in Mandarin. Although he admits, he doesn't say it correctly.
    After his first visit to China in 2010, he started studying Chinese to connect with his fans.
    "Shanghai is a beautiful city and it's the most massive city that I've ever visited," Cena said.
    "I figured if I could learn to speak the language, even in its most basic form, I could communicate with the culture better and be able to describe what we can do."
    There's no guarantee that Wang Bin and the seven other Chinese signed to WWE will actually become fully-fledged superstars like Cena, and perform on its weekly televised shows and monthly pay per view events.
    Not only will they have to learn and perfect wrestling moves like bodyslams and suplexes, but they'll need to develop characters that connect with a global audience -- a process that could take years.
    "We believe that to be a WWE superstar, you have to be able to transcend your own culture. You have to speak to everyone," George Barrios explained.


    John Cena learns Chinese to appeal to his Chinese fans

    Uphill battle
    For Wang, who speaks minimal English, communication has been an uphill battle. "My trainers and I cannot directly communicate in words. We express ourselves in body language," he told CNN.
    In addition to the hours of physical training, Wang also has to study English as part of his daily routine.
    On Saturday night, he got his first chance to show fans what he's learned.
    Debuting his new ring name -- Tian Bin -- he pinned established WWE wrestler Bo Dallas after a powerful running slam -- and celebrated along with several thousand excited Chinese fans.
    Wang knows as WWE's first Chinese performer he's got a lot to live up to.
    "I definitely feel the pressure. We have so many fans in China," Wang said.
    "But gradually, through my training, my opportunities, and my progress that comes from that, I'll take this pressure and turn it into power."
    Gene Ching
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  8. #68
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    should not mingle?

    Mingle just isn't the right word here.

    OCT 31, 2016 @ 11:38 PM 11,464 VIEWS The Little Black Book of Billionaire Secrets
    Professional Wrestlers Must Realize They Can't Enter The MMA Or The UFC; It's Not A Scripted Fight
    Andrew Brennan , CONTRIBUTOR
    Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

    After Phillip Brooks’ (CM Punk) humbling defeat, as the latest professional wrestler to try and enter into the MMA world, should pro-wrestlers accept that MMA and pro-wrestling aren’t similar and should not mingle?



    CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 10: Mickey Gall celebrates his victory over CM Punk during the UFC 203 event at Quicken Loans Arena on September 10, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

    While we must admire Phillip Brooks and his sportsmanship, professional wrestlers please stop trying to fight in an unscripted, non-predetermined, and a violent sport where opponents are truly trying to hurt each other.

    Professional athletes from many physical sports like footballers, boxers, and pro-wrestlers have all tried their hand at MMA because of their use to physical contact sports and athleticism, thinking MMA would come easy. However, MMA isn’t like street fighting and brawling like Kimbo Slice, a football player at University of Miami and squad member for the Miami Dolphins, with his backyard videos came to understand. MMA requires a high skill level, obtained through rigorous training over many years.

    There have been examples of athletes making a successful move into MMA e.g. Matt Mitrione, former Defensive Tackle for the New York Giants, having decent success in the Heavyweight category in the UFC. Other notable names include Ken Shamrock who headlined 15 main events and also succeeded in the WWE. However, he was involved with the MMA first and transitioned into pro-wrestling.

    Ikuhisa Minowa also transitioned from real fighting to scripted fighting (pro-wrestling). Daniel Puder was successful with 8 wins in 8 fights, and began MMA in 2003 before entering pro-wrestling. Dan “The Beast” Severn is a UFC Hall of Famer and All-American freestyle wrestler at Arizona State. Severn is the only person to hold MMA and pro-wrestling belts (with the NWA) simultaneously. Severn began MMA in 1994 and pro-wrestling in 1995 and so, adapted to MMA, and actual fighting, first.

    Pro-wrestler Brock Lesnar transitioned to MMA very well beating Frank Mir, Shane Carwin, and Randy Couture in the UFC. Lesnar had previously competed in “real” fighting sports; in college at the University of Minnesota, Lesnar won the 2000 NCAA Division I heavyweight wrestling championship and was a two-time All-American. However, after subbing in at UFC 200 for McGregor, his win over Mark Hunt was marred by his positive test for steroids.

    This instantly marks him as a cheat. A monster of a man made in a false image. His credibility is completely negated when considering he’s an enhanced ‘roid’ head. And no, one positive test can’t be dismissed. He tested positive… This time. How long did he evade testing? How long has he used PED’s? These questions now arise – and will remain – and this damages his credibility and tarnishes his legacy. He’s not the only one. Jesse Ventura, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and so on. It’s a part of pro-wrestling culture.

    Not only does Lesnar not actually fight when participating in pro-wrestling, but then the question arises of can he fight without unnatural enhancement in MMA? If he could he wouldn’t have tested positive. So PED’s aid him in his size and strength, which is a factor in his wrestling ability. Whether he was a brilliant amateur wrestler or not, the question of his ability is forever challenged due to his PED use. There may have been a similar culture of PED use in MMA but that is being weeded out, unlike in pro-wrestling where it is nearly required.

    Despite these successes, there have been more failures, as wrestlers find it too difficult to adjust to the physical brutality and summon the skill needed to succeed in the MMA, and especially the UFC.

    Manny Yarbrough, a near 900lbs former wrestler and football player at Morgan State University, only won one fight. Wrestler Tony Halme aka “The Viking” enjoyed a career 0-4 record. “Dr. Death” Steve Williams got TKO’d after just 22 seconds. Pro-wrestler Sean O’Haire didn’t have much success and was memorably dispatched by Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch in seconds. The 7’2 wrestler ‘Giant’ Silva lost 6 of his 8 fights despite his size.

    Successful boxers James Tomey and Ray Mercer struggled in the MMA. Footballer Marcus Jones also retired from MMA after 6 fights. Bobb ‘He broke-ed my nose’ Snapp, a beast of man who was a football player and pro-wrestler before entering the MMA, didn’t dominate despite his questionable status as human and not a Sasquatch, and Bart Gunn lost his one fight.

    In 2010, Dave Bautista decided that the time was right to start his MMA career after leaving the WWE. It ended pretty quickly but he has gained a foothold in acting, with being in Guardians of the Galaxy. The list goes on and on and displays that monstrous size, strength, and athleticism don’t transmute to MMA domination and success. Rigorous training, envious skill, natural adaptive reactions, and intelligence do.

    Wrestlers turn actors (with more success) before fighters, because that’s what they are, actors on steroids, but actors none the less. Pro-wrestling like the WWE is a hybrid “sport” that offers escapism through a testosterone-filled soap opera with athletic performers and crowd-pleasing stunts. It’s athletically demanding, but it’s fictional. Pro-wrestlers are trained stunt performers because they’re trained on how to land when they take these falls. MMA fighters are trained how to not fall, on how to make their opponent fall and not get back up, and on how to take a beating and bounce back.
    Gene Ching
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  9. #69
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    That article is mostly right on, except for the part about falling. Falling is an essential basic in judo, before you learn anything else. You learn to fall so as not to get hurt, or at least minimize damage when inevitably thrown. Being trained 'how not to fall' may be important, but in a sport like MMA, being thrown or taken down is virtually inevitable. And knowing how to fall properly is invaluable in life itself. Learning to fall in itself does not make you a 'stuntman'. IMO, if you're a MAist it's a smart thing to do. A bad fall by itself can **** you up as bad as any opponent. And while judo falls don't prepare you for any contingency, like sharp, uneven, rocky ground, you're certainly better off than someone who hasn't learned how to fall at all. I know that pro wrestling and judo are different, but falls are important in both.

    As for CM Punk, before this fight, he had zero competitive fighting experience, not even in a karate tournament, much less a full contact fighting sport. The result was to be expected.
    Last edited by Jimbo; 11-02-2016 at 04:20 PM.

  10. #70
    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    We really need a thread here dedicated just to pro-wrestling. Actually, maybe that should be in the Media forum.
    Darn rope is in the way.

  11. #71
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    RIP Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka

    I used to follow pro-wrestling prior to the rise of WWE, back in the NWA days (before that acronym was hijacked by rappers). I can't remember seeing Superfly live.

    Reports: Wrestling legend Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka has died
    By Chris Quinn Updated 1:34 pm, Sunday, January 15, 2017


    Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka of WWE fame died Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, according to reports.

    The daughter of famed World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka reported through social media that her father died Sunday.
    Snuka was 73.
    Former wrestler and actor Dwayne Johnson also confirmed the death through Twitter.

    "Our family @TaminaSnuka asked me to share the sad news that her dad Jimmy Snuka has just passed away. Alofa atu i le aiga atoa," Johnson posted to his feed Sunday afternoon.

    Follow
    Dwayne Johnson ✔ @TheRock
    Our family @TaminaSnuka asked me to share the sad news that her dad Jimmy Snuka has just passed away. Alofa atu i le aiga atoa. #RIPSuperfly
    11:40 AM - 15 Jan 2017
    13,515 13,515 Retweets 22,799 22,799 likes
    No details have been released on his death. The Associated Press previously reported Snuka had dementia and has been in hospice care since December. Celebrity gossip source TMZ reports he was suffering from stomach cancer as well.
    Tamina Snuka posted a picture on Instagram from Snuka's bedside of her holding her father's hand and also posted to twitter "I LOVE YOU DAD #FOREVERMYDAD #RestWell #FamiliesAreForever #BestDad #SnukaLegacy."
    Snuka first hit the wrestling world in the 1970s wrestling for the National Wrestling Alliance.
    He would later join the World Wrestling Federation in 1982.
    In September 2015, he was charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the 1983 death of then girlfriend Nancy Argentino.
    He was declared unfit to stand trial and the case dismissed earlier this month by a Pennsylvania judge, the Associated Press reports.
    Gene Ching
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  12. #72
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    WWE in PRC

    This has morphed into our WWE thread.

    WWE Network to Launch in China
    10:16 PM PDT 8/10/2017 by Abid Rahman


    Ethan Miller/Getty Images
    John Cena

    Vince McMahon's pro wrestling organization signed a deal with PPTV to offer a subscription video-on-demand service including all live pay-per-view events.
    The greatest show in sports entertainment is coming to China.

    WWE will launch the WWE Network in the world's most populous country for the first time after striking an exclusive deal with Suning Sports Media. Starting Aug. 18, the WWE Network will be available on Suning's PPTV platform as a subscription video-on-demand service that will include a raft of WWE content, all live pay-per-view events including the marquee promotions Wrestlemania and Summerslam.

    PPTV, which has the China rights to UFC and the English Premier League, is pushing WWE Network wide on its digital platform offering Chinese customers a chance to watch pro wrestling through smart TVs and set-top boxes, as well as mobile devices and tablets. The launch date comes a few days before Summerslam 2017, which will be broadcast live with Mandarin commentary on Aug. 21, 7 a.m. Beijing time.

    In 2016, Suning and WWE signed a deal to show the weekly Raw and Smackdown programs live on PPTV with Mandarin commentary and in April, PPTV made offered Wrestlemania 33 as a pay-per-view event, the first time the WWE's biggest event was broadcast live in China.

    Through the agreement, Chinese fans will now have access to a wider variety of WWE content including NXT, 205 Live, Total Divas as well as the vast library of classic matches. The China deal brought the number of countries with access to the WWE Network to more than 180.
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  13. #73
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    It's all about the money...

    ...which is why this article appears in Forbes.

    AUG 11, 2017 @ 08:22 AM
    WWE Is One Step Closer To Landing Ronda Rousey

    Blake Oestriecher , CONTRIBUTOR
    I examine the effect that sports have on business...and vice versa.
    Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
    WWE and Ronda Rousey could soon join forces.


    Credit: WWE.com

    According to a report from Fightful.com, Rousey has done some basic pro wrestling training and is interested in stepping into the squared circle:

    Ronda Rousey has expressed interest in a pro wrestling run, and has went as far as to learn some of the basics from a WWE Superstar...An employee backstage in WWE told us that Rousey spoke to Triple H to set up her appearance with fellow Four Horsewomen members at the Mae Young Classic. According to sources, WWE had referred Rousey and company to current superstar Brian Kendrick for training purposes in Southern California. You may remember that WWE had referred recently released Eva Marie to Kendrick as well.

    There was also buzz backstage at the tournament -- mainly among WWE employees and contractors -- that Rousey's training would start soon. She's taken some basic bumps among other things thus far.

    The budding relationship between WWE and Rousey is one of the worst kept secrets in professional wrestling.

    WWE has had no issues with publicizing anything Rousey has done in relation to the pro wrestling juggernaut. WWE.com did a write-up on Rousey's appearance at the Mae Young Classic tapings this summer while the site also recently featured a poll asking fans which female superstar they'd like to see Rousey face in WWE.


    Credit: WWE.com

    After Rousey's appearance alongside The Rock at WrestleMania 31 in 2015, WWE.com even pondered whether or not Stephanie McMahon would be willing to sign Rousey, something McMahon told TMZ last November that she certainly wants to do, even indicating that she'd like to see Rousey headline a WrestleMania once her UFC career was over.

    And all indications are that Rousey is done in MMA.
    MMA & WWE & Ronda Rousey
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  14. #74
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    Fascinating take on this from Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal

    There's a vid if you follow the link.

    'King Mo' Lawal on juggling combat sports: 'MMA is a lot easier than pro wrestling'
    By Brian Campbell Aug 11, 2017 • 5 min read

    When Bellator MMA light heavyweight Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal speaks out about something in the world of combat sports, there's little doubt he's coming from a place of knowledge.
    The former NCAA All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State was an MMA champion at 205 pounds with Strikeforce and is also a huge boxing fan who trains with coach Jeff Mayweather, the former pro boxer and uncle of Floyd Mayweather. Lawal also knows a thing or two about pro wrestling, having performed sporadically with TNA (Total Impact Wrestling) from 2012-2015.
    Lawal, 36, looked back on the difficulty of his original WWE tryout in 2007 during an appearance this week on CBS Sports' "In This Corner" podcast, remembering that initial feeling of taking his first bump.
    "I said this and I'm going to say it again -- MMA is a lot easier than pro wrestling. Hands down, hands down," Lawal said. "There are times that I fought three times in two nights [in MMA]. Whatever. And then I went home, took a week off and trained again. I did three matches in two days at OVW [Ohio Valley Wrestling, WWE's former development territory ] and I was sore for two and a half weeks. I mean sore. … That's when I realized maybe wrestling wasn't for me."
    Lawal turned down WWE's offer in 2007 and instead pursued an MMA career. But after UFC purchased the Strikeforce promotion in 2011 (dissolving it less than two years later), Lawal signed with Bellator in 2012 and simultaneously inked a deal with TNA to wrestle (both promotions aired on Spike TV).
    But back in 2007, "King Mo" admits he was a wide-eyed mark when he got off the plane in Kentucky for his WWE tryout alongside fellow prospect Brock Lesnar protege Brandon Eggum (now the University of Minnesota head wrestling coach). He was instantly put to work by the likes of coaches Tom Prichard, Jim Cornette and Al Snow.
    "The bumps were not a big thing, it's just hitting the ropes and taking a bump," Lawal said. "That's what got me because when you hit the ropes and you do that little shoulder tackle spot, I missed that a few times and hit the back of my head on the mat. And guess what you people, the mat isn't soft. It's wood, metal and a small piece of styrofoam.
    "In OVW, they have had the same ring and haven't changed nothing out of that ring since they first opened. So it's the same ring they had. I was hurting, the heels are hurting, my neck, back and hips."

    You can listen to the full interview with "King Mo" below.

    Coming from an amateur wrestling background, Lawal said he was "gung ho" and attempted to hit every move and spot at full speed while thinking, "the more you put in, the more quality you get out of it." But the physical grind caught up with him quick.
    "I'll never forget the second time around Al Snow had us doing five-hour workouts and practices," Lawal said. "Body slams, chops, jumping over the ropes and jumping through the ropes, and taking duplexes … I'll put it like this -- I got chopped 30 times during that workout and my chest was bleeding. They don't feel good at all."
    Lawal would later return to OVW, which became a TNA territory, after signing his deal. He went on to make occasional appearances for the promotion, including a special guest enforcer role in the Bobby Roode-James Storm street fight at Bound for Glory in 2012 and as a heel in Dixie Carter's "Team Dixie" stable in 2014.
    Looking back on his TNA run, Lawal likes to point out that it was AJ Styles, the former TNA star and current WWE United States champion, who secretly "borrowed" a finishing move from "King Mo" that is still a main part of his repertoire today as the calf crusher.
    "Let me put it like this -- AJ Styles stole my calf slicer move," Lawal said. "You can ask Al Snow, we were going over the move and I hit it in the match and got the submission win. Three weeks later, I see AJ Styles hit it. Now AJ Styles is a great wrestler so he can do whatever he wants."
    After a two-year break, Lawal returned to Impact Wrestling, which has been rebranded Global Force Wrestling, at Slammiversary XV in June when he was in the corner of Bobby Lashley, his MMA teammate at American Top Team in Florida. Lashley fought in the main event against current GFW champion Alberto El Patron.
    Lawal believes a return to pro wrestling is definitely in his future.
    "It's going to come back, man. Let me tell you, I put in that work," Lawal said. "I'm hoping that [GFW] will bring me back for some more. I've been talking to Jeff Jarrett. We'll see what's up. Him and Karen, they are cool people. Hopefully they can use me but if they don't, I'd love to go do some Ring of Honor."
    Lawal remains an ardent fan of wrestling and considers Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page and the Young Bucks as his favorite performers. No surprise considering his legitimate fighting background, he also prefers the styles of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Ring of Honor and GFW as his favorite promotions.
    "You know why? Because they have more of an independent feel and they wrestle harder," Lawal said. "You see more variety of wrestling with higher spots. People call them spot monkeys but I enjoy watching them. You see different styles.
    "You see guys from AAA [in Mexico] and then you see guys from Lucha [Underground] and they are all together. And then you see BOLA [Battle of Los Angeles] over at PWG [Pro Wrestling Guerrilla]. I like that. I feel like WWE had the same thing with NXT but then once they go to the big stage [of WWE's main roster] things get watered down.
    "It's not just [overly] scripted but it's the style. I like the stiff and strong style like New Japan and Ring of Honor. And now you're starting to see it more with Global Force and hopefully WWE starts to catch up on that. The stiff style, the strong style is the way to go."
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #75
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
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    I'm not surprised at all that pro wrestling is much harder on the body. I seem to remember Ken Shamrock saying the same thing years ago, after he left WWF (WWE) and returned to MMA.

    I can see WWE creating a gimmick of Ronda being a terror, like Brock Lesnar is still characterized as in WWE. Be interesting to see how/if she can make the transition. IMO, it might be a better option for her than movie fighting.
    Last edited by Jimbo; 08-18-2017 at 04:23 PM.

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