Fight Write

Please excuse the use of the word “art” in my title.  By no means is professional wrestling high art.  My grandfather and I used to bond over watching Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, and Shawn Michaels.  To this day, I still check in on the musings of the WWE and TNA.  It’s brainless entertainment.  Heck, I purchased Wrestlemania with a few buddies for nostalgic entertainment this past Spring and we had a great time.

A few months back, Sports Business Journal had a “fight issue” where they ran down current state of business with boxing, UFC, and WWE.  Since then, rumors have run rampant about Shane McMahon’s potential UFC future.  With several wrestlers having made the switch to MMA (i.e. obviously Brock and Bobby Lashley may sign with Strikeforce), the integration of the sport into the professional wrestling product should not be overlooked.

Submissions have always been a part of professional wrestling, albeit ones that probably would not be used in a real situation (unless you count that one time I put my little sister in the Sharpshooter in my basement…when I was 6 years old…and by 6, I mean last week during Thanksgiving).  Now? There are more arm bars, rear naked chokes, and triangle chokes being used to finish matches.  If you’d have told me that The Undertaker, a character known for his “dead man” persona and Tombstone pile driver, would be using a triangle choke called the “Hells Gate” and sporting five ounce gloves, in the twilight of his career, 10 years ago?  I wouldn’t have believed you.

MMA has also permeated wrestling commentary, both on and off camera.  The phrase “ground and pound” was used by Jerry “The King” Lawlor in a recent broadcast.  TNA had a tap out match with Lashley and Samoa Joe on a recent PPV, prompting heavier use of submission-related vernacular.  Jim Ross, the 21st Century Gold Standard of wrestling commentators, has written about MMA on his blog and, true to his polished demeanor, sent out his best wishes to former WWE champ/current UFC Heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar, stating “you recruit a kid for life” and “[Brock] is a gifted athlete.”

I’ll end by saying that, from what I read, a majority of the hardcore MMA community tends to shun WWE and professional wrestling, feeling as though it debases the true sport.  Personally, I think the resurgence of traditional wrestling and wider spread use of Brazilian jiu jitsu in modern pro wrestling should be lauded as an homage to our sport’s burgeoning popularity.  You can make fun of it all you want, but the WWE still kills in the key male demos (ya know, the ones MMA is reaching) on Monday night and is one of the most watched shows on cable television.  Call me a “nOOb,” fellas, but I wouldn’t be too worried about it.  I don’t think we’ll see GSP powerbombing Dan Hardy through a table in March in Newark…