Unique Feel of MMA-Based styles in Pro Wrestling is Wearing Off

The influx of MMA-based professional wrestlers eliminates the uniqueness that once made them special in pro wrestling.

There are many ways in which professional wrestling and mixed martial arts are similar. Aspects such as the need for promotion, building major stars and the business models of each are just some ways in which the two industries compare to each other. It’s understandable that some competitors are intrigued to make the jump from one space to the other and why there’s an influx of MMA based characters in professional wrestling. However, one must wonder if interest in that well is going to run dry.

When talking about what makes professional wrestling special; attention is often paid to the “larger than life” characters that enter the squared circle. Those that rise to the top often have unique looks, stories or other traits that make them more compelling than many of their peers.

This is one of the reasons why former UFC champion, Brock Lesnar, has become such a huge star during his time in professional wrestling. He wasn’t the first to make the leap, but his appearance, accolades and presentation helped him become a much bigger star thank the likes of Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Josh Barnett or any of the others the preceded his jump from MMA to a major professional wrestling promotion.

With such success seen within Lesnar, it’s understandable why the WWE and other organizations would like to leverage the popularity of MMA. Look no further than the current WWE roster and you’ll see a number of talented performers who come with some background of fighting that’s prevalent in MMA. There’s former UFC competitor, Shayna Bazler, Sonya Deville Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, Alistair Black, Jack Gallagher, Hideo Itami and others. You also have the likes of Matt Riddle, Tom Lawlor, Stephan Bonnar, “King Mo” Lawal and more making their way in other promotions across the globe.

While it’s intriguing to see these real fighters make their way into the industry of scripted competition, there’s the growing idea that the ring is being filled with too many characters with similar stories and styles. Look at the move sets for many of the athletes named above and they all are very closely related; stiff kicks, punches, elbows and submission moves. In an effort to get them “over” with the fan base, there’s a danger in removing the unique ideas that have made many of the biggest stars in professional wrestling so special.

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This comes on the heels of the continued rumor that former UFC champion, Ronda Rousey is preparing for a WWE run of her own.

Rousey is a star that has transcended the sport of MMA in many ways, and hopefully her addition to the WWE will bring over a new set of fans ready to consume the next phase of her career.

But this doesn’t mean that professional wrestling fans are willing to embrace a new wrestler simply because their background is that from the world of such an extreme competition.

There’s a risk with creating so many characters with the same background that dilutes what makes Lesnar or what made Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn special from years prior.

The WWE must find a way to package these athletes in a different fashion rather than trotting them out there expecting their MMA-based style to be enough to get fans to care.

Take Alberto Del Rio for example. The multiple-time WWE champion has a 9-5 professional MMA record that includes fights against the likes of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Kazuhiro Nakamura and others.

Even with such legitimacy in that background, it was rarely used as a selling point to the WWE crowd and his wrestling style was still very unique when compared to many of the MMA-based professional wrestling styles seen today. Even Gallagher, with his 2-0 record, isn’t overtly referred to in such a way during his matches.

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As the WWE attempts to recreate the special feeling of seeing real fighters step into the squared circle, the organization is playing a dangerous game of creating too many athletes that feel similar. Instead of leaning on the world of MMA, the WWE should perhaps leverage some of the unique characters on their roster to build them into the stars of tomorrow.