LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 08: Mixed martial artist Brock Lesnar poses on the scale during his weigh-in for UFC 200 at T-Mobile Arena on July 8, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lesnar will meet Mark Hunt in a heavyweight bout on July 9 at T-Mobile Arena. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Professional wrestling and mixed martial arts are more closely linked than many want to admit. These five athletes found success in both arenas.
What do the names Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn all have in common? Clearly, these are all examples of men and women that have excelled both in the world of MMA and professional wrestling. As that transition and characterization grows more popular between both industries, let’s look at some lesser-known athletes that have made the jump between the two.
Mixed martial arts and professional wrestling are very closely linked. Depending upon those asked; some believe that professional wrestling is directly responsible for the development of MMA. As names such as Lesnar, Rousey and others make the transition between the two athletic industries; they aren’t the only names that have made the jump between the two.
News broke this week that former WWE champion, CM Punk, is scheduled for his second bout with the promotion at UFC 225. He may not be the best example of success, but there are a few individuals that stand out as names of athletes that have stepped from the cage to the ring.
This list doesn’t look at the well-known competitors; meaning the likes of Lesnar, Rousey, Shamrock, Severn, Matt Riddle and others will not appear on this list. Instead, we will look at some lesser known fighters or professional wrestlers that have moved between the two industries.
Moving between professional wrestling and mixed martial arts is a feat that deserves recognition. While the two arenas are linked in presentation and business structures, that’s where the comparison should end. However, that doesn’t end the debate around who would excel if they change industries. While that conversation will continue to rage on, these individuals have successfully made a transition at one point or another, standing out as examples for any of those looking to make the leap in the future.
Kushida
MMA Record: 6-0
Whether it’s called the lightweight, cruiserweight or junior division, there’s one name that is among the best in the professional wrestling industry and that is Kushida. Kushida has held titles in organizations such as Ring of Honor, New Japan, All Japan and others across the world. But while he has the ability to steal the show as a professional wrestler, he’s shown skills as a mixed martial artist as well.
Kushida has a near perfect MMA record with six wins and two draws. Before he set himself up to put on great matches with the likes of Jushin Liger, Kota Ibushi, Zack Sabre Jr and Will Ospreay, Kushida was doing work in the MMA industry. From 2003 to 2005 he competed in some minor circuits that didn’t feature the big names of major promotions, but still allowed Kushida to cut his teeth as a MMA competitor.
In eight professional bouts he’s never suffered defeat; finishing two of his opponents by submission and the other four came via decision. He also has two draws on his MMA resume, one of which makes him the co-holder of the 2004 ZST Genesis Light Weight Tournament.
Kushida has blended his background in MMA into his professional wrestling style, but he’s done so in a way that’s different than many of the other men and women who’ve moved between both industries. Kushida can keep up with the best ground technicians like Sabre Jr, but also match the high-flying abilities used by Ospreay and others. He’s a 5-time winner of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, 2-time winner of the Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles, and won multiple Super Junior tournaments. Kushida deserves to be recognized as one of the top wrestlers in the sport, regardless of weight class.
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – JULY 08: Alberto Del Rio is introduced during the WWE Smackdown Live Tour at Westridge Park Tennis Stadium on July 08, 2011 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Alberto Del Rio
MMA Record: 9-5
Whether fans love him or hate him, Alberto Del Rio is a name that immediately garners attraction from fans in the professional wrestling industry. The former Impact and WWE champion also reached a level of success in mixed martial arts. That success comes in the form of having a winning record because he never obtained any titles for major promotions in which he competed. From 2001 to 2010 he competed in MMA, but did so as a masked competitor, Dos Caras. In many ways that name which translates to “Two Faces” would ring true for much of his professional career.
Del Rio competed throughout Mexico and Japan. The highlight reel moment of Del Rio’s career came at his loss when he was knocked out via head kick KO at the feet of MMA legend, Mirko Cro Cop. That loss came in a Pride ring in less than one minute. It wouldn’t be the end of Del Rio’s fighting career. Four years later he put together the longest win streak of his career when he won six straight fights; five of which came via submission.
Del Rio’s experience in MMA translated into professional wrestling. For example, he was one of the first individuals to bring back the use of the cross-arm breaker in recent move sets. He’s shown that he can transition between moves that are based in real fighting to those that are more common in the professional wrestling ring.
He was recently linked to the growing Mexican MMA promotion, Combate Americas. In 2016 he was appointed the president of the organization where he had the main duty of promoting upcoming events to the target audience throughout Mexico. He would step down from that position in 2017 as he put more time into his wrestling career.
Josh Barnett
MMA Record: 35-8
Josh Barnett is a very recognizable name within the mixed martial arts industry. The former UFC champion has been victorious in nearly every major promotion in MMA including Pride, Pancrase and Strikeforce. When looking at his career it’s clear that he’s a Hall of Famer; but his contributions to professional wrestling are also worth mentioning.
In 2017 he was serving a suspension from MMA due to a potential USADA violation. While that situation was working through the legal process, Barnett returned to professional wrestling. The major moment came when he faced off against Bobby Lashley, answering the former TNA champion’s open call for a challenger. Barnett only went 1-1 during his tenure with Impact, but it showed his ability to transition between the two realms. Current fans will also recognize him as one of the commentary voices on AXS TV during the English version of NJPW broadcasts. While his broadcast skills aren’t shining through, Barnett is a recognizable name that bridges the gap between both industries.
Even before these recent inclusions in wrestling, Barnett had history across the industry. The highlight of his wrestling career came back in 2003 when he competed against Yuji Nagata in a losing effort to obtain the IWGP World Heavyweight title. His run in NJPW intertwined with his MMA career all the way through 2011. During that time he put together great matches against names that will ring familiar with fans of MMA including Ken Shamrock, Bob Sapp, Tank Abbott and others.
Barnett still gives fans a glimpse into his abilities as a professional wrestler. Frequently, during his open workouts, Barnett and his team members put on a pro wrestling style match to the chagrin of the MMA media covering the moment. Barnett has the personality and knowledge of wrestling that could have allowed him to become a big star in the world of scripted combat. Alas, those that enjoy both wrestling and MMA will have to look back on his past history to see his contributions in both industries.
Tom Lawlor
MMA Record: 10-6-0-1
There are some individuals in mixed martial arts that exude a personality that’s similar to the larger-than-life characters found in professional wrestling. Lawlor may be best known for his time in the UFC where he put together a 6-5 record in eight years with the organization.
What is not as well known is that Lawlor started as a professional wrestler before entering the land of mixed martial arts. He spent time on the independent circuit throughout Florida and even tried out for the WWE while he was a part of Deep South Wrestling. He returned to professional wrestling when he left MMA in 2016. It is during this second run that he’s gained most of the recognition in the industry that’s come his way in recent years.
Lawlor has been featured across many independent promotions, many of which utilize his shoot-style wrestling to put on matches that simulate the action brought out during his run in MMA. He’s competed against some well-known names in the industry including Bobby Fish, Jeff Cobb, another other former fighters like Matt Riddle and Dan Severn.
What makes Lawlor such an intriguing competitor is that he has a very strong understanding of ring psychology and the importance of character building in professional wrestling. In many ways, he showed these abilities when he was a part of MMA as well. He frequently dressed up as other fighters and characters to entertain fans during weigh-ins or walking to the cage. One of the most memorable moments came when he dressed up as The Shock Master to the elation of many professional wrestling and MMA fans.
Lawlor may not make it to the biggest stages of professional wrestling, but he’s a name that will entertain across the independent circuit for a long time to come. His match against Walter during WrestleMania 34 weekend is a match that garnered a lot of praise and is well worth the re-watch.
Ikuhisa Minowa
MMA Record: 63-42-8
Ikuhisa Minowa is a name for those who enjoy the history of MMA and professional wrestling. Known more for his time in MMA, Minowa made the change to professional wrestling late in his career. But with more than 100 fights on his resume, he’s well versed in the world of scripted combat and the real world of fighting.
Minowa competed in major Japanese promotions such as Pride, DREAM and Pancrase. During that time he faced off against some of the top names the sport had to offer at the time. Some of his marquee bouts came against the likes of Olympian Satoshi Ishii, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Don Frye, Mirko Cro Cop, Kimo Leopoldo, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and many more. A resume such as that immediately places a fighter into the conversation for Hall of Fame honors.
But Minowa was also a featured personality across professional wrestling. He is most well-known for his time as Tiger Mask V, the famed gimmick that has been shared across many careers. He debuted as the character back in 2010 when he teamed alongside the original Tiger Mask, Satoru Sayama.
The Tiger Mask gimmick holds a special place in Japanese professional wrestling and it has been featured in other areas such as video games, television, comic books and much more. Minowa has such an iconic place in Japanese wrestling and combat sports that he’s also featured as a character in many professional wrestling video games such as the upcoming Fire Pro Wrestling 2 set for a 2018 release.
Next: 5 Lessons WWE Can Learn From NXT
Minowa may not be a name that jumps off of the page with mainstream fans of professional wrestling, but his storied career in mixed martial arts and contributions to professional wrestling earn him a slot on this list of competitors that successfully made the leap between both spaces.