As another Wrestlemania comes and goes, the conversation inevitably comes up of MMA and WWE crossovers. The tradition is ages old, with various people changing between the two worlds. Professional Wrestlers like Brock Lesnar and CM Punk move to MMA, while fighters like Matthew Riddle and Ronda Rousey trade real fighting for fake.
Today, we take a look at the MMA fighters who would not do well in the world of professional wrestling.
5. Cain Velasquez
The list is started with someone who has actually started dipping his toes in the pro wrestling pool. It was recently announced that he would be competing at TripleMania under the Mexican promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. While Cain is perhaps the GOAT Heavyweight, he has never been known for his promotional prowess. As dominate as he has been inside the cage, he does not quite put on a show outside of the cage. There is no way that he can bring the level of hype needed for a pro wrestling match.
4. George St-Pierre
Another all time great, GSP has long been one of the UFC’s marquee attractions. His pure business style helped bring MMA out of the dark ages. Unfortunately, professional wrestling is not the place for professionalism. Sure, he has been able to sell out arenas by being a goody-two-shoes, but nobody wants that in wrestling.
3. Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz is one of the most intelligent fighters out there. His breakdowns of fights are impeccable, and his trash talk is one of the deepest forms of psychological warfare, The thing about pro wrestling though, is that the trash talk is not intended to be intelligent. It is meant to pander to the lowest common denominator. Although it does sometimes venture into deeper territory, pro wrestling’s trash talk is just too dumb for Cruz.
2. Roy Nelson
Roy Nelson may not be the most technical, or physically imposing. However he did manage to always bring a big personality to the cage. As big as the personality of “Big Country” is, his gut is bigger. He may have the charisma to cut it in the ring, but his physical acumen would not be able to stand to the physical demands of wrestling.
1.Tyron Woodley
The former UFC Welterweight Champion could just be the perfect heel, considering his love/hate relationship he has had with fans in MMA. The problem is that Woodley has a tendency to be hard to work with. Not in the “fun to watch, beefing with bosses” kind of way; more the “boring, whiney, doesn’t want to fight the right people” kind of way. Knowing him, he would get put over, and complain about it.
Is there someone that was missed? Let us know who should’ve made it on this list!