Posted by Gannon
I think you and I watch MMA for different reasons. I feel pro wrestling and mma don't belong in the same sentence. You must feel different. I'm just hoping I'm not in the minority. I can't hold my tounge...lol...Grown men watching WWE is just plain stupid. And watching it creep into my favorite sport is grueling.
But you have to understand MMA was spawned from Pro-wrestling.At least in Japan anyway.Starting with Carl Gotch,who trained the pro wrestler Antonio Inoki.(Gotch was given the nickname God of Pro Wrestling in Japan.Despite being a catch wrestler).Gotch can be traced back to the reason why we even have MMA in Japan prior to the UFC.If it wasn't for him their never would have been New Japan Pro Wrestling,which helped offshot organizations such as Shooto and Pancrase.The reprecussions saw Pro wrestlers eager for real competition.
Pancrase was real fighting,but held on to pro wrestling roots by allowing rope escapes.Because of all this,guys like Guy Mezger,Bas Rutten,Funaki,Ken Shamrock,and Frank Shamrock were able to have careers as fighters.
I think it comes down to a cultural difference.Pro wrestling in Japan and America are actualy different due to this.While I no longer watch Pro wrestling much,you still have to pay your respects to guys like Gotch or Inoki,who despite their wrestling backrounds,helped shape MMA in their own way.
This is sadly,a lost part of MMA history.I can only hope newer fans at least appreciate how pro wrestling in Japan helped boost MMA in that country.
America is just now doing what Japan first did over 15-30 years ago.(depending on how far back you go).
History is repeating itself.Pro wrestling merging with MMA in America is inevitable,and despite a lot of fans complaining,if you look back at how this shaped out in Japan,nothing but good things will come from it.