Could Your Favorite Mixed Martial Artist Step Into The Squared Circle?

Over the last 15 years or so, several pro wrestlers have tried their hand at MMA, with varying levels of success.  For every Brock Lesnar, there was also a Sean O'Haire.  Lesnar's MMA success is well documented, while O'Haire was a former WCW and WWE star, who ended up with a 3-2 record; with one loss coming at the hands of Eric "Butterbean" Esch in Pride.  O'Haire hasn't fought in a few years, while Lesnar will step into the Octagon next month and likely generate 850,000 PPV buys.  

On the flip side, several MMA stars have tried their hand at pro wrestling and have been fairly successful.  Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn had stints in WWE, with "The World's Most Dangerous Man" having a pretty decent WWE run.  Both Severn and Shamrock was NWA World's Champion.  Don Frye and Josh Barnett both had a fair amount of success with New Japan Pro Wrestling.  

Since more mixed martial artists have successfully made the move into pro wrestling, I would like to take a look at a few fighters who, in my opinion, could make a great transition into sports entertainment.

 

Rampage Jackson - This is my most likely choice.  The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champ has it all: a great look, charisma, and the gift of gab. He definitely has the "it" factor.  I think any pro wrestling and MMA fan can imagine "Rampage" on the Monday Night Raw stage doing his trademark "howl" with his chain around his neck before making his way to the ring to powerbomb an opponent.

 

Tito Ortiz - "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" previously made an appearance for TNA as a referee but never had an actual match.  MMA fans either love or hate Ortiz and to be successful in the squared circle, you need to need to evoke emotion from the crowd - a task Ortiz has little trouble doing.  I could see an Ortiz pro wrestling career run parallel with that of John Cena a few years ago; depending on the crowd, it could be very Pro-Ortiz, very Anti-Ortiz, or split 50/50.  You love him or hate him, there's no in the middle.

 

Michael "The Count" Bisping - The former TUF winner  has the qualities of many former English pro wrestlers, most notably being beloved in his home country and hated in America.  Bisping is quite the talker and in pro wrestling, that would help him sell tickets and put a butt every 18 inches to see him get body slammed or suplexed.  At UFC 114, Bisping, despite a dominating win, left to a chorus of boos, which is a scene I can easily see being repeated at any pro wrestling event around the country, should he ever step into a WWE or TNA ring.

 

Ikuhisa Minowa - The longtime Pride and Pancrase fighter would be perfect in the world of pro wrestling.  Like his fight entrances, Minowaman's fighting style gives a nod to pro wrestling, using drop kicks and other wrestling derived moves.  Even though he is more comparable in size to Rey Mysterio, Minowa is quite the "giant killer" and could hang with the monsters of the WWE, such as The Big Show and The Undertaker, based off his fights with Choi Hong-man, Bob Sapp, and other gargantuans.

 

Kimbo Slice - Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has a real aura about him; an aura, in combination with You Tube videos, that led the former backyard brawler to headline fights on CBS, along with The Ultimate Fighter season 10.  He isn't much of a talker, but between his following, his look - completed with chiseled body, gold chains, and big beard, I could easily see Slice pulling off a run in WWE or TNA with the right opponent.

 

There are plenty of other fighters who could impress Vince McMahon or Dixie Carter, but these five could very easily step into the ring to earn a living if they decided the world of MMA was no longer for them.  As a wrestling fan, I would love to see any of these talented fighters step of out of cage and into the squared circle.

 

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