Guys who would have chosen MMA over wrestling...
 

MMA is huge now, and it's got me thinking...

Who do you think would have chosen MMA in the 80s/90s if it were as popular back when they started out as it is now? Also, who would have transitioned over at some point in their career?

I think Angle would have gone the MMA route had it been as main stream as it is now back in 96/97.

Undertaker

undertaker said he would have if it were around back than

lesnar might have gone straight there too

Big Show

And Jeff Jarrett
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nBRZ0wLqMPM?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nBRZ0wLqMPM?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Shamrock :shifty:
Blackman :shifty:

BDC stalking me round the forums again, the useless fat oaf. To keep this wrestling related he reminds me a bit of that useless fat oaf Mark Henry only with blacker skin and more tits.

I want to see Buff Bagwell in MMA.

I'd like to see Matt Hardy in MMA, with his nose smothered across his tubby face.

Triple H
Kevin Nash
Scott Hall
Shawn Michaels
Sean Waltman
Justin Credible
Konnan

The Rock. He has stated so.

RVD

X-Pac

Vince McMahon

Colin Delaney

Braden Walker

I kid, I kid. But seriously, I could see Shelton/Hass get a piece of the MMA pie, The Undertaker said he would have, and then any one who wants to prove they're a "tough guy."

But what about the more... unexpected guys?
Dos Caras Jr did some MMA fighting.
I could see The Road Warriors in MMA.
Half the guys in the AWA had wrestling backgrounds.
Glacier and Earnest Miller could have gone far.
Marc Mero has a boxing background, sure he'd be decent.

Kama the original extreme fighting machine.

Gene LeBell would have dominated.
Billy Robinson and Lou Thesz would have been tough to beat as well.
Harley Race, due to the fact that many people would have tapped due to fear as a result of his epic mustache alone.

Kaval, for brutal kicks.

Dean 'man of 1000 holds' Malenko

El Dandy.

Pete Gas

I honestly don't think very many of them would have made the switch. Most of the top MMA guys aren't the biggest drinkers or partiers. Considering how many wrestling deaths have occurred due to pill popping and addiction I don't see many of those guys willing to live that lifestyle. Also, being big and muscular doesn't equate to success in MMA and the state athletic commissions and not the mma organizations themselves test for steroids, marijuana, etc... so you can pretty much eliminate anyone who rose to fame by juicing or liked to get high and rage...

The guys who came in with a wrestling/ martial arts background likely would have done well if they went straight to MMA (Kurt Angle would probably be worshiped on the same plane as Couture and Liddell if he made the switch), but outside of that I don't think many would have done it.

In my opinion, most of the guys who say they would have done it if they could do it all over again are full of shit and are just saying that because MMA fighters instead of wrestlers are now viewed as the new bad asses, especially with some of the corny things WWE has done these past few years. Also, most top MMA guys have a five year window of opportunity whereas wrestling might be the only athletic endeavor that a guy can do for 20+ years and still make millions doing it (i.e. Taker) and most guys wouldn't give up that kind of security.

Terry Funk, if he's tough enough to take a flaming brabwire wraped 2X4 to the face might be tough enough to learn MMA. Also, Dr. Death Steve Williams, he tried when he was almost 50 but if he did in the 80s he could have been a force


Side Note, I saw a match featuring Aaron "Jesus" Aguilera the other day. Bart Gunn has had a few matches too