With physical prowess and mental instinct, it is no surprise why the Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestling Entertainment are the leaders of pound-for-pound athletes. Now I know that most of you are wondering, "Ron, what the hell are you smoking? Professional Wrestling? Seriously?"
Before you start throwing your "mother-in-law" rants together, allow me to explain why I placed professional wrestling in the same sentence as the UFC.
Ultimate Fighting
It's no surprise that there are people who still don't take the UFC seriously. But it's obvious that they have never seen a single fight if they're still thinking that. From its near fatal passing in 2001 to its arrival into the public mainstream with show like UFC Unleashed and The Ultimate Fighter, Dana White has done anything and everything to bring his baby to the top of the fighting food chain.
With young up and comers like Forrest Griffin and proven veterans like BJ Penn, the UFC has shown that it can live up to the hype. Combining wrestling, boxing, and jiu-jitsu, the UFC is continuing to grow into the pound-for-pound empire that White was expecting and hoping.
The success is clearly shown with the growing phenomenon known as "The Ultimate Fighter" series. Preparing to polish off its seventh season with the Ultimate Finale this weekend, the show has brought us many of the company's best rising stars: Josh Koscheck, Chris Leben, Diego Sanchez, Rashad Evans, Nate Quarry, and of course, Forrest Griffin.
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It's clear that with the departure of Floyd "Money" Mayweather that boxing will be hurting. But with the rise of UFC's version of "Money," Anderson Silva, it won't take long before the squared circle of boxing is silently replaced with the sight of a caged octagon. Physicality wise, UFC owns the pound for pound title.
Which brings us to the mental side of pound-for-pound...
Professional Wrestling
It may sound crazy. It may sound ridiculous. It may even be the dumbest thing ever placed in a competitive argument. But professional wrestling belongs in this column for the simple fact that though it is a scripted franchise, it takes a massive amount of mental preparation to be able to do the things that they do on a daily basis.
For those who would like to tell these guys that they are living a scripted life, good luck. These guys (and girls) are real athletes. They get injured like other athletes. They battle critics like other athletes. They strive for greatness...just like other athletes. From legends such as Ric Flair, Macho Man, Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan to legends in the making such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, John Cena and The Undertaker, the WWE has persevered in the face of adversity.
And professional wrestling has become a popular addition to the sports family. Even Vince McMahon himself has said that this is sports entertainment and even though it has heard the 'F' word multiple times ('F' word meaning Fake), it still continues to grow and show in households all over the world. From WWE to Ring of Honor to TNA, professional wrestlers have been a format for mental toughness through the years.
But why mental tenacity you ask? Every move is practiced before the matches to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Just because it is scripted doesn't mean that these guys don't suffer. From the passings of Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit to baseball's Steroid Era transferring over to professional wrestling, it's clear that the business takes both a physical and mental toll on its athletes.
So when the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and NHL take their hiatus at season's end, Ultimate Fighting and Professional Wrestling keep going. Year round and pound-for-pound, these two industries are catalysts for physical and mental toughness.
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5 months ago
I hope nobody flames this because I think it was a really good article. I agree that the worlds top all around athletes are in either MMA or professional wrestling.
5 months ago
Ron, did you use the phrase "ultimate fighting" on purpose to emphasize the UFC? Because the sport is technically called mixed martial arts, similar to how boxing is called "boxing" and not "punching." The UFC sometimes terms the sport as "ultimate fighting" because they want brand recognition and to have the casual fan believe that the UFC is the only MMA promotion that exists. But you and I know that there are several other great organizations out there.
So I didn't touch the nomenclature part when I edited your article, but just for future reference, it would be preferable if you could use the term "mixed martial arts" or "MMA" instead of "ultimate fighting." After all, we don't refer to basketball as "national basketball" or pro wrestling as "world wrestling," because these are the first two words in the name of an organization, just like the words "ultimate fighting."
I don't want to sound rude, but it's just that as writers we should strive to be as professional as possible, and when publishing an article, it is best to use the proper name of the sport you're talking about. I don't think the other MMA writers on here would take it too kindly if someone wrote a "cage fighting" article. And this section of the site is termed MMA for a reason.
Other than that, I agree with you, and people don't understand just how grueling the life and schedule of a pro wrestler really is. These guys are on the road nearly the entire year, with 250 shows, no off-season, while nursing multiple injuries and taking a lot of meds. This takes a huge toll on their body and mind, and very few have what it takes to be a pro wrestler, because it's not as glamorous as it looks.
from 5 months ago
i agree with everything Jad said above,
except that pro wrestling most certainly does not contain the best athletes. Guys wrestle into their 60s in pro wrestling, and in no way could guys compete in MMA at that age at a pro level against 20 year olds.
I certainly understand the ins and outs of a pro wrestling lifestyle, but I would like to think I personally have a high level of mental toughness, but that does not mean I could compete in the NFL, NBA, or as a pro in MMA, either.
I could, however, compete in pro wrestling, and so could Jad, and so could Ron. That statement alone should dispel any notion that pro wrestling contains the best athletes.
from 5 months ago
Bryan,
If you don't think that wrestling contains some of the best athletes, take the time to watch clips of Rob Van Dam, Jerry Lynn, AJ Stlyes, Chris Saban, Alex Shelley, Shelton Benjamin, Low Ki, etc. etc.
To say you could compete in pro wrestling, or that anyone could for that matter, is a laugh. Otherwise, any great athlete would make it. It takes time, preparation, training and physical ability. That statement was arguably the most ill-informed I've heard in quite some time.
from 5 months ago
Jad I agree that I'd rather see it called "MMA" or "mixed martial arts" but I don't think you needed to rant for three paragraphs about it.
Good article hear though. I was waiting for someone to stand up for professional wrestling or I was going to take a shot at it. As far as bryan saying they are not the best athletes, that's debatable. But when you say "I certainly understand the ins and outs of a pro wrestling lifestyle" followed by "I could, however, compete in pro wrestling, and so could Jad, and so could Ron" is ridiculous.
I'm not taking a shot at Jad, Ron or you bryan but I don't think you understand how athletic someone has to be to be a professional wrestler. It's not about the competition of the sport like other sports when the competitors don't know who is going to win but you still have to go out there and sell it.
Wrestlers have to have mental toughness because the ones that are the most successful are able to sell themselves to the fans. You have to have personality to make sure the boss wants to make you the face of the organization. Unless you are an elite type of athlete Bryan, I will continue to laugh at the notion that you think you could just step in and do what guys the likes of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, etc. do night in and night out.
5 months ago
Ryan,
I agree completely with you. Bryan sounds like he has never really watched a wrestling match in his life. When you wrestle you need to know how to take the falls or you could be seriously hurt. It all takes a lot of planning and you have to be able to time it all right in order not to break something.
Another name to add to the clips is Jeff Hardy. He has done some of the most extreme stunts in wrestling.
from 5 months ago
Meh, I left Hardy off for a reason. Anyone can just jump off of things. Ask New Jack.
from 5 months ago
Yea Ryan, any one can jump off of things. But you also need to think about how to jump off of it and how you are going to land so that you don't break your neck.
from 5 months ago
That makes him a wrestler then, not an athlete. Falling takes learning but isn't difficult. I was talking about the athleticism many wrestlers possess. Jeff was left off because he doesn't do much except jump off of things. He's New Jack except that he hasn't knifed anyone or allegedly killed anyone.
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