WWE Isn't Serious About a Boxing Match at WrestleMania, Are They?

WWE has been doing a significant amount of advanced booking for WrestleMania XXVIII as they have already booked Cena-Rock, subtly entertained feelers for a possible Stone Cold Steve Austin return, and best of all, they seem to be putting plans in place to shoot a boxing match at 'Mania. 

Wait a minute. 

I have nothing against WWE going against the status quo, especially during WrestleMania season as they have already featured two memorable boxing matches at the high profile event. WrestleMania II featured an epic, worked clash between "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Mr. T, while WrestleMania XV saw a shoot-clash between Butterbean and Bart Gunn. 

While neither bout will ever go down as one of the all time great matches under the WWE umbrella, both were mildly accepted by WWE's fanbase as WWE wrestlers and/or larger-than-life personalities were featured. 

It's also worth mentioning that the brash Floyd Mayweather was featured in at WrestleMania 24 in an entertaining match against the Big Show, although this was more of a wrestling match than anything else. 

Surfacing reports of a possible boxing match between heavyweight boxer, and personal friend of John Cena, Monte Barrett (versus David Tua) has been gaining momentum for weeks. 

Most recently, it was announced earlier this week that Barrett now has a scheduled meeting with both Cena and McMahon to discuss the possibility of a boxing match at WWE's biggest show of the year. 

The ambition of a shoot-style bout (or even one of the worked variety), between two marginal boxers certainly is admirable. But therein lies the problem—they're marginal. No WWE fan is going to get emotionally invested in any storyline leading to a match between two outsiders from an eroded sport. 

The only chance WWE has at making this work, is to begin booking the two as WWE personalities by featuring them prominently on WWE television—starting now. And even that plan of attack would surely backfire once the oft-fickle WWE fanbase learns that neither Tua or Barrett have wrestling credentials. 

A match in any capacity between the two pugilists in a traditional wrestling hotbed like Miami—at a WWE pay-per-view with as much wrestling lineage at WrestleMania—would be sure to garner Brock Lesnar-Goldberg treatment from uninterested fans. 

WrestleMania XXVIII is certainly going to be special, given the emphasis that WWE has placed on the card both in and out of the ring. 

However WWE needs to be mindful about booking matches that will interest fans of their product, and a boxing match between Monte "Two Gunz" Barrett and David Tua certainly doesn't fall under that category. 

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