2011 NBA-Mania: 12 Wrestling Matches We'd All Love to See Between NBA Players

With Wrestlemania less than two weeks away and the NBA season heating up as the playoffs are just around the corner, I have came up with 12 different wrestling matches between NBA players from all eras that any NBA and wrestling fan would definitely love to see. Featuring some of the craziest, dirtiest, and most talented NBA players ever, whose ready for NBA-mania?

Pre-Event Staring Contest: Sam Cassell Vs. Tyrone Hill

Tale of the Tape:

Sam Cassell: 6’3" 185lbs.

Tyrone Hill: 6’9" 240lbs.

WWE Comparison: Snitsky vs. Boogeyman

These two are widely regarded as the two ugliest players in NBA history, so it would be fun to have them stare each other down to see which person gets sick of looking at the other one first. It would be a fun way to kick off NBA-mania.

Sam Cassell would come out victorious in this stare down. Being a point guard, he probably has better eyes than Tyrone Hill and his patience is probably a little better than Hill’s patience, which would be an integral part of the stare down.

Predicted Winner: Sam Cassell

Gerald Wallace and Josh Smith vs. Lamar Odom and Shawn Marion

Tale of the Tape:

Gerald Wallace: 6'7" 220 lbs.

Josh Smith: 6'9" 240 lbs.

Lamar Odom: 6'10" 230 lbs.

Shawn Marion: 6'7" 228 lbs.

WWE Comparison: Bret Hart and Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle and Ric Flair

Featuring arguably the four most versatile players in the NBA today, this would be a very exciting match due to the fact that these guys would use their length and athleticism to get an upper hand on their opponents.

Lamar Odom, with his very long hands, is one of the best rebounders in the league. However, he could also score, pass, handle the ball like a point guard, shoot for percentage, and is also an underrated defender.

Shawn Marion is very athletic, and he is capable of playing and defending many positions. He is also a very good rebounder, a decent passer, a good scorer, and very good at blocking shots and stealing the ball. I paired these two together because, after playing so many games against each other as members of the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns respectively, I think it would be fun to watch them team up finally do something together.

Gerald Wallace is known mainly for his athleticism, as he is able to score in many ways, rebounds the ball very well, passes the ball decently, and swats and robs a good amount of balls away every season.

Josh Smith, just like the other three players, does everything on the court, and he does it all really well. He can score when asked to do so, he rebounds the ball a lot, passes the ball better than a lot people, and defends the ball better than most people in the league.

 If all four of these men could do it all on the basketball court, the same thing probably goes for the wrestling ring, which would make for one hell of a match.

At the end of the day, experience would prevail over youth, as Odom and Marion would defeat Wallace and Smith. Odom's length and boxing experience from the summer with Vitali Klitschko would prove to be the difference in this match, as he would set up Marion for the pinfall over Wallace.

Predicted Winners: Lamar Odom and Shawn Marion.

Triple Threat Match: Clyde Drexler vs. Julius Irving vs. Dominique Wilkins

Tale of the Tape:

Clyde Drexler: 6'7" 210 lbs.

Julius Erving: 6'7" 210 lbs.

Dominique Wilkins: 6'8" 230 lbs.

WWE Comparison: Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy vs. John Morrison

This match would feature three of the most athletic, exciting, and explosive players in NBA history. All known for their incredible jumping abilities and scoring abilities, it would be interesting to see which of these three men could put their athleticism to best use and would come out on top in this match.

One thing is for sure though, this match would feature a lot of jumping from the top of the ropes and a lot of athletic moves not seen in some of these other matches. Try to imagine the three WWE superstars mentioned above fighting in the ring against one another and maybe then you'll be able to picture how much athleticism and flying this match would involve.

Choosing a winner for this match is a hard thing to do, because all these men are so equally matched in terms of athleticism and size. However, Clyde Drexler's hand would be raised by the referee at the end of the match, as he would do the best job adapting his athleticism to a well rounded fighting style, just like he did with his basketball skills throughout his career.

Predicted Winner: Clyde Drexler.

Dwight Howard vs. LeBron James

Tale of the Tape:

Dwight Howard: 6'11" 265 lbs.

LeBron James: 6'8" 250 lbs.

WWE Comparison: Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar

Just imagine how exciting this fight would be to watch. Both these guys look like NBA players in an NFL player's body, and both of these guys use their bodies and physical force to dominate the game of basketball. No player in the league is more intimidating when he's running down the court than LeBron James. When he's penetrating towards the basket, most people move out of his way from pure fear.

One of those people, however, is not Dwight Howard. He is probably the most intimidating force in the paint today. Many players are afraid to enter the paint when Howard is protecting it, mainly because they are afraid that the ball will be coming right back at their face if they try to shoot. The bottom line is that these two freaks of nature are two of the most physically intimidating men in the league today, which would make for one hell of a fight.

As physically intimidating as James is, I can't see him beating Howard in a fight. The man is just too big for James to keep up with. If it wasn't for the three inches and 15 pounds Howard has on James, the result might be a different story, but because that is not the case, I can't see James defeating Howard in this match.

Predicted Winner: Dwight Howard.

Fatal Four Way Match: K. Malone vs. T. Duncan vs. K. Garnett vs. C. Barkley

Tale of the Tape:

Karl Malone: 6'9" 265 lbs.

Tim Duncan: 6'11" 260 lbs.

Kevin Garnett: 6'11" 253 lbs.

Charles Barkley: 6'6" 252 lbs.

WWE Comparison: Chris Masters vs. Kurt Angle vs. Edge vs. Umaga

This match, involving arguably the four greatest power forwards in NBA history, would feature four different fighting styles from each individual. Karl Malone would rely on his strength and muscle to carry him through the match. Kevin Garnett would rely on his intensity and passion to win the match. Tim Duncan would rely on his brains and skills to carry him. Finally, Charles Barkley would rely on his aggressiveness and intimidation to win the match.

It would be very interesting to see what all four of these men could do, and what they would be willing to do, in a wrestling ring. Malone has had some experience in a wrestling ring, while Garnett and Barkley are no strangers to fights, which would make this match a really good wrestling match.

Although some people might consider Malone or Garnett the favorite, Barkley would come out victorious at the end of the match. His aggressive and carefree style would eventually lead him to victory over the other three men, as he would pull off moves some of the other three competitors might be too afraid to try.

Predicted Winner: Charles Barkley.

Special Guest Referee Latrell Sprewell: Shawn Kemp vs. Rasheed Wallace

Tale of the Tape:

Latrell Sprewell: 6’5" 195 lbs.

Shawn Kemp: 6’10" 230 lbs.

Rasheed Wallace: 6’11 230 lbs.

WWE Comparison: Special Guest Referee—Jim Duggan: Mankind vs. Randy Orton

This would have to be one of the most entertaining matches on the fight card. Shawn Kemp and Rasheed Wallace have both had many problems on and off the court, but both were also very prolific players throughout the prime of their careers.

Wallace is famously known for being a very angry player, as he had been charged with more technical fouls than any other player in his NBA career. In addition, he is known to have fought with teammates, argued with coaches, downgraded the referees and the media, has been caught with marijuana, and had to deal with conditioning problems in his last year with the Boston Celtics. The list could go on and on but we don't have all day.

Kemp, similarly, had to deal with major weight problems throughout the later part of his career, but also with gun and drug possession charges, alcohol abuse, and he is infamously known for having fathered seven illegitimate kids with six different women, although the number of kids is believed to be higher.

Placing these two lunatics in the ring to fight with one another would almost be legendary in my opinion, especially with the special guest referee being Latrell Spreewell, who’s probably crazier and angrier than both of these men.

Sprewell is well known to never back down from a fight, no matter how big his opponent is. The same rules apply if the opponent is smaller. Sprewell is most known for choking his head coach during a practice and threatening to kill him.

In addition, after an altercation with a teammate, Sprewell came to practice with a two-by-four and threatened to return with a gun. If all this wasn't enough, while serving his suspension for choking his coach, Sprewell was charged with reckless driving for his role in a car accident.

He hasn’t been seen in the NBA since he declined to sign a 3 year/$21 million contract because he had his family to feed. I wonder how Shawn Kemp feeds his family if that type of money can’t support one!

At the end of the match, Wallace would stand victorious over Kemp as his toughness and intensity would overcome Kemp's athleticism. However, after the match, Sprewell would most certainly get involved by whacking Wallace with the two-by-four he brought to the ring, followed by choking out Kemp before leaving the ring to collect the paycheck he earned for being the special guest referee. Lets just be thankful he didn't bring a gun to the ring with him!

Predicted Winner: Rasheed Wallace.

Nate Robinson and Calvin Murphy vs. Shawn Bradley and Yao Ming

Tale of the Tape:

Nate Robinson: 5'9" 180 lbs.

Calvin Murphy: 5"9" 165 lbs.

Shawn Bradley: 7'6" 275 lbs.

Yao Ming: 7'6" 310 lbs.

WWE Comparison: Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero vs. Giant Silva and Giant Gonzalez

There's really only one reason why I would love to see this ultimate "David vs. Goliath" match. That reason is because I truly believe that Calvin Murphy and Nate Robinson would win this fight. Murphy is considered to be one of the toughest and best fighters of all time in the NBA, as he instigated numerous fights throughout his NBA career.

Robinson is known as a very feisty player who will never back down from anyone, no matter how big they are. He has been involved in a few altercations and you could see he has done this "fighting" thing before. These two together are arguably the two toughest little men in NBA history.

Shawn Bradley, on the other hand, has also been involved in a handful of altercations of his own, and has been downright embarrassed in most of those altercations. He looks like he has no idea about what he is doing and is getting involved just to get involved. Maybe he believes that eventually he will get the better end of an altercation. The problem is that his NBA career is over and I don't think that ever happened.

Yao Ming, just like Bradley, looks very tall and like he has never touched a weight in his lifetime. A perfect example of Ming's toughness, or lack thereof, is when Tracy McGrady and Steve Nash got into an altercation, and Ming tried to involve himself. However, when it looks like Shaquille O'Neal does nothing more than touch him from behind, Ming falls to the floor. It looks simply pathetic.

In my opinion, not only would Murphy and Robinson win this fight, they would simply dominate it. I think this fight would end quicker than any other fight scheduled, as Murphy's toughness and Robinson's "thugishness" would get Bradley and Ming down to the floor in a heartbeat, and these two little, big men would make sure they stay on the floor.

Predicted Winners: Nate Robinson and Calvin Murphy.

Elimination Match: Bad Boy Detroit Pistons vs. Early 1990's New York Knicks

Tale of the Tape:

Bill Laimbeer: 6’11" 260 lbs.

Dennis Rodman: 6’7" 220 lbs.

Rick Mahorn: 6’10" 240 lbs.

Isiah Thomas: 6’1" 180 lbs.

Joe Dumars: 6’3" 195 lbs.

Patrick Ewing: 7’0" 240 lbs.

John Starks: 6’5" 190 lbs.

Anthony Mason: 6’7" 250 lbs.

Charles Oakley: 6’9" 245 lbs.

Xavier McDaniel: 6'7" 205 lbs.

WWE Comparison: D-Generation X vs. The nWo

This would be an all out brawl to determine which team truly is the dirtiest and baddest team in NBA history. The "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons are notorious and widely considered the dirtiest team to ever play on an NBA court.

Bill Laimbeer was known for committing hard fouls and picking fights with just about anyone he felt like fighting with at the time. Dennis Rodman was known for throwing elbows constantly and doing just about anything to make sure that a rebound was his. Rick Mahorn was known for throwing forearms and creating all sorts of contact in the post. Isiah Thomas was known for throwing elbows or tripping players.

The list could go on and on.

In the other corner is the rough and physical early 1990's New York Knickerbockers. John Starks was known as a little guy who would bump and shove just about anyone that got in his way. Anthony Mason played really hard and was very strong, and also liked to shove taller players from behind if they got in his way in the post. Charles Oakley was well known for his intensity and loved to intimidate opponents by trash talking, getting into their faces, and tying them up until they finally lost control. Patrick Ewing was known to be very fierce, serious, aggressive, and possessed a no-holds-barred playing style.

Again, the list goes on and on.

This match would go on for a long time as these players would do just about anything to stay in this match. Even an interference from five (Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells, Damon Stoudamire, Ruben Patterson, Shawn Kemp) of the Jail Blazers (early 2000's Portland Trail Blazers), who would believe that they should be in this match, wouldn’t stop these guys, as they would all work together to get rid of those guys before resuming their match.

The first guy eliminated would be Joe Dumars (Starks), as he is not known to be the prototypical "Bad Boy." The next man eliminated would be Starks (Mahorn), followed by Ewing (Rodman) and Thomas (Oakley) respectively. With three men remaining from each team Oakley would eliminate Mahorn. This would be followed by Laimbeer eliminating Xavier McDaniel, but this is where the Knicks would prove to be too much, as Mason would finally eliminate Laimbeer, and he and Oakley would fight off Dennis Rodman (and his wrestling background) to win the match.

Predicted Winner: Early 1990's New York Knicks

Point Guard Battle Royale

Participants: Magic Johnson, Pete Maravich, Oscar Robertson, Jason Kidd, John Stockton, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Gary Payton, Jerry West, Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway, Mookie Blaylock, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, Nick Van Exel, Terrell Brandon, Walt Frazier, Bob Cousy, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Sam Cassell, Norm Van Lier, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, Earl Monroe, Mark Jackson and Fat Lever.

Being a huge fan of point guards, I wanted to feature many of them in many different matches, but I couldn’t do that as NBA-mania’s match card only has room for twelve actual matches. Therefore, I decided to throw some of the best point guards in NBA history all in one match, and let them fight it out to determine who will claim the title of "best point guard in NBA history."

There were only two requirements for this match: you had to  have played point guard during your career and you had to have participated in at least one All-Star game during your career. This match features some of the best all around player in league history (M. Johnson, Robertson, Kidd), some of the flashiest players in NBA history (Frazier, Monroe), some of the greatest combo guards to ever play the game (Maravich, Iverson), some of the greatest defenders the NBA has ever seen (Van Lier, Payton, Blaylock), some great scorers (Francis, Hardaway), some of the quickest rising stars in the NBA today (Rondo, Westbrook, Rose), and, of course, some of the best passers that have played the game (all these guys).

In general, it would be awesome to watch the greatest point guards from all eras fight it out for the title. Again, being a huge fan of point guards in general,There's nothing I would want to see more than this match.

The final two man standing in the ring, after everyone else has been eliminated, would be Iverson and Payton. After both men nearly eliminate the other multiple times, the elder of the two, Payton, would finally manage to throw Iverson over the top rope. "The Glove" would celebrate his victory in the middle of the ring.

Predicted Winner: Gary Payton.

Street Fight: Ben Wallace vs. Ron Artest

Tale of the Tape:

Ben Wallace: 6'9" 240 lbs.

Ron Artest: 6'7" 260 lbs.

WWE Comparison: Batista vs. Goldberg

This match is made for one simple reason: to resolve any issues these players had on the day "The Malace in the Palace" occurred. However, even before that incident happened, just about any NBA fan would love to see these two athletic and muscular freaks go at it, especially in an all out street fight.

These two ballers are arguably the two most intimidating players to step foot on a basketball court. Both former winners of the Defensive Players of the Year award, almost any and all offensive players shiver at the thought of going up against one of these guys. Their extremely physical play has earned them that reputation.

Both players earned their reputations through hard work and dedication to achieve the goal of being the best defensive players in the NBA, as they were both not high draft picks and they were not handed anything from their respective teams.

Although Ron Artest does have a boxing background and is known for being extremely crazy, both on and off the court, I just can't see Ben Wallace losing this fight. As much as I love Artest and would be cheering for him (no disrespect to Wallace, as he is one of my favorite players as well), I believe Wallace's pure strength and power would overcome Artest's physicality, although it would be a really close and bloody match.

Predicted Winner: Ben Wallace.

Six Men Hell in a Cell Match

Tale of the Tape:

David Robinson: 7'1" 235 lbs.

Bill Russell: 6'9" 215 lbs.

Alonzo Mourning: 6'10" 261 lbs.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 7'2" 225 lbs.

Hakeem Olajuwon: 7’0" 255 lbs.

Dikembe Mutombo: 7'2 260 lbs.

WWE Comparison: King Kong Bundy vs. Sid vs. The Undertaker vs. Diesel vs. Kane vs. The Great Khali

This gruesome match features something that no WWE Hell in a Cell match has ever featured, six men so tall, that all six of them together might actually intimidate The Undertaker. These six men are arguably the six best defensive centers of all time, as they all possessed skill sets only matched by few others. With all the talent involved, this would be one hell of a match to watch.

Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo would provide us with an international flavor of fighting, as both hale from different countries where who knows what style of fighting they learned.

Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-jabbar would mostly rely on skill to win this fight, as both are not very muscular man, but are very smart and relied purely on skill throughout their NBA careers to succeed as much as they did.

David Robinson would rely mainly on his muscles to carry him throughout this fight, while Alonzo Mourning would rely on his intensity and passion to win this battle of big men.

Eliminated first in this match would be Russell by his follower: Abdul-jabbar. His size would prove to be his downfall. Immediately following Russell’s elimination, Abdul-Jabbar would be taken out by Robinson, as his lack of muscle would prove to be his downfall. Hakeem Olajuwon would be eliminated next by Mourning, who would also eliminate Robinson following his elimination of Olajuwon.

In the end, I believe it would come down to Mutombo and Mourning, with Mutombo, along with his martial arts background, taking the match over Mourning, followed by him passing out in the ring due to the brutality and physicality of this match.

Predicted Winner: Dikembe Mutombo.

Shaquille O'Neal vs. Wilt Chamberlain

Tale of the Tape:

Shaquille O’Neal: 7’1" 325 lbs.

Wilt Chamberlain: 7’1" 275 lbs.

WWE Comparison: The Big Show vs. Andre the Giant

Featuring two of the most prolific big men in NBA history, the intimidation both of these players possess would match up perfectly against one another. These men are probably the scariest players of their eras, as they both dominated the paint with relative ease and took their defenders along with them for the ride.

Known as the most unstoppable force in league history, Shaquille O'Neal has made a career of using his strength and power to score almost at will. He has broken the rim on many occasions due to his thunderous dunks. Whether he is double or triple teamed, he is known to use his entire body (especially his elbows) to push defenders away in an effort to overpower his and opponents and score the basketball. His overall strength and power is not comparable to any other player in the game today.

Wilt Chamberlain is widely regarded as the strongest man in NBA history, as there have been several reported stories of his feats of strength. He used to work out with Arnold Schwarzenegger and was able to bench press over 500 pounds. A few NBA players have reported to being lifted off the floor by Chamberlain with complete ease, and were terrified of how strong he was after it happened. He dislocated a shoulder of another NBA player by blocking his shot and sending him down to the floor along with the basketball. In addition, he was also a track star in college and could run higher and jump faster than most players in NBA history, especially most of the big men.

After everything would be said and done, Chamberlain would be standing victorious in the middle of the ring. Not only do his feats of strength amaze me more than anything O’Neal has to offer, but he also admitted to being an amateur fighter in his past. Along with his speed, that would help him tremendously in this fight.

Sure, O’Neal has been training in mixed martial arts for a long time now as well, which is the reason why this match would probably feature the best skill out of all the matches from both competitors, but I believe his big body and speed would slow him down, and he wouldn’t have his power to use as an advantage due to the fact that Chamberlain is just as powerful, if not more powerful, than he is.

Predicted Winner: Wilt Chamberlain.

Two out of Three Falls Match: Michael Jordan vs. Kobe Bryant

Tale of the Tape:

Michael Jordan: 6'6" 215 lbs.

Kobe Bryant: 6'6" 205 lbs.

WWE Comparison: Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock

This match between two of arguably the best perimeter players in NBA history would be legendary, as no two man in the history of the league have possessed more skill and knowledge of the game than these two players. Both of them have made a career of making sure that they win, regardless at what cost, which would make this match so fun to watch.

Both of these players are probably the most intense and focused players in NBA history. Both have found ways to improve any flaws they have and to perfect their skill set to the best of their abilities. Both have the killer instinct unmatched by any other player in NBA history. Both have made sure that everyone around them is playing to the best of their abilities.

Most importantly, both have always left everything they have out on the court, which would definitely transfer into the ring, as they would both use give their heart and soul in an effort to win this match, making this match the main event.

After a long and hard fought battle, Michael Jordan comes out of the first match victorious, but not before Kobe Bryant gives him everything he has in an effort to win the match. As the second match begins, Bryant is quickly able to force Jordan to tap out, as he reverses a Jordan attempt at a submission hold and is able to apply his own submission hold.

The third match is the longest of the three. However, after both men have put forth all their sweat and blood, Jordan is able to pin Bryant and claim the match. Following the match, both men stare each other down in the ring for a minute, before finally shaking hands and exiting the ring.

Predicted Winner: Michael Jordan.