Follow the Leader: Should the WWE Rip off the UFC?

Anyone who knows the sport of professional wrestling, knows that Vince McMahon is not afraid to rip people off.

Whether it's directly competing with regional competition and stealing their biggest stars in the early days of the WWF, pilfering talented workers from under WCW's nose, or completely ripping off the extreme nature of ECW to forge the "Attitude Era", Vince McMahon is not afraid to slit his opponent's throat with their own knife. 

But, now that the WWE is facing the reality that the UFC has become the fastest growing fight promotion in the world, would it be in the WWE's interest to follow past trends and mimic them?

The UFC is an actual combat sport, while the WWE is scripted sports entertainment.  The two couldn't be further apart. Nevertheless, the two promotions are constantly compared and have even lost talents to each other over the years, some examples that come to mind are Ken Shamrock and Brock Lesnar.

Given the similarities between them, should the WWE try to mimic the formula that has worked successfully for the UFC? 

They've already attempted it in bringing back "Tough Enough", which is a second-rate clone of "The Ultimate Fighter". 

But, should they go further?  Should they alter the product on Raw, Smackdown, Superstars and NXT to mirror the UFC and ride the wave of Mixed Martial Arts?

Let's take a look at what aspects the WWE could change to match the UFC, and see if they should change them at all.

Stealing UFC Fighters Away from the UFC

The Verdict: Yes, the WWE should attempt to steal UFC stars if made available.

I believe that it would benefit the WWE to hunt superstar fighters within the UFC.  Simply because the UFC has an absolutely rabid fan base that would most likely follow over out of curiosity to watch their favorite fighters.  

Brock Lesnar's foray into the UFC subsequently has earned them the first, second, fifth and sixth largest PPV buy rates in the company's history.  This is undoubtedly because of Lesnar's fans from the WWE purchasing the PPVs, in order to see him fight. 

In that same vein, it is possible that hiring UFC top fighters such as George St. Pierre, Quinton Jackson, Forrest Griffin or Anderson Silva, can help boost the WWE's popularity as well, by reaching out and grabbing the fanbases that belong to those fighters.

This isn't a new tactic for the WWE, as in the past, they've employed Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn when the company was still the WWF. 

Neither one of those men made a tremendous amount of difference when they were employed by the WWF.  Dan Severn didn't make any real waves during his stint in the late '80s and '90s. And although Ken Shamrock's appearance in the WWF made headlines, and he had good success as a professional wrestler, he was overshadowed by the explosion of the "Attitude Era" and larger stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Degeneration X made the real impact on the scene. The WWF would have blown up like it did, with or without Ken Shamrock.

This time, however, it might be different.   The WWE is nowhere near as popular as it was during the attitude era and there isn't an abundance of mainstream stars.  

On the other hand, the UFC is wildly popular, and actually more successful than the WWE as a company from PPV buy rates to mainstream acceptance. 

Snagging a big star might actually make a difference for the WWE this time around.

However, this tactic does come with drawbacks. 

Assuming that a popular fighter, who can still compete, would even want to stop fighting and start wrestling, these are martial artists, not wrestlers.  They would be completely untrained upon signing. 

It would take time to train them how to work an actual wrestling match and by the time they're ready to wrestle, the media buzz might have died down significantly. 

The other alternative is throw them directly in the ring with minimal training, which would most likely expose wrestling fans to a litany of sloppy matches and botched moves.

So, it would basically be like what the WWE does with its Divas.

Another risk is that the WWE could spend a large amount of money to sign these men and it not work out, because their fans from MMA might be disappointed to see them "fake wrestling".  That attitude is especially prevalent amongst MMA fans, all the way up to Dana White, who refuses to let the line be blurred in any way between the UFC and WWE because the WWE isn't a "real sport", but "entertainment." 

Also, just because a fighter is popular in the UFC, doesn't mean he has what it takes to be popular in the world of Professional wrestling. One example is the Tank Abbott debacle in the waning years of WCW.  They may not be able to connect with the fans, even if they have as much charisma and likability as a Forrest Griffin.

Though it comes with significant risk, the reward of possibly pilfering someone with the charisma of a "Rampage" Jackson and him becoming a major draw for the promotion is something that can't be passed up.

The WWE runs the risk of wasting significant resources on every professional wrestler they hire.  For every Randy Orton they successfully create, there are a dozen Harry Smiths they invested significant amounts of capital into, that didn't make the cut. 

The WWE can't afford to shy away from the risk of seeking and creating new superstars, no matter where they may find them.  And if they already have millions of their own fans, it becomes even more imperative to take the leap to acquire them.  

Hold Actual MMA Fights

The Verdict: No, the WWE should not try to put on MMA shoot fights to lure UFC fans.

While there are a number of guys in the WWE who can actually grapple, fight or utilize mixed martial arts, such as Alberto Del Rio and Santino Marella, having the WWE try to utilize actual shoot fighting has historically been a bad idea. 

Even if the WWE wanted to go this route to lure MMA fans, the odds of them being able to expel all doubts about the validity of the results and the action during the match would be slim to none. 

In addition to this, even if they could successfully convince people it wasn't scripted, the WWE couldn't compete with the UFC anymore than Strikeforce or Elite XC could.  The UFC literally has almost every single one of the best fighters in the world under contract.  The WWE would never be able to acquire the talent to make it an integral part of WWE programming.

Not to mention, that not every fan of pro wrestling would be a fan of MMA fights, as some might find the action too slow paced without the scripted highlights of a wrestling match.

It simply wouldn't be worth it.  Not to mention that the last time the WWE attempted to do shoot-fighting, it was the "Brawl for All"  series in 1998.  The Tough-Man rip-off was universally panned by the fans, resulted in serious injuries to some wrestlers, and actually ended the WWF careers of a few others. 

And if that wasn't enough, it resulted in a Butterbean vs. Bart Gunn match at WrestleMania 15.

I can still remember how excited I was when that match came on. 

I really needed to pee and it finally freed me up to go.   

Separating Wrestlers by Weight Classes

The Verdict: No, The WWE should not change to weight divisions in order to match up with the UFC.

About the only good thing that this idea would bring to the table, is that it would potentially stop squash matches where bigger men run over smaller guys, or matches where little guys somehow beat wrestlers twice their size.

However, the drawbacks are way too enormous for the WWE to consider it.

First, it would prevent a great deal of marquee matches.  CM Punk would never be allowed to wrestle Kevin Nash as he would be out of his weight class. The same thing with Triple H. 

It would severely cripple the amount of feuds and matches the WWE could create as suddenly, wrestlers would have to fight the same seven or eight guys in their weight class again and again. 

A tag team like the former Marella/Kozlov tandem couldn't happen, because Kozlov couldn't compete in matches with lighter guys. 

In addition to this, every championship would have to be abolished and swapped with weight class championships with the exception of the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships.

In addition, because most of the upper tier stars are in the heavyweight division, such as Randy Orton, John Cena, Triple H, Sheamus, etc... Smaller wrestlers like Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio and CM Punk would be forever locked out of the main event matchups for the top title in the company. 

The result of doing so would create a very repetitive and bland product that would stifle creativity and keep far too many smaller stars from reaching the main event. 

Sort of like now. 

Implementing Win/Loss Records and Saving Title Matches for Pay-Per-View

The Verdict: Yes, the WWE should definitely save title matches for PPV and incorporate a win-loss structure into their matches.

When it comes to the issue of the WWE incorporating a win/loss format into their programming and saving title matches for PPVs, I have already written an article that gives a deeper analysis of why the WWE should do both. 

You can read the article here.

But, to summarize quickly, I believe that if the WWE does nothing else, it should incorporate wins and losses into their product. 

The benefit of doing such a thing is widespread.

It would allow the WWE to create story lines based off of win-loss records.

It would make matches in the ring actually mean something.

It would allow fans to get a better connection with a wrestler's career and performance, like many fans already do with major sports leagues, including the UFC.

It would even allow the WWE to recreate the Goldberg storyline with another wrestler and create dream matches by keeping two undefeated wrestlers—from the start of win-loss implementation—away from each other until WrestleMania.

The benefits are numerous. 

Also, the WWE shouldn't waste title matches on free TV.  They should follow the UFC model and keep title defenses on PPV only. 

By doing so, they will prevent overexposure of their champions to prevent the viewers from getting bored with them.

It will also make the champions look elite, as they don't compete with the regular wrestlers on free T.V., but only wrestle once someone has proven themselves worthy to face the man at the top of the division at a PPV.

It will also make the titles more prestigious as they stop overdoing TV title defenses and constant title switches.

Matches by the Round, Not Straight Through

The Verdict: Yes, the WWE should implement a round system.

I personally believe this would be a fantastic idea for a number of reasons:

First, wrestlers already take breaks in the ring, because they get tired while working matches.  This is why they use holds like sleepers and headlocks to get rest and communicate the next moves.  Unless they are Randy Orton, and then they just do it because they think it's what constitutes a good match.  Hint: It does not. 

But, with a round system, wrestlers can go full tilt in a match and then get an actual break between rounds. 

Second, having rounds in a match up will allow the program to go to a commercial break without missing as much action as before.  So, instead of returning back from commercial break and getting a single highlight out of the several minutes of match that you missed during commercials, you can see a little more of the actual action live. 

Third, this will stop wrestlers from having to communicate to each other in the middle of the match so often, as the referee can communicate between the back and the wrestlers what they need to do next. One of the worst things about in-match communication is that when you catch them talking to each other about what to do next, it just takes away from the feeling that this is supposed to be an actual fight. 

Lastly, by adding rounds, you add suspense and different outcomes are now available through the booking. 

Some ideas include a wrestler about to lose the match, but being saved by the bell.  It also can create controversy with judges decisions.  A weaker wrestler might do just enough to pull out the decision victory over a main-event star.  And of course, there is always the "If I don't beat you by the ______ round, I'll quit/relinquish title/jump to Smackdown/Raw" angle as well.

I believe it would lead to fresher wrestlers that would lead to better matches with less botches.  It would give the product a different feel and add more possibilities to matches in the ring.

I believe it should be done in the UFC format, where main-event and championship matches are five, five minute rounds and all other matches are three, five minute rounds on television. 

On pay-per-view, they can change it to a boxing format where each match can have twelve, three minute rounds because there is more time given to wrestling.  Not that all matches would go the distance, because of time constraints, but they would have more flexibility in match length. 

Now, if the WWE was to implement this, they would also need to establish a point system and have a panel of judges at ringside.   Utilizing a point system wouldn't be so difficult since the WWE would make the rules, and decide who, in advance, the judges would decide for. 

However, they should avoid making a convoluted system.  It should be a point structure that would allow a certain allotment of points for certain maneuvers.  One point for a punch or kick that lands, two points for a slam or suplex, three points for a move that connects from the top rope, etc...

Though, much like in the actual UFC, they shouldn't let the decision go to the judges.  Only when necessary, for a feud or twist in a match. 

Using Ring Girls Like the UFC

The Verdict: Yes, if utilizing a round system, the WWE should use ring girls. 

This doesn't really take a lot of discussion. 

I'll put it like this:

Can Kelly Kelly wrestle a good match? No.

Can Kelly Kelly put on a bikini? Yes.

Can Kelly Kelly put her hands over her head and hold something up?

Judging by how she never seems to stop lifting the Diva's championship over her head the entire time she's on TV? Yes.

Kelly Kelly has all the qualifications to be a ring girl. 

Rosa Mendez and The Bella Twins can be ring girls two, three and four. 

Not only will you making room for talented women to come and wrestle, but you'll actually be giving more TV time to those four than they're currently getting, or really deserve, now. 

Moving on... 

Hire Referees That Can Actually Stop Wrestlers

The Verdict: Either way would be fine. 

Mike Chioda was recently suspended for violating the wellness policy.  Perhaps he started taking steroids because he realized how stupid it looks for a 6'0", 175 pound, 47-year-old man, to somehow be able to hold back two 6'5", 265 pound mountains of muscle, half his age, trying to tear each other apart.

I often wonder why no one in the WWE looks at that scenario and say: "There's just no way this little guy could hold Sheamus back in real life.  Perhaps we should get someone who fits the part a little better?"  

It's not a major problem, but if you're trying to present the product as real aggression and sport, you should give 100 percent effort to the illusion.  

Hiring a few refs that go to the gym and look like they can actually stop these guys, or rip them off of the ropes, or stand in between them and really put an end to excess aggression is just one of those little things that help a presentation of a product, that's all.

It's the little things, WWE.  The little things.

Of course, at the same time, I recognize that the WWE hires these smaller refs because they want the wrestlers to be able to act rowdy and out of line without a referee the size of a Pittsburgh Steeler taking them down and smothering them. 

The refs are supposed to be bumbling idiots who miss ringside interference, objects being thrown in the ring, low blows and feet on the ropes. 

But when your company is on a downward spiral, experimenting with every little detail and changing things up might help.

Surround the Ring with Chain Link Fences

The Verdict: No, the WWE should not surround the ring with a cage for every match.

The idea, in principal, would be to place a cage around a normal WWE ring, as opposed to replacing the ring with a version of the Octagon without ropes. Removing the ropes would take away too many moves that a wrestler performs in a typical match. 

The WWE's execution of this would more resemble a cage match, but permanently fixed around the ring, to give it that more edgy shoot-fighting feel that the UFC's octagon gives off.

Either way, I feel that it wouldn't be in the best interests of the WWE to try and mimic the Octagon, as it would pretty much destroy the novelty of cage matches, Hell in the Cell and the Elimination Chamber. 

And while it would permit wrestlers to do more high spots from the top of the cage, it would prevent them from having any action around the ring at ringside, or going through the crowd and fighting. 

Not to mention the fact that increasing the level of steel around the ring, may increase the number of injuries wrestlers suffer as well.

Besides, it would look like the WWE would be trying too hard to rip off the UFC's style.

And no one likes a poser.  

Giving in Depth Looks at Upcoming Big Matches

The Verdict: Yes. The WWE needs to give the same in depth analysis to matchups as the UFC.

Finding depth in matches in the WWE, is about as rare as finding a good idea in Vince Russo's brain since 1999.  

The cycle for just about every match is:

"Good wrestler has match with bad wrestler for no reason."

"Bad wrestler cheats to win, starting a feud."

"Good wrestler and bad wrestler say they will beat each other while trading wins and losses over the course of two months."

"Audience slits wrists to stop the pain."

Robert Aitken of the Bleacher Report wrote a great article about how no one is paying attention to the fact that Cody Rhodes just won the Intercontinental Championship. 

The reason why no one is paying attention and aren't excited about it? Is because no one cares. The WWE just threw Cody Rhodes out there against Ezekiel Jackson, with no story, no controversy, no build up.

It was just another match, with just another title change.  And should someone like Sheamus take it from him? It will be just another match, with just another title change.

Compare this with the upcoming title match for Anderson "The Spider" Silva against Yushin "Thunder" Okami for the UFC in Rio. 

They have given, and will give you, so many possible angles and inside looks for that match up, that you'll probably dream about the spherical shaping of Silva's head for a month after the fight is over.

In-depth analysis, explaining the history between the two, training montages, interviews with the stars and trainers, press conferences, weigh ins, breaking down statistics, etc.

If the UFC thought that people might care about the ingrown toe-nail on Okami's left big toe? They'd put it on TV.

In High Definition.

But for fans of the WWE?

"Just shut up and watch the match and wait for the next CM Punk angle. But, if you really want to hear the guys talk, you're in luck.  We've got Mark Henry doing an interview next, and he's going to be really angry for no reason...as usual. Enjoy!"

That's not going to get anyone to care about matches in the WWE.

Now, I'm not ignorant of the fact that the WWE doesn't have enough time on television to give the same detail to a match as the UFC does. 

Some things would need to be put on WWE.com.  But they need to actually put something of value on WWE.com that increases anticipation for a match. 

One thing they did for the CM Punk angle, is that they had a series of interviews with Punk, Cena and Triple H.  Very short, but to the point, interviews about the situation.  I thought it was a fantastic way to further the angle and give it a deeper feel. 

Instead of just throwing out matches, they should announce a match or two for a month in advance.  And then use the time in between to build up anticipation for the match.

Instead of Cody Rhodes just going out there and beating Big Zeke, announce the match for the title a month in advance.  Do an interview from Ezekiel's home with his kids, where he talks about the title helping him to secure a future for his children while they're sitting in his lap.   Let him show some genuine emotion about not letting Cody take food off of his kid's plates.

Give us a segment with Cody Rhodes training with his father at the gym. (Cody would obviously be doing the lifting, as I don't think Dusty has touched a weight since 1979.) Have Cody talk about how hard it is to live in the shadow of his dad and that winning the Intercontinental title means he's taking another step to securing his own legacy in the WWE and he won't let Ezekiel stand in the way.  

Have Matt Stryker do a break down analysis of each wrestler's strengths and weaknesses, wins and losses in certain situations.  Interview fans and ask them who they think will win and why.

It also wouldn't hurt to incorporate the occasional press conference for a singular big-match, as opposed to an entire PPV, along with a weigh-in.  It's not that a weigh-in, in and of itself, is all that important for a match, but it would just give it a more big-time feel, and allow for interaction between the wrestlers at that time, to further the plot of the story. 

When it comes down to how you should handle the build up of matches between stars, I can sum it all up in two words:

ACTUALLY TRY.

Conclusion

The WWE and Vince McMahon has made a living off of taking other people's ideas and stars and utilizing them for their own gain. 

That is the nature of business and competition.  If you see something working in the market you're in?  Rip it off. 

It doesn't matter if it's a car dealer installing On-Star to keep current with the competition, or Wendy's offering healthy choices to eat because McDonald's did.

You find out what is working and you copy it.

Right now, the UFC is on fire and the WWE is colder than it has been in years.

It is only logical that they try and grab a hold to whatever the hottest, most popular idea at the time is and ride it to greater success.

The UFC has many ideas that the WWE could and probably should bring into their company, from building more anticipation for non-Cena matches to saving title matches for PPV.  They should bring these ideas in without changing the core look and values of their product, however. 

The last thing they should be doing, is the exact thing they have being doing for years outside of the recent activity with CM Punk: remaining stagnant.