Is Pro-Wrestling and MMA in competition?

belge boy

Are the two very different or are they both sports entertainment. While MMA is a legit sport it is very much sports entertainment imo, they even have heels and faces.

Vince suggests they are not however I do believe TNA is in competition with UFC as their product aims at attracting people who fell away from wrestling in the early part of this decade and now turned to UFC

chopperbyrne

Aren't TNA and UFC on the same network in the US?

That would mean they are never in direct competition with each other.

D2D

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Aren't TNA and UFC on the same network in the US?

That would mean they are never in direct competition with each other.

Yep, I'm pretty sure both are on Spike in the States.

Vince135792003

They will be in direct competition on Wrestlemania weekend. UFC is running their biggest show since UFC 101 in August the night before Wrestlemania.

UFC aren't direct competition in the same way WCW was to the WWE but they are competing for the 18 to 34 year old male demographic and their money.

So to say that the UFC has had no effect on how WWE runs their business is wrong.

flahavaj

While theres not direct competition yet like WCW vs WWE, MMA is definitely enticing male fans of a certain age away from wrestling.

It also helps that the promoter of UFC Dana White is a much a carny as Vince ever was.

jaykhunter

WWE and UFC have huge parallels : free TV shows and monthly PPVs (sometimes 2/month) with interesting personalities, build up to a big match. But I imagine that the amount of people that follow both UFC and WWE are in the minority.

I'd consider UFC to be competition for WWE in that they have PPVs every month and a household has only so much to spend on entertainment. So those who follow both, maybe they'd have to make a decision to order either WWE OR UFC; since they can't afford (or don't want to spend) that amount of money on both. It's like saying Boxing on the same weekend is competition for WWE because of the monetary cost of watching both.

It's also worth mentioning that younger fighters are going down the MMA route instead of the wrestling route to make it big because MMA is really hot at the moment.

sky88

i think there only competition againist each other is for pay per views people who like both cant always afford to buy them both so will pick one which givin wwe recent buyrates people have been picking mma

waltersobchak

This from Dana White at a UFC Press Conference


"I mean we're not trying to go against him. That night is the night Spike wanted the fight. Spike wanted the fight that night, so that's the night they called for it and Vince goes into ****ing war mode. He's calling up Mike Tyson. He's bringing this guy back and The Rock might come back. I love it. He's a ****ing animal. You've never heard me say we're going to kick the **** out of RAW. You've never heard me say that. I think we're two totally different, pro wrestling is totally different than the UFC and MMA. And I respect this guy. I like Vince McMahon. I've had breakfast with him. He's a good guy, but he is a ****ing animal. I'm not trying to beat him on Monday night. I don't think we would beat them. Those guys pull killer ratings. It's been like the highest rated show on television forever. We're just putting a fight on Monday night because Spike wants us to."

Cactus Col

I think pro wrestling and MMA are in competition in the same way that Pro Wrestling is in competition with any other television / ppv programming that might attract viewers away from it.

J-Fit

They are definately linked but one pet hate of mine is the wrestling folks who use wrestling terminology in reference to MMA like "he cut a killer heel promo". Fighters don't cut promos, they give interviews and I think these people think that MMA and wrestling are more competitive than they actually are. People who are purebred MMA don't give wrestling a second thought but the opposite is not true. I like both by the way.

Vince135792003

J-Fit wrote: »

Fighters don't cut promos.

Promos are interviews designed to draw/spark interest in fights. Promos are in essence oral promotion!

Lots of fighters in MMA and boxing do it intentionally. Just ask Frank Shamrock. Or Tito Ortiz. Or Frank Mir (watch him on last weeks MMA live, he's very business savy). Or even Dana White when he does it on the Ultimate Fighter. There are lots more examples too.

Not everyone does it but but a fair amount of them intentionally do.

flahavaj

J-Fit wrote: »

They are definately linked but one pet hate of mine is the wrestling folks who use wrestling terminology in reference to MMA like "he cut a killer heel promo". Fighters don't cut promos, they give interviews and I think these people think that MMA and wrestling are more competitive than they actually are. People who are purebred MMA don't give wrestling a second thought but the opposite is not true. I like both by the way.

Rampage Jackson's "Titties" rant on the last TUF was about as pro wrestling as it gets.

The UFC guys that get the really massive buyrates (maybe with the exception of GSP) are the guys with charisma and a connection with the fans and dare-I-say it a flair for the "pro wrestling" side of fight promotion.

J-Fit

I don't dispute any of that. Of course they "cut promos". What I actually mean is the use of the terminology. None of my MMA mates would understand me if I went on about promos, no more than any of my soccer mates would if I was talking about Alex Ferguson cutting a promo on Arsene Wenger or Liverpool putting Man U "over". Know what I mean? Anyway slightly OT. Sorry.

flahavaj

J-Fit wrote: »

I don't dispute any of that. Of course they "cut promos". What I actually mean is the use of the terminology. None of my MMA mates would understand me if I went on about promos, no more than any of my soccer mates would if I was talking about Alex Ferguson cutting a promo on Arsene Wenger or Liverpool putting Man U "over". Know what I mean? Anyway slightly OT. Sorry.

If I was booking the Premiership I'd have liverpool put United over on a weekly basis.:pac:

AndI'd have Rafa cut "fahct" promos very night. "FAHCT" could be the new "WHAT?" :pac:

J-Fit

flahavaj wrote: »

If I was booking the Premiership I'd have liverpool put United over on a weekly basis.:pac:

AndI'd have Rafa cut "fahct" promos very night. "FAHCT" could be the new "WHAT?" :pac:

I'd have teams do run ins in vital season-defining games.

The Volt

I would agree with Dana White. They are two different types of shows. I don't think UFC can compete with WWE as Raw has big things happening every week. UFC has an interesting event every month. The interesting fight lasts no more than a few rounds and then all we have to look forward to is Bruce Buffer doing his spinning thing.

Vince135792003

Voltwad wrote: »

UFC has an interesting event every month..

So does the WWE. They are called ppvs and UFC have succeeded where WWE have failed in making more people pay for their interesting event every month.

Obviously, they aren't cardboard copies of each other and there are a load of differences. There are alot of similarities too though.

The Volt

Vince135792003 wrote: »

So does the WWE. They are called ppvs and UFC have succeeded where WWE have failed in making more people pay for their interesting event every month.

Obviously, they aren't cardboard copies of each other and there are a load of differences. There are alot of similarities too though.

Aye but RAW still pulls huge viewings on a weekly basis. Something that UFC can't touch.

Vince135792003

Voltwad wrote: »

Aye but RAW still pulls huge viewings on a weekly basis. Something that UFC can't touch.

They didn't do too bad this year for a 12 week run of the Ultimate Fighter. Not Raw but excellent nonetheless.

The Volt

Vince135792003 wrote: »

They didn't do too bad this year for a 12 week run of the Ultimate Fighter. Not Raw but excellent nonetheless.

That show gets tiresome tbh. The Burger King logo in the ring is an eyesore

Vince135792003

Voltwad wrote: »

That show gets tiresome tbh.

It was their highest rated series ever. You might get tired of it and I'm even a little tired of it but it does prove thast with the right show and cast of characters, UFC can draw a very good weekly cable rating.

flahavaj

Vince135792003 wrote: »

They didn't do too bad this year for a 12 week run of the Ultimate Fighter. Not Raw but excellent nonetheless.

Didn't Kimbo draw like a 3 point something?

Kimbo > Bret.:pac:

Vince135792003

flahavaj wrote: »

Kimbo > Bret

Kimbo wasn't against the ratings beast that is the Hulkster on another channel.

flahavaj

Vince135792003 wrote: »

Kimbo wasn't against the ratings beast that is the Hulkster on another channel.

He still drew basically what RAW gets unopposed most Mondays.

TNA should brek the bank to get him, he throws a mean Saito suplex as well.:pac: