Here We Go...Bobby Lashley Challenges Brock Lesnar...

[Warner2BruceTD]

...on a TNA Wrestling PPV.

Why does this feel like Japan circa 2000?

Here comes the hate. I can just see the sherdog geeks busting arteries as we speak...

(edit-just to be clear, he challenged him to an MMA fight, not a pro wrasslin' match)

[Liquidrob]

good damn brock for bringing this pro wrestling crap to MMA...

[Kuzzy Powers]

To a wrestling match or an MMA match?

[Liquidrob]

To a wrestling match or an MMA match?

I dont think you can challenege someone to a pro wrestling match

[Anthony]

sigh

[Warner2BruceTD]

You know, for the people who hate pro wrestling, and resent it's connections to MMA, Lesnar is actually the best thing that could have happened to them.

For those who don't understand the history of MMA in Japan, it all really started with pro wrestler Antonio Inoki, who promoted shoot fights on his NJPW wrestling cards. What followed was the worked/shoot groups like UWFI (worked), Pancrease (shoot, but sometimes worked), the second UWFI (who knows, mostly worked), etc.

Many of the original professional MMA fights took place on wrestling shows. This led to a giant boom in business, but what Inoki failed to see was that his fans would inevitably start to compare the shoot matches to the more established worked matches, and the main core of his business would be exposed. (sidenote-pro wrestling is worked in a much stiffer style in Japan, unlike the cartoonish American style, and pre MMA, pro wrestlers were viewed as the toughest men alive in that culture)

The Japan MMA boom ultimately nearly killed pro wrestling in Japan. PRIDE took over, Bob Sapp emerged as a cultural icon, and the rest in history. Pro wrestling still exitst, and is somewhat popular, but has never been able to get back to pre MMA levels.

If Lesnar & Lashley (and more will follow as the money and notoriety becomes greater every day) capture the imagination of wrestling fans, and draw them to MMA, who knows? Maybe something similar will happen here.

I doubt it though, because in Japan, MMA to wrestling fans was like finding out Santa didnt exist. Americans already went through that phase 50 years ago.

[CrimsonGhost56]

funny how Pride would of been done and over with if pro wrestler Nobuhiko Takada had beaten Rickson Gracie during Pride 1.

[Anthony]

funny how Pride would of been done and over with if pro wrestler Nobuhiko Takada had beaten Rickson Gracie during Pride 1.

No one beats Rickson Gracie.

[Kuzzy Powers]

I dont think you can challenege someone to a pro wrestling match

You never watched an episode of Raw?

[Warner2BruceTD]

I think Lashley will be able to match up good with Brock speed and strength wise.

Lashley is a physical freak with amazing athleticism for a man his size. He's a top tier caliber wrestler, who has shown incredible explosiveness in all three of his fights.

With that said, Brock would smash him right now. Lashley was nearly tapped by journeyman Jason Guida, and had some trouble controlling him. He dominated Bob Sapp, but these days, unless you are a living cartoon character, everyone dominates Bob Sapp.

sherdog will crash when Dana announces Lesnar/Lashley for 2010, and there will be mass suicide when they actually main event a UFC ppv against each other.

[Liquidrob]

Lashley is a physical freak with amazing athleticism for a man his size. He's a top tier caliber wrestler, who has shown incredible explosiveness in all three of his fights.

With that said, Brock would smash him right now. Lashley was nearly tapped by journeyman Jason Guida, and had some trouble controlling him. He dominated Bob Sapp, but these days, unless you are a living cartoon character, everyone dominates Bob Sapp.

sherdog will crash when Dana announces Lesnar/Lashley for 2010, and there will be mass suicide when they actually main event a UFC ppv against each other.

I'd watch it, Brock would smash him though at this point, Brock is the naturally bigger man, I think Lashley wrestled at a lot smaller weight than Brock in college, I might be wrong, I'll have to check

[Steel Mamba]

Another brock thread?

[Steel Mamba]

You know, for the people who hate pro wrestling, and resent it's connections to MMA, Lesnar is actually the best thing that could have happened to them.

For those who don't understand the history of MMA in Japan, it all really started with pro wrestler Antonio Inoki, who promoted shoot fights on his NJPW wrestling cards. What followed was the worked/shoot groups like UWFI (worked), Pancrease (shoot, but sometimes worked), the second UWFI (who knows, mostly worked), etc.

Many of the original professional MMA fights took place on wrestling shows. This led to a giant boom in business, but what Inoki failed to see was that his fans would inevitably start to compare the shoot matches to the more established worked matches, and the main core of his business would be exposed. (sidenote-pro wrestling is worked in a much stiffer style in Japan, unlike the cartoonish American style, and pre MMA, pro wrestlers were viewed as the toughest men alive in that culture)

The Japan MMA boom ultimately nearly killed pro wrestling in Japan. PRIDE took over, Bob Sapp emerged as a cultural icon, and the rest in history. Pro wrestling still exitst, and is somewhat popular, but has never been able to get back to pre MMA levels.

If Lesnar & Lashley (and more will follow as the money and notoriety becomes greater every day) capture the imagination of wrestling fans, and draw them to MMA, who knows? Maybe something similar will happen here.

I doubt it though, because in Japan, MMA to wrestling fans was like finding out Santa didnt exist. Americans already went through that phase 50 years ago.

Sounds more like a catch 22 to me

[Champ]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9p4kKEpXnU"]YouTube - Bobby Lashley vs Bob Sapp [HQ][/ame]

[CrimsonGhost56]

^ a win over sapp isnt really that impressive. that fight went down almost the exact same as the mir-lesnar fight