There's stupid and then, there's this.
As has been well-documented here and other sites, former WWE stud Brock Lesnar defeated Randy Couture for the UFC Heavyweight title. Guys like the Undertaker, Steve Austin and JBL are noted as avid fight fans and have been seen at UFC events. Dave Meltzer even noted that Executive VP Shane McMahon was at the Couture/Lesnar fight. UFC used some old Lesnar footage in helping promote the match, even though it was suspiciously absent from the Countdown preview show.
So when I read things like this today from a story congratulating Lesnar on his win on the WWE's site, it makes me shake my head. This is truly desperate:
"Critics have noted that many of the fights on the UFC pay-per-view ended in the first round, leaving UFC producers scrambling to fill the three-hour event with content. The dearth of hearty competition left many viewers to watch less prestigious under-card fights and only served to bolster claims that UFC pay-per-view events can often be a "crap shoot" in regards to filling the full three hours."
Scrambling? Crap shoot? Less prestigious? How stupid do they think fans are? That the organization actually fills out hours should say something for the quality of the product. That fans got to see the entire card on PPV last night should say something for the quality of the product. That fans were able to enjoy the Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night play out in full fashion should say something for the quality of the product.
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about 1 month ago
It's interesting that after all these years, Vince McMahon's top competition isn't another pro wrestling company.
from about 1 month ago
Actually, now that WWE is known as 'entertainment' and not 'sports entertainment,' I'm surprised they even made the comments. I wonder if they'll start ripping movies and tv the same way!
about 1 month ago
Mark my words, it make take year to come out, but UFC is predeterimed just like WWE.
Wrestling used to try and fool everyone years ago too in it's infancy.
Then when Vince took control he decided to come clean and admit matches are predeterimed and changed it to sports entertainment not just "entertainment"
UFC is the new "sports entertainment" even if they dont care to admit it yet.
Brock Lesnar winning will be a huge boast to a quickly growing UFC. It gives them better change then any other star other then Chuck Lidell of having a household name to build around. Nott o mention having Lesnas as champion will bring over wrestling fans.
Believe it, this wa all a planned out premeditated plan. Lesnar couldnt outwrestle a paperbag, could make a NFL practice squad. Every professional sport he tried he failed. But pro wrestling and now UFC.
Hmm he became champion in an organization that is prederimined in WWE and now the only second thing he succeded in is UFC.
from about 1 month ago
Sorry Charlie, you are way off base. I have people who fight and it is noe at all like pro wrestling in the good old days when I was a little tike, or now. I hate to say it, but Brock did this on his own merit, but by his humble speech after winning, I actually think he surprised himself with the win.
Nothing about the UFC is predetermined and that is exactly why all your WWE stars are in such awe of it--imagine, real fighting!
from about 1 month ago
wow just wow
sir i fight in amature mma matches...and its not fake my friend and neither is mma
your either stupid or jealus im not shure yet
but one thing is for shure
your are a moron
about 1 month ago
UFC is not pre-determined,stop wishing death to UFC just because WWE is dead....Hater!
about 1 month ago
The fighing is real. No one can deny the brutality and legitmacy of the fighting and athleticism, But, but, that doesnt mean they arent predetirming before the mainevent who wil win the title, to better optimize their business and money making.
Call UFC what you'd like, the fact of the matter is all sports franchises and teams owners, the bottom line is making money, and having Brock Lesnar as a young upstart champion is a marketing bonanza.
They couldnt get this lucky on the luckiest of days.
Sometimes luck and fate needs a little push.
With Lesnar as champ the sky's the limit for UFC.
Makes it all the little more suspicious.
from about 1 month ago
Sorry but I fight mma, have for 8 years and am 7-0 as pro. There is no way to predetermine a fight in mma. It's too easy to slip up with only 4 oz gloves, one wrong move and the "predetermined" winner is knocked out cold. You wouldn't see two guys that can punch over 1000 lbs. trading punches to the face if it were predetermined. Boxing was often rigged but it's easier to take a fall in boxing or lose by points because you're not eating elbows, knees and getting kicked in the head. You have nice fluffy 16 oz gloves. Look at Gabe Gonzaga v Cro Cop, does that look predetermined. That's just one example. I personally know Beth Franklin, Richs wife, she works for Dana White, basically his secretary. I've been training at vision in Cinci for awhile now and know several pros and have not ever heard of anyone taking a fall. I'm not just some person giving my opinions, I know the reality behind it. It will never get like pro wrestling, EVER. THat would defeat the point of having the UFC.
about 1 month ago
^^^ Idiot
about 1 month ago
Five stars and my POYD. Wish all the WWE writers were like you!
about 1 month ago
MMA is fixed? Huh? I guess there's a conspiracy theorist for everything, but this is a bit far-fetched and I think you know it, Ronnie.
about 1 month ago
Despite the fact that the WWE hyped the hell out of the Lesnar/Couture fight, Lesnar still spent several interviews downplaying his involvement in the WWE. He denigrated the work ethics and athleticism of pro wrestlers, likely to win over more of the ignorant die hard MMA fans that aren't willing to admit that it takes talent and hard physical work to be a pro wrestler.
Regardless of the above, was anything in that paragraph untrue? With the unpredictability of MMA fights, promoters are occassionally scrambling to fill the allotted time in a PPV. You pay more for a UFC PPV than either WWE or TNA, and there is no guarentee that you will see a "main event" fight last for more than one round, i.e. a few minutes. It *is* a crapshoot as to whether or not the scheduled fights will fill the allotted time of a PPV. If the fights are short, then other content has to be added to the broadcast. The WWE, on the other hand, or any wrestling promotion, scripts out the time to ensure that the content fills the span of the PPV. Nothing in their statement is untrue. It also bears noting that the WWE did not make the assertion themselves. The paragraph clearly notes that critics of MMA PPVs make these notations, not WWE officials.
It does, however, amuse me to no ends that the WWE is suddenly desperate if they make a comment about any other promotion, whether it be wrestling, football, or MMA. Yet, the fact that they promoted the hell out the Lesnar/Couture fight on their website seems to be ignored.
And by the way? You do a disservice to the women who are working hard in the WWE and have paid their dues. Mickie James is capable of great matches. Beth Phoenix works hard and wrestles her gimmick well. Melina is good in the ring. Nattie is a great technical wrestler. And so on and so forth. The WWE is finally starting to give them a little bit of time to shine. The result has been watchable, bordering on hopeful.
from about 1 month ago
Mina - I'm a wrestling fan and even I am thinking you're drinking the kool-aid a bit here. Can I ask if you're an MMA fan?
-There was a lot untrue in that paragraph. Do you honestly think officials were scrambling to fill content? They were plenty of fights on the card and thankfully, they made it on the show...and they were all good! I'd rather pay to watch three solid hours of quality action than 2:45 of a show where only several matches are PPV quality. Look at reviews of WWE ppv product over the past three years. How many great shows has there been? Three? Four?
-I never heard Lesnar once talk bad about WWE other than the contract issues he had, which shouldn't be ignored. He didn't focus on it, because he was doing mainstream media interviews and we know what they feel about pro wrestling anyway.
-UFC bought advertising on WWE.com. It wasn't good-natured promotion by WWE.
-Compared to the women's matches on TNA, the WWE women aren't coming close. The TNA ladies actually were the main event of a televised show recently and their crowd heat has been amazingly strong. The WWE has good female workers, but honestly, what's the last great WWE women's match?
If you're not a MMA fan, that's fine. But from someone that worked in sports marketing, has followed wrestling for 20 years and MMA/boxing for 10, there's no other way to say it: this was a desperate and unfortunate move for WWE.
about 1 month ago
Hi Josh. I had a detailed comment that I typed up and was reviewing before sending when I lost it in an IE update. I'm going to try again, but I doubt it will be as detailed a response.
I am becoming an MMA fan, based on my own participation in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a friend who is looking for a career in MMA. I may not have your credentials, but I have been around sports for a very long time, beginning at the age of 3 when I started an eight year journey as a gymnast, making it to the junior elite level before my parents yanked me out of the sport.
What I think about the included sentences regarding the well documented critics of MMA PPVs is that the WWE has a point. Wrestling fans paying for a PPV know which stars they will see and roughly for how long. A WWE main event is likely to be anywhere between 15 - 45 minutes long, depending. MMA fans know that the main event will be with two stars, but that fight may be over in the first round. *I* don't think that the officials are scrambling. I think they have back-up plans in case of short fights. Which is great, but that doesn't change the fact that the WWE is publishing an article that looks at the critics of MMA.
I am not getting into a TNA vs WWE women's matches. Or anything else, for that matter. The Knockouts were getting a good reception and the WWE responded by trying to bring back a measure of seriousness to their women's division. Good on them. Is it perfect yet? Is it the days of Trish and Mickie or Mickie and Lita or Trish and Lita? No. Not yet.
As for the quality of PPVs, I've not seen one WWE PPV that didn't have more than one element that made it worth watching this year. And several that had multiple amazing segments. But that's my opinion.
You're entitled to yours, I'm entitled to mine. I don't necessarily think it was the BEST move by the WWE, as it might alienate MMA fans. But I don't think it was desperate either. Perhaps we simply have different scopes of the definition of that word.
about 1 month ago
to be fair UFC did issue the first attack on the WWE, and even insulted the new SmackDown vs RAW video game. So I can se why they had some things to say to them, its going to be interesting
about 1 month ago
joe,being a true MMA fan i disagree with most of your points..but i do think you are on to something..surely lesner has hyped the ufc amaizinly and his couture victory will lead to the rise of ufc,but hey man thi is ufc....and u never know..it could be real!
about 1 month ago
I absolutely agree with this article. McMahon should have chosen to take the high road on this one. It's a good thing he came to his senses and had the posting removed from the site.
from about 1 month ago
Hey Jack - nice work...that's breaking news! I didn't even think they'd remove it, but just like that it's gone!
about 1 month ago
You know what, Josh, I reviewed the article on WWE.com before they took it down and compared it to what I could find on the critics of MMA PPVs. And, while everything that the WWE published was true about what the critics were saying, it took me some work to find that sort of talk. Which means the WWE must have had to do some work to find critics saying that. Which means I've reevaluated my opinion and pretty much agree that it was a bad move. :)
My apologies for the impassioned defense prior to doing the research I did later.
from about 1 month ago
No worries, Mina. I'm all for passionate WWE/wrestling fans AND MMA fans and you're definitely a big WWE fan, so that's all good with me.
And hey, it beats debating politics!
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