My Take On: Heroes & Villains In MMA & Pro Wrestling’s Influence

As a wrestling fan, I tend to see a lot of pro-wrestling influences making their way into Mixed Martial Arts. While some feel that this has led to unsportsmanlike conduct, I feel it has added a new dimension to the sport that allows us to connect with fighters for more than just their fighting prowess. One of the earliest UFC fighters that emulated the promo-style in my eyes was Tito Ortiz. Tito mocked opponents and celebrated victories with mock burials. Fans longed to see what t-shirts he’d wear even before setting foot in the octagon. His heelish behavior ensured that fans and detractors alike would tune in to either see him win or to get his ass kicked. I am sure that the UFC didn’t mind the revenue being generated by his antics as it drummed up interest. Let’s fast forward a bit to more recent events and discuss another MMA villain. That, my friends is Chael Sonnen – who personally I find quite amusing. Chael Sonnen went out of his way to get under Anderson Silva’s skin with his promises of beating Silva’s face in. Sonnen’s trash-talking sold me on dropping $60 for that PPV, and win or lose it needed to be seen just because his shit was unreal. Obviously, we all know the outcome of that fight but who can forget the legendary sound bytes  that were born during the build to that fight.  The”World’s Most Interesting Man” promo was one that sticks out in my mind.  Also, of course, the multiple Press Day antics.

 

Of course, sometimes the villains draw so much attention that their actions take away from a whole card. See Brock Lesnar’s post-fight antics that angered both sponsors, fans and even fellow fighters. Hell, from that moment Brock Lesnar used his WWE heat tactics to become one of the most hated heavyweights in recent memory.  I remember watching his post-fight commentary in awe since he really didn’t give a fuck about consequences. That commentary did get him into some trouble, but again we were hooked. If Brock were a humble and quiet guy would we really give a damn about his fights?

Bottom line – villainy in sports is needed in order to build hype. It has always existed whether it is face to face, via Twitter, YouTube and even Facebook. The tools available to sell fights are greater now and allow fighters to take the trash talking to a whole new level of interactivity. Struve And McCorkle showed how Twitter could be an effective medium for exchanging jabs to build interest. Hell, even UFC president Dana White cemented himself as a villain recently with one single tweet aimed at Fedor’s loss at the Strikeforce Grand Prix. All it took was a to unleash a torrent of commentary from MMA fans worldwide. Sure it was a shitty thing to do, but again the villainy made for some legendary comments from fans and Dana alike.

There are of course times when emotions and shit-talking do not mix and lead to some unfortunate consequences. Paul Daley’s post-fight punch to Josh Koscheck cost him a career in the UFC, Mayhem Miller’s altercation with the Cesar Gracie team led to consequences for Strikeforce and CBS, and most recently the heated exchanges between Jorge Rivera and Michael Bisping resulted in a wealth of controversy from illegal knees to Rivera’s corner being spit on. The build to the Bisping/ Rivera fight was insane and added a spark to a card that on paper didn’t look appealing, but delivered with regards to fan interest in the Bisping/Rivera fight.

Before you are quick to write off the influence of pro-wrestling in MMA, think of all the many undeniable memories it’s influence has helped create. See such thing like flashy entrances from guys like King Mo, who has gone on record acknowledging wrestling as a part of his persona. 

Every sport needs guys to boo, and MMA has done a great job of helping that along. Villains are a must and necessity in every sport. Before you gripe about the trash talking and other antics, ask yourself if you would have watched certain fights without them.  Do you guys feel villains help sell fights? Sound off in the comments.