The WWE and the NBA

[Clay Davis]

You're going to call me insane but professional wrestling is actually an amazing base for MMA.

One of the best MMA fighters of all time was Kazushi "The Gracie Slayer" Sakuraba, who defeated the Gracie's. Kazushi Sakuraba actually had a background in professional wrestling, and it was his wrestling training that strongly informed his MMA. More specifically, the style of wrestling he used was called "catch wrestling". His victories over the Gracie's represent the rizz of catch wrestling/professional wrestling triumphing over Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

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Another famous catch wrestler is Erik Paulson. Erik Paulson was a contemporary of the Gracie's and trained with them. He trained everywhere, actually. One of his teachers was Billy Robinson, who also taught Sakuraba. He was inexplicably left off of the early UFC rosters. People say it's because he would have dominated and demonstrated that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Billy Robinson also taught Ric Flair and the Iron Sheikh.

Another famous catch wrestler is Genki Sudo. Genki Sudo is also a certified chef, an actor, a singer, and even started an amateur baseball league. He is a true Renaissance man.

Personally, I think that current grappling would not be what it was without professional wrestling (because of how many catch wrestling coaches also taught professional wrestlers).

Professional Wrestling is amazing and wrestlers have amazing rizz as athletes. Honestly, it's as physically demanding an art as can be imagined. Taking all those smacks, slams, and being a safe training partner requires an extremely high amount of skill and dedication.

[MoneyBall]

I totally understand not liking the results of the lottery, but it doesn't follow that the NBA lottery is rigged.

[MEDIC]

Haha.

They have a really messed up brand of basketball. That's why I have always liked NCAA & Olympic basketball a lot more.

The only reason I started watching the NBA was because were given a local team. Before that, I only watched NCAA.

I love the sport of basketball (youth level, NCAA, FIBA), but have never really liked the NBA.

I agree that the NCAA and FIBA product can be more entertaining, but I also like to watch the world's best athletes competing when I watch a sport.

That's why the Olympics is the best form of basketball. You get the best ot both worlds..Lebron being forced to play by real basketball rules? Sign me up.

[Dr Positivity]

Why would NBA prefer Flagg in Dallas to Chicago? I'd want the Bulls with a star again.

[bluerap23]

So back when I was very little and the WWE (known then as WWF) was still real to me, something happened that stole my innocence. The match in question was The Ultimate Warrior vs Papa Shango (later known as the Godfather with the Ho Train). The match went out to the floor and Papa Shango (a Witch Doctor gimmick) then started to gyrate his body and do some incantations as to put a "spell" on the Ultimate Warrior. The Warrior fell to the ground and started convulsing vomiting green goo from his mouth.

As a kid who thought wrestling was real and would argue with friends about it, I knew then that the WWF was scripted and results were predetermined. I thought this was the stupidest thing I've ever seen. My childhood innocence was stolen that night. Tonight is another.

When I was little, shortly after learning wrestling was fake, I had a friend who explained that most sports are just entertainment and rigged. He made a strong argument. We see it all the time in the NBA and it just ruins the game so bad. This one was especially painful because of the Laker connection.

[Raps in 4]

Haha.

They have a really messed up brand of basketball. That's why I have always liked NCAA & Olympic basketball a lot more.

The only reason I started watching the NBA was because were given a local team. Before that, I only watched NCAA.

I love the sport of basketball (youth level, NCAA, FIBA), but have never really liked the NBA.

I agree that the NCAA and FIBA product can be more entertaining, but I also like to watch the world's best athletes competing when I watch a sport.

That's why the Olympics is the best form of basketball. You get the best ot both worlds..Lebron being forced to play by real basketball rules? Sign me up.

The only thing that sucks about the Olympics is that the US is so stacked compared to any other country.

I'd love a USA vs. World tournament every few years.