Though pundits and fans could tally the differences between MMA fighting and pro wrestling indefinitely, the ongoing success of athletes in both industries hints that these discrepancies may not be that big of a deal.
Even so, moving from a chokeslam to a round kick may sound difficult, if not impossible, for most athletes. However, MMA and pro wrestling have porous boundaries, and more than one big name has achieved greatness fighting in both styles.
WWE stars have looked to make the leap to MMA, such as Dave Batista’s 2012 match against Vince Lucero. Though there was much hype surrounding Batista’s single MMA fight, the Lucero faceoff was considered a sloppy and underwhelming performance by many.
Even so, millions tuned in for the event. When it’s time for a big-name debut match, the odds of the operators in platforms like OddsChecker reflect the fighting history of each athlete entering the ring. But in this case, Batista’s only record stemmed from his time with the WWE, which meant spectators were in for a treat to see how the 43-year-old star would handle his first MMA fight.
Though Batista defeated Lucero via TKO, the fight doesn’t represent the best of the MMA-WWE crossover success. Historically speaking, the smoothest and most successful transitions have come from MMA stars moving to the WWE—not the other way around, as in Batista’s case.
Shayna Baszler
Prior to her move to the WWE, Shayna Baszler accrued one of the most varied lists of accomplishments in MMA. After training in catch wrestling under Bill Robinson, she became the US’s first female catch wrestler. From there, she expanded her repertoire to include Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu.
After bouts in Elite Xtreme Combat, Strikeforce, Freestyle cage Fighting, and a two-year stint with the UFC. During her time with the UFC (2013-2015), Baszler began training with Josh Barnett (also on this list), who is responsible for dubbing her the ‘Queen of Spades’.
She’s also a two-time NXT Women’s Champion and Women’s Tag Team Champion alongside Nia Jax.
Brock Lesnar
Though stories like Shayna Baszler’s are common (if not less successful), Brock Lesnar is the poster-boy for crossover success in the fighting world. Not only has he accomplished feats in both worlds, but he’s moved back and forth between the industries multiple times. To date, he’s the only athlete to hold both UFC and WWE titles.
Lesnar began in the WWE in 2002, then looked to jump to the NFL in 2004. After failing to make the Minnesota Vikings squad, Lesnar joined the NJPW before moving on to MMA in 2006. In 2008, he took his UFC title after defeating Randy Couture and then went on to become UFC’s highest-paid athlete in 2010.
In 2012, Lesnar rejoined the WWE, where he went on to defeat John Cena to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion once again. Though Lesnar isn’t signed to the WWE anymore, it’s still possible he’ll make a reappearance someday—especially with rumors swirling in 2021 that fellow crossover star Bobby Lashley was expecting a rematch.
Josh Barnett
As a talented collegiate wrestler, Barnett always had a future in MMA in mind. Trained in catch wrestling, Barnett went on to start his career in the late 90s to great success. By 2000, he’d managed to defeat Dan Severn (another champion of the MMA-WWE crossover variety), which helped propel Barnett to then defeat Randy Couture to become the youngest UFC heavyweight champion in history at age 24.
Though disciplinary issues barred him from continuing in UFC, Barnett quickly transitioned to a successful start in the NJPW in 2003. As he worked to return to the world of MMA, Barnett built a solid pro wrestling personality that stuck with fans even after he began wrestling in Pride and Strikeforce as early as 2013.
Issues in 2021 saw Barnett switch to Bellator, though he also continues to contribute to pro wrestling. His most active role is as an English commentator for NJPW broadcasts.
