MMA Fighters who tried Pro Wrestling

[karl100589]

Is there a list of MMA fighters who went into wrestling after their career was over? I know the obvious ones like Shamrock, Severn, Ronda etc but are there any less obvious examples. 

I run a MMA themed channel on YouTube and think it might make a good video topic, especially come Wrestlemania time.

[Joe Neglia]

Mar 10, 2019 15:41:31 GMT -5 karl100589 said:

Is there a list of MMA fighters who went into wrestling after their career was over? I know the obvious ones like Shamrock, Severn, Ronda etc but are there any less obvious examples. 

I run a MMA themed channel on YouTube and think it might make a good video topic, especially come Wrestlemania time.

Shamrock was a pro wrestler who tried MMA. Started in "the business" in 1988 and got into MMA during a Japan tour in 1992.

[Deleted]

Sonya Deville
Shayna Baszler and Ronda’s goon squad
Matt Riddle

[Mozenrath]

Are we also talking martial artists like Bischoff or the like, or strictly MMA?

[Allie Kitsune]

Do people who flirted with TNA but ultimately never signed full-time (like Tito Ortiz, King Mo, and Rampage Jackson) count?

[Fundertaker]

NJPW had a bunch in the Inoki MMAdness years. Tsuyoshi Kosaka, Bas Rutten, Jan Nortje, Lyoto Machida, Josh Barnett, Don Frye, Musashi and many others. And this is not counting guys who started as pro-wrestlers and went into MMA and back like Bob Sapp.

[2coldMack is even more baffled]

Kazuyuki Fujita, a lout with a remarkably unshatterable cranium that apparently made him qualified to be IWGP Champ.

[Fundertaker]

Mar 10, 2019 16:47:51 GMT -5 2coldMack is even more baffled said:

Kazuyuki Fujita, a lout with a remarkably unshatterable cranium that apparently made him qualified to be IWGP Champ.

He started as a pro-wrestler.

[2coldMack is even more baffled]

Mar 10, 2019 16:49:01 GMT -5 Fundertaker said:

Mar 10, 2019 16:47:51 GMT -5 2coldMack is even more baffled said:

Kazuyuki Fujita, a lout with a remarkably unshatterable cranium that apparently made him qualified to be IWGP Champ.

He started as a pro-wrestler.

Oh, fair enough, I assumed he started as an amateur, did MMA, and then went pro. My mistake.

[honsou]

Mar 10, 2019 16:49:01 GMT -5 Fundertaker said:

Mar 10, 2019 16:47:51 GMT -5 2coldMack is even more baffled said:

Kazuyuki Fujita, a lout with a remarkably unshatterable cranium that apparently made him qualified to be IWGP Champ.

He started as a pro-wrestler.

You honestly would of never known it given his entire offense in pro wrestling was "kneeing someone while they were in the turtle position"

[Fundertaker]

Mar 10, 2019 17:41:17 GMT -5 honsou said:

Mar 10, 2019 16:49:01 GMT -5 Fundertaker said:

He started as a pro-wrestler.

You honestly would of never known it given his entire offense in pro wrestling was "kneeing someone while they were in the turtle position"

I don't think he spent even an year after ending his dojo training in pro-wrestling before getting into MMA and he didn't make many pro-wrestling matches anyway. But he was trained in the NJPW dojo. However, he was one of Inoki's boys and when Inoki began UFO (Universal Fighting Organization) Fujita was like the 2nd person he chose to go there after Ogawa (who may qualify for this if judokas turning pro-wrestlers count).

[Mozenrath]

Mar 10, 2019 18:43:18 GMT -5 Fundertaker said:

Mar 10, 2019 17:41:17 GMT -5 honsou said:

You honestly would of never known it given his entire offense in pro wrestling was "kneeing someone while they were in the turtle position"

I don't think he spent even an year after ending his dojo training in pro-wrestling before getting into MMA and he didn't make many pro-wrestling matches anyway. But he was trained in the NJPW dojo. However, he was one of Inoki's boys and when Inoki began UFO (Universal Fighting Organization) Fujita was
like the 2nd person he chose to go there after Ogawa (who may qualify for this if judokas turning pro-wrestlers count).

I can't read about Fujita without thinking of Seanbaby describing Fujita's fighting stategy thusly.

1. Receive beating until opponent falls asleep. 2. Maul opponent's unconscious body. 3. Realize that the celebration banana was a trick and that you've once again been led into a cage for safe transport.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

Tom Lawlor comes to mind but he was two years in pro wrestling before he went MMA and than back to pro wrestling.

[Gus Richlen: Ruffian]

Mar 10, 2019 16:40:56 GMT -5 Fundertaker said:

NJPW had a bunch in the Inoki MMAdness years. Tsuyoshi Kosaka, Bas Rutten, Jan Nortje, Lyoto Machida, Josh Barnett, Don Frye, Musashi and many others. And this is not counting guys who started as pro-wrestlers and went into MMA and back like Bob Sapp.

War Master was even a title contender at a Wrestle Kingdom.

[MolotovMocktail]

Sylvester Terkay.

[Deleted]

Ron H20 Waterman

[Deleted]

Mark Coleman comes to mind. I know he wrestled for one of the Japanese promotions, not sure which one.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Mar 10, 2019 16:30:36 GMT -5 Joe Neglia said:

Mar 10, 2019 15:41:31 GMT -5 karl100589 said:

Is there a list of MMA fighters who went into wrestling after their career was over? I know the obvious ones like Shamrock, Severn, Ronda etc but are there any less obvious examples. 

I run a MMA themed channel on YouTube and think it might make a good video topic, especially come Wrestlemania time.

Shamrock was a pro wrestler who tried MMA. Started in "the business" in 1988 and got into MMA during a Japan tour in 1992.

Yeah he started as a wrestler called Vince Torelli, I think.

Dan Severn also started as a pro wrestler before going to mma.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Mar 10, 2019 21:23:13 GMT -5 @hedm2005 said:

Mark Coleman comes to mind. I know he wrestled for one of the Japanese promotions, not sure which one.

Well he had a fake match in early Pride after all

Don Frye became a mainstay in njpw for some weird reason.

Shayna Baszler became such a joke and got fired from ufc that pro wrestling was the only thing that was left.

[evenbroddt]

Mirko made at least one appearance at a HUSTLE show I believe.