WWE & UFC for the kids

ccbig · 02-14-2008, 11:36 AM

As a youth coach I have been amazed how many parents and kids thought youth wrestling was anything like WWE or the UFC. I have had to explain many times to some of these misguided people that youth and high school wrestling does not allow punches or kicks etc.

Do you think either the WWE or UFC have a positive or negative effect on the real sport of wrestling at the youth & high school levels and the perception of what the sport of wrestling is about?

ODH · 02-14-2008, 11:42 AM

My opinion:
WWE 100% negative
UFC is mixed. Good exposure for ex-wrestlers and their skills, bad becasue people can associate the violence and brutality with wrestling.

Ground&Pound · 02-14-2008, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by ODH

My opinion:
WWE 100% negative
UFC is mixed. Good exposure for ex-wrestlers and their skills, bad becasue people can associate the violence and brutality with wrestling.

I agree with both points.

-------------
Another thought...

Should you add boxing to the list?

If MMA is considered brutal because of punches then we should not rule out boxing.

Do a youtube search of the best boxing knockouts and you will see some serious brutality.

While your at it, check out the best football hits and hockey hits.

You'll find pure physical violence.

ODH · 02-14-2008, 12:24 PM

Boxing has been popular for a long time and no one mixes up boxing and wrestling.

Living in PA you might find it hard to believe how many people don't really distinguish amatuer wrestling from pro wrestling.

ideamark · 02-14-2008, 10:22 PM

In interviewing college wrestlers for RevWrestling, one of my standard questions is "How did you get started in the sport?"...

... and I've lost count of how many have said they expected something WWE-ish when they went to their first practice session or match. More than one has joked about being disappointed in not being able to wear a costume, jump off the top rope, or bash an opponent with a chair.

I'm not kidding. At least a couple US Olympic medalists have told similar stories. Then again, most of these guys were 4-6 years old when they started in the sport...

Too many Americans confuse real wrestling with the WWE. It doesn't help when you have a 2x NCAA heavyweight champ and Olympic gold medalist put on his WWE act at an NCAA event (the unveiling of the NCAA 75th Anniversary team). Real wrestling should do everything it can to separate itself from today's WWE.

Mark

Spider · 02-15-2008, 08:28 AM

When I was in high school and a member of the team would ask the coach, "Who am I going to fight today?" the coach would emphatically correct him with, "You're not going to fight anyone, you're going to wrestle so-and-so." Wrestling is intense, but it's not brutal, and this is what separates it (elevates it ?) from it's bastard cousins WWE and UFC.

ccbig · 02-15-2008, 09:18 AM

I really think WWE does a lot of damage to the amateur sport of wrestling.

I was very pleased when the WWF had to testify before Congress that their stuff was all a "performance" many years ago.

I have a mixed reaction about the UFC. I like that it is a real competition. I like how they talk about the needed wrestling skills to perform well in MMA.

In the long run I think the popularity of MMA will help increase interest and participation in wrestling at the youth & high school levels as long as we can educate the public about the difference between wrestling and MMA.

VonVesthell · 02-15-2008, 08:17 PM

I am speculating that the proponants against MMA are against it for one reason, blood. Am I wrong to assume that?
I also find it insanely impossible that several of you have come across people, specifically in wrestling, that at one time assumed that they were getting into the "fake" wrestling. ( I can see where that can happen, especially at the younger ages).
I would have to argue that MMA is helping the sport of wrestling far more than it is hurting it. People are becoming more acquainted with wrestling, and it is bringing more exposure.
If it is not the blood in MMA that turns you off, then what is it?
For the longest time I would have argued wrestling to be the pinnacle in sport, (from a combative, conditioning, and technical level), but MMA far surpasses wrestling.

ODH · 02-15-2008, 09:39 PM

The violence of punches, knees and elbows to the face is the turn-off for most. The standing 8-count makes boxing less brutal to the casual spectator.
When someone gets knocks silly and then gets pounced on and punched when he is defenseless until the ref pulls him off is just too much for many.

You could argue what overall is the pinnacle in sport, but as far as High School and Collegiate sports, nothing still compares to wrestling.

ccbig · 02-15-2008, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by VonVesthell

I am speculating that the proponants against MMA are against it for one reason, blood. Am I wrong to assume that?
I also find it insanely impossible that several of you have come across people, specifically in wrestling, that at one time assumed that they were getting into the "fake" wrestling. ( I can see where that can happen, especially at the younger ages).
I would have to argue that MMA is helping the sport of wrestling far more than it is hurting it. People are becoming more acquainted with wrestling, and it is bringing more exposure.
If it is not the blood in MMA that turns you off, then what is it?
For the longest time I would have argued wrestling to be the pinnacle in sport, (from a combative, conditioning, and technical level), but MMA far surpasses wrestling.

I did have a first year wrestler try to do a drop kick. Despite what he was told several times that this was not like the WWE he could not get it through his head at first. He kept trying to do what he saw on t.v.

Since he had a problem understanding I paired him with a very experienced wrestler that was his size for a time. The experienced wrestler made short work of him and seemed to finally get his attention to try to do the moves we were coaching that night.

Sadly though the kid had some potential he seemed to lose interest when he became fully aware we did not punch and kick and didn't return after a few weeks of practices.

As for MMA and the UFC- I love the sport! My only concern is going through another version of having to again make people understand that MMA is not what youth and high school wrestling is about.

For people not familiar with the sport they often times honestly don't know there is a difference!

WWE & UFC for the kids

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