MMA vs WWE: Which Is Better For Amateur Wrestling?

Schlottke · 07-18-2008, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by Adolf Oliverbush

Any time soon, it probably wont be happening. It's the 2nd generation MMA'ists who began training at 4 years old, who likely will not have a desire to go to college, when they are already ready to compete in the UFC or WEC.

What would the incentive be for those guys to put off making money for another 4 or 5 years? We have a lot of boxers turn pro prior to age 20 and many of them excell in the sport. Mike Tyson comes to mind but the list is far too long to compile here.

It depends upon how MMA progresses over the next 15 years and who is the major player(s) at the time. A lot can transpire in the next decade so its tough to gauge how many people would or wouldn't immediately jump into the league. Right now an MMA contract isn't even close to lucrative enough to set yourself up after a 5 year career, although I have little doubt that it will be in that time span.

Adolf Oliverbush · 07-18-2008, 09:43 PM

Also keep in mind that what may not seem lucrative to you or I, could seem like the best deal in the world to a teen that doesn't have a whole lot at the time.

Schlottke · 07-18-2008, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by Adolf Oliverbush

Also keep in mind that what may not seem lucrative to you or I, could seem like the best deal in the world to a teen that doesn't have a whole lot at the time.

Definitely.

MetsFan · 07-18-2008, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Adolf Oliverbush

I think you may be right. If anything, he learned from the school of hard knocks. But Tyson notwithstanding, the list of boxers not going to college, and instead turning pro shortly after high school is very long. Some Mexican fighters turn pro by age 16.

Those guys weren't going to college either though - so it's not like pro boxing lured them away from college boxing (which is an even lesser publicized sport than college wrestling). That's really my point with the Tyson reference - just one example of the many who turned pro because that's what they would do anyway - it wasn't that pro boxing was a more lucrative choice, it was the only choice.

Adolf Oliverbush · 07-18-2008, 10:27 PM

You don't know that they weren't going to college. Oscar DeLaHoya, for example, wanted to be an architect, but the money in boxing was too good to wait to turn pro after pursuing his education. He's talked about doing it after boxing, because it's something he wanted to do all along.

You can't just assume that because a young fighter turns pro, that he had no ambition of going to school and furthering his education. The fact is you do what you have to do and to many of these young fighters, the $ right now is more appealing than waiting several years after you get your education.

And that's the point i"m trying to make about MMA. Before MMA, wrestlers didn't have a whole lot of options to make money with wrestling, so they went to school, got their education and made their living doing something else. Now they do have another option. To many, what's the point of getting their degree if they are going to be fighting for a living, not working in an office?

MetsFan · 07-18-2008, 10:46 PM

I see your point. I would venture to say, though, that Oscar is more the exception than the norm - and he was an Olympic champion with a huge following due to the heartstring story with his mom to boot (a case of strike while the iron is hot). And, although we worry and struggle with reduced wrestling opportunities, there remain a lot more of those, with schollies, etc., than there are or have ever been for collegiate boxing. Boxers generally did not & do not have the opportunity to get their schooling paid for through their sport and then go pro as wrestlers would with MMA. So, while I can see it drawing some guys away from college, I don't know if I can see it being that big of an impact on the guys who actually want to go to college and have the ability to wrestle on that level - unless of course it becomes outrageous salaries or perceived easy money.

Adolf Oliverbush · 07-18-2008, 11:03 PM

I would hope that it didn't take a single person away from college wrestling, as a matter of fact, I wish it would lead to more college wrestlers. I suppose we will see, but I am not optimistic about either of those two scenarios. Where there is money, people will follow.

MetsFan · 07-18-2008, 11:05 PM

"Where there is money, people will follow."

Very true.

DH · 07-19-2008, 01:35 AM

I think people are catching on that if you want to succeed in MMA, one of the best backgrounds you can get growing up is to wrestle in HS and college. I see MMA as nothing but positive for the sport.

As for the Olympic level, those who want to be in the Olympics will continue to pursue their dream since being an amateur athlete isn't bout money anyways. For those who want to be an athlete and also make a living off of it, they will go to MMA. If an athlete's heart is in the sport for the value of being an Olympic champ and not for money, they aren't going to get torn away from their dream. And since most fighters peak later than most wrestlers, you can still compete in MMA after your Olympic wrestling career is over. (Like Henderson, Couture, Lindland, etc).

DH · 07-19-2008, 01:36 AM

Originally Posted by Avallone

I know at our school we have a group of wrestlers that are training MMA in the summer instead of freestyle.

That is awesome.

MMA vs WWE: Which Is Better For Amateur Wrestling?

MMA, UFC, & Boxing