Boxing, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts are similar businesses in the sense that all three rely on pay-per-view television for a large portion of their overall revenue. But does that make them competitors?WWE chairman Vince McMahon says boxing and MMA are competitors with each other, but that neither one takes pay-per-view revenue away from the WWE. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter in advance of WrestleMania XXV, McMahon talked about the UFC.
Most people thought at one point that we would be competitors. But it turns out they are not competition to us at all, or hardly at all. They are sport, we are entertainment; it's a huge difference. The revenue they have cut into is that of boxing.I'm not so sure the UFC has cut into the revenue of boxing. I tend to agree with Dave Meltzer, who wrote on Tuesday that "virtually all evidence points to pro wrestling and MMA appealing to similar demographics and boxing and MMA's audience being completely different."
Still, while I'm sure the UFC added some WWE fans when it signed Brock Lesnar, I don't think the UFC gaining those fans necessarily hurt the WWE. I just think that boxing, MMA and pro wrestling are three completely different entities, and they're not really competitors.
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I was in the crowd in montreal when vince screwed brett lol. Did not know much of the internet back then and was completly caught off guard.
I have not watched wrestling in years and maybe at first WWE and UFC where competitors but I think each has there fan base now.
Wow, you witnessed the Montreal Screwjob? That's awesome. I was at WrestleMania III and loved wrestling at the time, but I haven't really been a fan since I was a kid.
Yes growing up I was a huge pro wrestling fan. Just like mma it was big here in Quebec
Dino Bravo my all time favorite wrestler. And alot of love for the entire Rogeau and Vachon family.
Does anyone know how many pay-per-view buys Wrestlemania 25 is expected to get? Will it get as many as a big UFC show or an Oscar De La Hoya fight?
This brings back memories
couple tidbit that not everybody might know about Pro wrestling in Montreal
I was also at a show in Montreal where Jacques Rougeau legally pinned hulk hogan in a 1 on 1 bout with out any cheating.
Hogan later stated he had alot of respect for the rougeau familly and that he was the one to propose it to Jacques.
Also after one of his many retirement Hulk Hogan was in Montreal( I am pretty sure it was a Nitro show)I witnessed maybe the biggest ovation I have ever seen from any sport. It was really something
I am 32 BTW if it helps with the context
There is only so much money out there that consumers can spend on sports entertainment. The revenue generated by companies such as the UFC is definitely being taken from someone!
Boxing, in my mind, is the first obvious answer.
I have been a professional wrestling fan since the mid 80's when all the big guys, Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, were all huge stars. I rarely watch it today but am still a fan, however I think that McMahon is right. I've got love for MMA, Boxing, and Pro wrestling and think that for the most part they all reach different people. For example, WWE has been readjusting their programs to be more PG, where as MMA you have blood and knockouts that you typically won't find a 10 year old watching. Granted there's blood in WWE, you really don't see it as much now as compared to 10 years ago. Boxing is the same thing, 2 skilled fighters going at it. I must say that I don't really purchase any PPV's as the last few UFC's I have purchased have let me down and even though you can pretty much know what happens in WWE it's still exciting to see some of the moves and crazy stunts these guys will perform for the fans. To be honest, I'm a huge Jeff Hardy fan, and think that the luche libre style of wrestling is the most exciting, yet can also be the most dangerous.
while ufc is actual fighting and real the wwe is nothing but bad acting and stupid. drug overdoses and steroid rage is the norm in the silly so called sport.
i will take ufc any day over the wwe, the real competition is in mma.