It may have been part of the evolution of some pro wrestling to MMA, but it wasnt the root of MMA. MMA was around before that. Just because wrestlers decided to be part of it, doesnt mean said wrestlers are the root.
And you claimed this because top guys in UFC right now came from Pride right? And because Pride was so huge in Japan right?
No. Because, during the dark ages of the sport in North America, Pride was the top organization in the world.
Can we say that it wasnt so much of an evolution, since those wrestlers still did both? Pro Wrestling and MMA and to this day, they are still different here and in Japan. So can we just clean that up and say that those wrestlers evolved, but not so much the wrestling.
That's fair. But the wresters evolved, because the wrestling organizations gave them a platform to evolve.
Good. Now how can this be, when Durring the dark ages of UFC, UFC was pulling in over 600k in PPV for some events, while Pride could never break 80k?
Thats fine. But the wrestling orginzations gave them a platform that had already been in place by others decades before right? It was just those specific wrestlers who decided to try something new to them, but not new to history right?
Sure, people have always been fighting. It was something new for pro wrestling organizations to make money.
Hughes vs. Gracie doesn't qualify under dark ages. That was after TUF and after the Zuffa purchase, and after the bouts were finally sanctioned in the states. Pride was no longer carrying the load at that point.
Not all of it. I'm not trying to suggest it's all from pro wrestling. But, because of pro wrestling, it was given a platform to become popular in Japan. Parts of 70s pro wrestling eventually evolved into shoot matches, which eventually evolved into organizations like Shooto and Pancrase.
The bouts were sanctioned years before. But ok. You cant deny UFC 40 was in the dark ages right? It made 150k. Again more than Pride.
MMA was already popular in Japan. It was doing MMA again for 50 years prior to the 70s. Popular pro wrestlers trying their hand at it, just made it more popular. So its safe to say that MMA Roots are not that of Pro Wrestling, but that of MMA?
Asia, Brazil and Holland. That isnt exactly the world. But again, it wasnt popular enough to beat the UFC in PPV buys right?
So MMA was popular in the 60s in Japan? The 70s before Inoki? Cool. Who was fighting? Under what organization?
Perhaps I am stupid. But within 2 post I got you to recant your statement that I had an issue with. And you've been scrambling ever since. Not too shabby for a rah-tard.
If you know the history of the Harlem Globetrotters you would know that they were a professional basketball team from Harlem in the beginning. It wasn't a show. It was one of the only places black men could play professional basketball. Very similar to the Negro Leagues in baseball. The Harlem Globetrotters forced us to realize black men had a place in professional basketball and they opened many doors for future black men. They were a huge influence on the NBA. Just as the Negro Leagues were to MLB.
Im not sure if they had Orginzations. They had stars that fought and people came to watch them fight. Maeda was a huge star in Japan
So that proves that pride wasnt the top orginzation here in the states, even when UFC was in its Dark Days. Not so much influence if you ask me.
Cool. Who were some of the huge stars that bridged the gap between Maeda and the Inoki shoot fights in the 70s?