<header class="header"> [h=1]Bellator confirms 'Rampage' signing, includes TNA wrestling and reality series[/h] by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jun 04, 2013 at 12:15 pm ET </header> Bellator MMA today confirmed the signing of Quinton Jackson and unveiled a "monumental, multi-year partnership" that includes work with TNA Wrestling and a reality series geared around his MMA debut. Bellator, Spike TV and TNA Wrestling jointly announced the deal, which MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported earlier today. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. "'Rampage' is a true superstar both inside and outside the MMA cage," Bellator CEO and Chairman Bjorn Rebney stated. "The partnership that we've created with Quinton is unlike anything that's ever been done in the sports and entertainment arena, and 'Rampage' is the perfect athlete/entertainer to carry it off." Additional details will be announced at a Wednesday press conference in Los Angeles. Jackson (32-11 MMA, 0-0 BFC), a former PRIDE fighter and ex-UFC light-heavyweight champion, split with the UFC earlier this year following consecutive losses to champ Jon Jones, Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira. By that point, he relationship with the organization, including UFC President Dana White, had soured, and both sides suggested a split would be advantageous. Bellator and Spike TV, which Viacom owns, believe the 34-year-old should help sustain a ratings boost the organization saw earlier this year with its move from MTV2 to Spike TV. "We are thrilled to create this opportunity for one of the greatest athletes and personalities in MMA," Spike TV President Kevin Kay stated. "'Rampage' is a proven ratings driver who brings incredible star power to both Bellator and TNA."
Rampage is really green and has a bad work ethic I doubt he'll do well in pro wrestling. I think Lawal can be decent but he needs to work more.
Although Rampage gave up on the sport of MMA some time ago, I like him going to Bellator. Hopefully his name can help build their name. I don't even mind him doing the wrestling thing, and in all honesty I would probably check it out to see how he does. But a reality show that will probably be...like most reality shows...more scripted than his pro wrestling gig? I'll pass. TFK
At This Stage of his Career, REED Thinks Rampage is TAILOR MADE for Pro 'Rasslin, Especially SENIOR CIRCUIT Pro 'Rassling, like TNA.... The Reality Shows CAN Work, as Looooooooong as Rampage is WINNING Fights...Dude is DONE as a Championship Level Fighter, but he Can MILK his Name for a Few More Paydays... REED:hammert:
Dude loves a challenge and MMA just wasn't pushing him. Listen, I guess I appreciate the stunt work that is involved in Pro Wrestling, but to say it is harder than getting in a cage with a guy that wants to render you unconscious or break one of your limbs, well, I disagree. That is me putting it politely.
I think wrestling is harder. Guys work over 300 days a year. Most have fucked up knees, backs, concussions regularly. They have to work long matches and train all year long. An MMA fighter fights maybe twice or three times a year. not only are you wrestling, but now in wrestling you have to be great on the microphone. Which means you have lines and skits to remember and shit. Brock actually went to MMA because it was easier for him. But the problem is that it's real and his body does help him win. You have to win to stay relevant. Im sure Brock can go Bob Sapp mode and lose every few months and shit. Doesnt bother sapp.
I would say life as a WWE wrestler is harder than the life of a UFC fighter. You're on the road 4-5 nights a week 52 weeks a year. And you don't really have the option of taking time off like you could in the UFC. Plus, many of the injuries that cancel UFC fights won't cancel a WWE match. These guys work hurt all the time. I know wrestling is 'fake' and all, but what they do is by no means easy. Unless of course you sign a deal like Lesnar did where he only wrestles a few times a year. TFK
We're talking about Rampage specifically. Nothing he will do, associated with Pro Wrestling is harder than MMA. This is like Floyd Mayweather's little wrestling stint. Real hard, right? On top of that, SilentNight was implying that learning to pro wrestle is harder than MMA. False.
you might be right about the rampage aspect of it, but i dont know. That being said, i still think prowrestling can be harder to learn than MMA because in MMA your main objective is to hurt people. In Pro Wrestling, your main object is to not hurt people but look like you are. That is very difficult. Now of course someone in MMA that has many styles and huge pedigree obviously worked harder. But i doubt someone like CHuck Liddell worked hard at his craft.
No, it's harder to work in a factory and stay in the same spot without moving for 11 hours out of a 12 hour shift day after day. Come on. Almost everyone has the capacity and ability to become a decent pro wrestler. Relatively few have the capacity and ability to become a decent mma fighter. When you look at potential to become a top 10 person in either field, there will probably be at least 20 potentials for pro wrestling for every 1 mma. And no, not every mma guy has the potential to be a pro wrestler. There is an acting component to it. Yee fucking haw. Lots of people can act. Lots of people can act well. It's far easier to get body beautiful like a pro wrestler than it is to get body dominant like a pro mma athlete.
From what I see it looks like, like Lawal they want him to be a regular fixture on the TNA Show. Lawal's ring work is pretty bad and he's complained a lot about the rigors of the wrestling training and the psychology and learning how to work a match. Because ultimately theres a big difference between going out there and beating some scrub up than learning how to perform. That's what pro wrestling is, it's a performance and it takes years and years to learn how to do. Even guys like Lesnar who were pushed to the top quickly spent at least two years in developmental training...and he was one of the quickest most naturally talented wrestlers I've ever seen. That said, Lawal has a great work ethic and charisma and he can be a great fan favourite or villain with time. Rampage is naturally unlikable and seems to cry when he's disliked so I can only imagine how he'd respond to dead heat from a restless pro wrestling audience.
True, but REED Doesn't Think TNA Keeps Up the Kind of Schedule WWE Does...TNA is the SENIOR CIRCUIT of Pro "Rasslin"...When a Former Wrestler's Career is Circling the Drain, he Goes to TNA.... REED:hammert:
Rampage has a NATURAL, EVERYMAN Charisma About Him Though...Whether he's a Face or a Heel, Rasslin' Fans WON'T Be Indifferent About Him.... REED:nono:
[video=youtube;b9XwpKFl4i8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=b9XwpKFl4i8#at=87[/video] Booking him against the greatest already is certainly favourable. Rampage clearly has no idea how to cut a promo though. This feels really rushed. They basically did a similar bit with Lawal and haven't used him since. But the main reason for that is unlike Rampage, Lawal actually wants to learn how to perform and is currently in a developmental organization.
Hate to say I told you so... Lawal like I said has potential...he needs to get hooked up with some serious opponents though. He's wrestling guys in OVW that are nearly as bad as he is...and he's actually got great looks and athleticism and can easily perform decent mat wrestling stuff, but his chain wrestling is dreadful and he probably performed the worst submission hold I've ever seen in his last match. That said to be truly great he probably would have to give up MMA and I don't know if that's a good move for him.
At this point I'd rather see Rampage in wrestling than MMA. He’s become a lazy, unmotivated shell of himself. The longer he sticks around, the more he tarnishes his legacy. As we saw last night, his wrestling presence needs a lot of work. His ‘promo’ was awful and his facial expressions were even worse. But if he decides to take the wrestling gig seriously, he can make himself a nice living for another 10 years or so. TFK
That Wasn't All that Bad, for a Guy Doing it for the FIRST Fucking Time...Rampage was Obviously NERVOUS, but he Did OK, in REED's Opinion... He'll Only get Better & BETTER, the More he Does It...w/LESS Acting & MORE Emphasis on just Being HIMSELF (the Quirky HOOD Cat), Rampage will Be Fine...Also, he's Got a WRESTLING Base, he's STRONG as Shit & he's a Natural Born STREET FIGHTER...He'll Need to Learn a Couple SAFETY Nuances, but REED Doesn't Think the Transition will Be All that Difficult... Some of Ya'll Are Writing this Off Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay Tooooooooooooo EARLY... REED:hammert:
I think King MO blew it for everyone involved. The perfect scenario for all parties involved would have been King Mo coming in to Bellator like he did. Winning the tournament and winning the belt. Rampage coming in winning the tournament and challenging King MO to a superfight (By Bellator standards) that already has a couple of years of trash talking behind it. Not to mention they could have easily carried the "feud" over to TNA Wrestling and continue it there or build it up there before having the actual "REAL" Blow off match in Bellator for the title. So ya thanks King MO!
Prime time television in the second biggest org in the states is not a good place to learn, however. One bad run can bury a guy for an entire career unless he does something drastic and completely reinvents himself. Secondly, he needs to learn psychology...and Rampage is a lazy bum who hates training and probably wouldn't even bother to make it through the wrestling practices considering how hard and painful they are.
rampage has that 80s wrestling style going. He looks foolish IMO. He will be doing stupid grunting and fake angry face twitches like hogan and shit. <iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0wYs-0EO0ts" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
