In a world where WWE has merged with UFC, the wrestling industry is humming with speculations and expectations. One of the vocal wrestling experts analyzing this monumental transition is former WWE superstar, Matt Hardy, who recently opened up about his views on the merger, Vince McMahon’s legacy, and the potential for athletes crossing over between the two sports.
In an episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the seasoned wrestler offered undiluted praise for his former boss Vince McMahon, asserting that there’s no one who has left a more significant imprint on modern wrestling than him. Hardy emphasized, “Vince McMahon had a hell of a run. You can’t deny that… He ended up selling the company and leaving on top, which was just apropos considering his indomitable history.”
Hardy also shared his optimism for WWE’s potential rebranding in an effort to align more closely with its newly-merged entity, UFC. He believes this merger could spark innovative changes in terms of arena presentation and promotional strategies, essentially redefining the entertainment wrestling sphere.
However, on the topic of athletes transitioning between UFC and WWE, Hardy is somewhat skeptical. His doubts stem from the contrasting nature of the two sports and their distinct fan bases.
“I don’t think you’re gonna have a lot of UFC and shoot fighting fans jump over to wrestling just because it’s owned by the same company. Similarly, people that enjoy the theatrical world of pro wrestling are less likely to gravitate towards UFC,” Hardy rationalized.
Nevertheless, he acknowledges that the two extreme sports could offer mutual promotional benefits. With both of them under one organization, there’s a fertile ground for marketing possibilities.
In the past, MMA stalwarts like Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, and Conor McGregor have been associated with potential crossovers, sparking interesting debates and curiosity among fans. Whether or not we’ll see this in the future largely rides on the UFC-WWE merger’s success and fans’ acceptance.
As the world of sports entertainment dynamically changes, staying tuned is the only way to witness the unfolding of this exciting new era of wrestling.
