Combat Sports Athletes: Who Would Set the Wrestling World on Fire

The fact that Ronda Rousey set the wrestling world on fire is not surprising. She ticks all the boxes of Bret Hart’s three categories to being a great wrestler. She has an undeniable presence, wrestling ability, and is wonderful at promoting herself. So that got us thinking: Who in combat sports right now could follow in Ronda’s footsteps? Given Hart’s criteria these five look like WWE stars in the making:

Conor McGregor

McGregor has already crossed over to boxing, fighting Floyd Mayweather in the second most lucrative fight in combat sports history. That bout sold 4.3 million pay-per-view buys, and underscored the popularity of both men. McGregor could certainly follow this up and bring his trash talking ways and over-the-top personality to the WWE. He can be the NSFW version of The Rock, pissing off the entire WWE roster like only he could. He’d also be the perfect heel — brash, self-aggrandizing, and cocky.

Floyd Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather crossed over to the WWE years ago, memorably tussling with The Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV. The match showed that Mayweather certainly has a strong ring presence and temperament that would work well in wrestling. Considered the world’s best boxer, he would be a huge draw for both wrestling and boxing fans. The only issue is that he wouldn’t be able to remain undefeated in the WWE nor would he get paid $100 million for every match he featured in.

Tyson and Hughie Fury

The Fury cousins — Tyson and Hughie — could be Brothers of Destruction 2, mimicking the gimmick of “half-brothers” Undertaker and Kane. Tyson, the older cousin, already brings considerable fanfare as a former boxing heavyweight champion. Boxing journalist Darragh Murphy wrote an article on Joe.co.uk about Tyson’s career options reporting that he is actually open to joining the WWE. Asked in a Dave Allen podcast about that possibility, Tyson answered in the affirmative, noting that he “would consider it.” Given the Gypsy King’s popularity and colorful personality, it wouldn’t be that far-fetched if the McMahons were to offer Tyson a shot. Younger cousin Hughie, though, needs to do some catching up to reach Tyson’s level. A prediction piece on the Povetkin vs. Fury fight by bwin Boxing’s Stuart Walker explains how the British boxer become a world title contender after beating Samuel Peter in July. However his defeat to Povetkin shows that he still has a long way to go to replicate the success of his cousin. But the younger Fury is only 24, and has his whole career in front of him. That career may someday include a stint with the WWE, alongside his cousin Tyson. And as the Dudley Boyz, and Kane and the Undertaker showed, families are a big part of wrestling.

Colby Covington

Covington is a McGregor incarnate. He likes to talk trash, and is brash in every sense of the word. He ruffles feathers and invites controversy, which is always a good thing for the WWE. What’s interesting is that Covington already wants to crossover to the WWE. In fact, he wants to be the first ever to hold titles in the WWE and UFC at the same time. It’s an ambitious goal, but it would be a great storyline to follow.

Paige VanZant

VanZant, like Ronda, could be one of the company’s top Divas. VanZant’s rise in the UFC has stalled as of late, and that makes a wrestling crossover much more appealing. She knows it, and has hinted about making the leap — just not right now. “I’m not ready to leave the UFC just yet . . . ” said VanZant. “There’s probably huge potential for a crossover down the line and of course I’m a big fan of what they do, so it would be great to be a part of.” Rest assured the WWE would welcome VanZant, who would add star power to an already stacked women’s division.