Mixed Martial Arts is a sport that thrived on the blueprint that professional wrestling came up with. The way in which professional wrestling shows influenced the MMA promotions out there, cannot be ignored no matter how much the MMA fans out there hate so-called ‘fake’ wrestling.
This is probably the reason MMA stars find it easy to cross over to wrestling and turn into success stories. A lot of names have crossed over and promotions like WWE are still trying to bring in some big names into the wrestling business.
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While WWE is busy running behind the bigger draws like Conor McGregor, Paige VanZant and Ronda Rousey, there are some lesser known stars that could make a name for themselves in the WWE and in this list, we will be taking a look at them.
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#5 Tom Lawlor
Unlike other names in the list, Tom Lawlor is someone that tried his hand in professional wrestling. He tried out for WWE a few years back and even worked for Ring of Honor when he became the manager of Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly and the tag team went up against Young Bucks.
But what gets Lawlor on this list is his cosplays that he rolls out every time he has a fight. He once dressed up as Conor McGregor and gave new fans a big headache. The guy even did a Shockmaster cosplay and as professional wrestling fans, we know how funny that is.
Lawlor has a great character as well and the video below is going to make you fall in love with him more.
#4 Clay Guida
Also known as “The Carpenter”, Clay was known for living in his RV which was near his training base. He would then drive his RV to his fights and this story is enough to show how crazy this guy is.
The nickname that we mentioned earlier comes from the part-time job that he used to do in his early days, from there, Clay went on to become the inaugural Strikeforce Lightweight champion and holds victories over big names like Rafael Dos Anjos and Anthony Pettis.
Apart from his crazy looks and impressive backstory, Clay also brings a rabid style into the Octagon making him a colourful character altogether. With a lot of MMA experience on his resume, he would have a dope move set if he decides to move into the wrestling business.
#3 Felice Herrig
Let’s get some WMMA action into the list and who better than Felice Herrig to raise the temperature. Herrig is known for her awesome social media presence and could give the current female performers a run for their money. It was at The Ultimate Fighter where fans got a real taste of Herrig.
She never hesitated to showcase her well-toned body during the show and this earned her a big following. But it’s not about the looks only; Herrig is deadly when it comes to fighting. She has a kickboxing record of 23-5 and in MMA; she is currently 11-6.
While she has not received the mainstream attention that most of the other fighters get, Herrig is marketable to the core.
#2 Alan Jouban
Let’s face it, having ‘the looks’ is a great add-on if you are pursuing a career in professional wrestling and Jouban comes with plenty of it. The current UFC star is of French and Syrian descent and has the looks of a Greek God. But the highlight is that he was a professional model before stepping into the Octagon.
Now, how often can you get that combination in MMA? The picture below seems like he stepped straight out of a gangster movie from the 90s.
And if you thought Jouban only has the looks, think again. Below is his debut in professional MMA where he knocked out his opponent in just 15 seconds.
Jouban currently has a record of 15-4 in MMA and with such looks and skills; professional wrestling could be an alternative career choice for him.
#1 Jason Miller
Miller is a character both inside and outside the Octagon. Inside the Octagon, his most infamous incident came when he sparked off the Nashville brawl in Strikeforce, involving the Diaz Brothers.
He has had a lot of legal trouble in his life and one of the stories revolve around him sleeping naked inside a church. He has also had numerous charges of domestic violence filed against him and like some Hollywood film, the SWAT team was once engaged in a five-hour standoff to arrest him.
Can you imagine the SWAT team waiting FIVE FREAKING HOURS to arrest this guy?
But that isn’t even the best part: Miller was live tweeting the whole thing throughout those five hours. Now how crazy can someone get?
A year later, he was arrested for injuring security officers, adding to his long list of real-life shenanigans. He is a real life bad guy and with the deadly MMA skills, he wouldn’t need any other gimmick to make it in the professional wrestling business.
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