Conor McGregor makes it his business to knock out professional fighters that have dedicated their lives to training and getting better at their craft. These are elite, top-of-the-line performance athletes that are immersed in the art of inflicting bodily harm on others while staying in the clear themselves.
Pro-wrestlers on the other hand, are able-bodied performers that endure an inordinate amount of risk taking and a great deal of physical duress, but essentially work with one another to put on a show for the audience.
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Let that sink in for a moment.
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So you would agree with me when I surmise that although the two industries enjoy quite the overlap in fan demographic, MMA and pro-wrestling are two entirely different kettles of fish.
Remember Daniel Puder, who trained MMA, almost breaking Kurt Angle’s arm? Or an out of shape Butterbean knocking out Bart Gunn, who basically scythed his way through the roster to even earn the right to face him?
And of course, who could forget Floyd Mayweather breaking Big Show’s nose with ease?
You get the point.
Or if you need further proof of the disparity between the two fiefdoms, take 2-odd minutes out to watch CM Punk get decimated by UFC fledgling, Mickey Gall. That should quash any lingering doubts.
The concept that a WWE Superstar could hang in a fight against Conor McGregor, then, would be laughable wouldn’t it? We agree. And we take it one step further by taking the time to come up with a list of who should get into a scuffle with the poster boy of the UFC as well.
If for nothing else, then at least to enjoy the sight of them getting knocked out cold by him.
#5 Roman Reigns
Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him. You certainly react to him. And the WWE certainly keeps shoving him down our throats.
And as much as the WWE sugar coats it by terming it as “evoking emotion”, they can’t deny that Roman Reigns is supposed to be a pure babyface who is resoundingly booed out of almost every arena that he performs in.
Let’s not kid ourselves here. There is genuine dislike for Roman Reigns and much of it stems from the fact that Vince McMahon hand-picked him over other “deserving” candidates and strapped a rocket to his back.
There was a brief respite in his stratospheric push when he failed their Wellness policy, but after spending some time in the upper mid card (where he captured the US Title no less), Roman is back to the top of the hierarchy, challenging Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal Title.
It is likely that Roman Reigns will rule the WWE roost for the years to come, but for whoever is not down with that, I’ve got two words for you!
Conor McGregor!
#4 Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman may be one of the greatest exponents of the microphone in WWE history, but the modus operandi of his current avatar as the advocate to Brock Lesnar rubs a lot of people the wrong way.
It’s somewhat ironical how sharp-tongued Paul Heyman can be when juxtaposed with his rotund exterior, and even more frustrating that he hides behind the imposing frame of his client when he reels off pointed barbs at everyone.
Heyman possesses the enviable knack of nurdling a vein with his comments; pushing the right buttons to rile people up. The worst thing, however, is that he is practically untouchable as he cowers behind the biggest bully in the yard while doing it.
If you relate with what I’m saying then you, like me, would have immensely enjoyed each brutal kendo stick shot that CM Punk introduced to his back when he turned on him. That, however, was in 2013.
I think it’s high time someone puts Paul Heyman in his place again. Don’t you?
#3 James Ellsworth
Quirky choice this, I know.
And yet, for the most part since his ignominious debut against Braun Strowman, fans who have been steadfast in their support of James Ellsworth have received little by way of justifying the faith that they reposed in him.
Not only did he cost the babyface challenger, Dean Ambrose, the WWE Championship at TLC, but the very fact that he has entrenched himself in the Title picture irks many smarks to no end.
To further place the situation into perspective, consider that this is the same AJ Styles who became the standard bearer for SmackDown Live on the back of two consecutive victories over John Cena, and in the estimation of many, is also one of the best pro-wrestlers in the world.
While Ellsworth undoubtedly provides comic relief, his close association with AJ Styles paints the Champion in dire light.
Having Styles constantly endure the ridiculous shenanigans of a jobber undermines him greatly, and leads the same audience that was delighted to see Ellsworth being signed on to a full-time WWE deal, resent his very presence.
Very soon, they will start calling for him to get his due. And when that happens, however negligible his chin may be, Conor McGregor will find it.
#2 The Miz
You knew this was coming, didn’t you?
The loud mouth Intercontinental Champion unites most of the WWE Universe in their loathing of his infuriating ways. Be it the better-than-you attitude that oozes from him, or the slimy methods that he employs to steal victories to hang on to his belt, you can come up with a number of reasons why you can’t stand the Miz.
Even when it looks like a WWE Superstar is on the cusp of defeating him, he’s bailed out by his equally nefarious wife, Maryse.
To make things worse, eternal babyfaces like Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler are needled to no end by the obnoxious jibes that he throws at them and one can’t do anything about it while the other can’t seem to get the job done.
In a nutshell, the WWE desperately needs someone to serve the Miz a “large glass of shut-up juice”, to borrow a quote from The Rock. And Conor McGregor would be just the man for the job.
#1 Brock Lesnar
Of all the other WWE Superstars mentioned in this listicle, Brock Lesnar’s name presents the most unrealistic proposition to Conor McGregor. Not only is Lesnar a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, he’s a beast of a wrestler who would likely pulverise McGregor on the ground if they ever fought.
But a bit of wishful thinking never hurt anyone, did it?
We all know the kind of angst that Lesnar invites for working his mercenary schedule in the WWE while traipsing off to the UFC to take part in one-off money fights at his whim. And what’s more, it isn’t like he’s put over any future WWE Superstar as well.
While Goldberg squashed him at WWE Survivor Series, we all know this doesn’t end well for the former WCW legend either.
Brock Lesnar, in a nutshell, is a bully who can’t be conquered. Wouldn’t we love to see someone try to though?
While Conor McGregor – at a lithe 155 pounds – is probably not the man to do it in all fairness, his anyone-anywhere-anytime mentality is greatly endearing. He’s a phenomenal boxer and he has legitimate knockout power in his hands.
9 out of 10 times, this fight goes the way of the Beast. But for someone with the mobility and accuracy of Conor McGregor, a slim puncher’s chance may be all he requires.
