MMA Fighters That Could Become Crossover WWE Superstars & Their WWE Counterparts

Tom Lawlor

This one is a must. As I alluded to in the intro, Lawlor was one of the first prizefighters to realize how the world was turning and the kind of life and freedom pro-wrestling might offer them, alongside Matt Riddle. Even when he was still on UFC roster, “Filthy Tom” was courting a pro-wrestling audience, playing reDRagon’s manager when they went up against The Young Bucks in Ring of Honor back in 2014.

Even prior to his re-dedication, Lawlor had spent some time dabbling on the Florida independent wrestling circuit and he let those sensibilities show through during his cage fighting career, routinely turning his UFC weigh-in scenarios into themed and costumed performances. The man is a lifelong wrestling fan and always brought that flair to MMA, which is part of what made him an easy fan favorite, above and beyond a crowd-pleasing style. That said, since getting more serious about his pro-wrestling career, Lawlor has become a legitimate indie darling and a fantastic, versatile in-ring worker.

In the last two years, Lawlor has put in serious work with Major League Wrestling, Prestige Championship Wrestling, Black Label Pro and Absolute Intense Wrestling. At this point, he is simply a talent on the cusp; the pro-wrestling industry has changed in the last decade and it’s feasible he may want to ply his trade on the Indies and maintain some flexibility, but there’s no way that WWE shouldn’t be gunning for this guy the same way they did for Matt Riddle.

Lawlor is only 35, has a ton of native experience in the industry and is a massive fan. He could easily work as a quirky babyface with a wacky gimmick or a classic throwback heel with a nasty promo. He could work for WWE’s NXT brand; he could work on Raw or Smackdown. Over the last two years, he’s more than paid his dues on the indie circuit and shown his ability to work against a variety of styles and opponents, whether it’s an MMA-type slant or a throwback, classic pro-wrestling style.

All of this said, he is a fantastic promo and would be great in the booth, as well. Lawlor is a plug-and-play guy that upon signing, WWE could fashion him into whatever character or role they want. Just like Sonnen, Lawlor’s personality would also make him a fun addition to a lot of WWE Network’s original programming, like Story Time or Ride Along. This one is a slam dunk.

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