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

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

Now, this choice is simultaneously obvious, yet also controversial. Let me explain myself.

“Rampage” is a lifelong pro-wrestling fan and his trademark chain -- one of the most iconic MMA accessories -- is a direct ode to the late Junkyard Dog. Throughout his career, he’s talked about his fandom and obviously, he’s one of the most colorful promos in the history of MMA. While he relied more on his boxing late in his career, the most beloved and celebrated part of Jackson’s fight game is his prodigious, natural ability to slam the bejesus out of his opponents early in his career in a fashion that injected thrilling pro-wrestling theatrics into the sport, most notably with his powerbomb knockout of Ricardo Arona in 2004. Everything about the man seems built for pro-wrestling, but when he got his chance through TNA in 2013, he wasn’t exactly the natural that many thought and his lukewarm performance was poorly received. However, that may be more up to the promotion than the athlete.

"To be honest, as soon as I went over there and saw their operation and how they ran things, there were no plans for me to go back,” Jackson told The Fight Nerd of his experience with TNA. “There was a lot of momentum with me when I came out with Kurt Angle. I was supposed to wrestle Kurt Angle and they lost all momentum. They didn't utilize me in any way, I gave them a couple ideas on how to utilize me and they wanted me to wrestle professional fighters. I was like, ‘No, I'm not doing that.’ They just had no idea what they were doing, in my opinion. So no, you won't see me in TNA ever again."



Yet, even though he’s 40 years old, I’m confident “Rampage” could be persuaded to put in the effort to do some WWE Performance Center training for the right financial incentive and if a smarter program was designed around him, he could still be an interesting draw. He’s dynamite on the mic, could easily work as a face or heel and is one of the most durable, rugged fighters in the history of MMA. With the right kind of incentivizing, Jackson is still a natural; when you say you grew up wanting to be a pro-wrestler, that desire doesn’t dissipate with one poor experience for an underperforming company.

Continue Reading » Elias Theodorou