Dave Batista (left): Photo Courtesy of Cesar Gracie and Quinn Shields
Here’s a curious thing, and amusing if you don’t require amusing things to actually make you laugh: as the popularity of MMA in Japan winds down thanks to a lack of mainstream celebrity booking, the practice of appealing to casual viewers with familiar faces is becoming more of a presence in the States.
Monday, former WWE champion Dave Bautista (he drops the “u” for wrestling, apparently) told MMAJunkie.com that he was still in negotiations for a deal with Strikeforce in 2011. The obvious match is against Bobby Lashley, himself a pro wrestler. Some simple math would put the fight at over 500 pounds of lean body mass with less than eight percent body fat, which means they should probably be good for a furious three minutes of action. Doesn’t matter: they’re ready-made attractions, particularly if Strikeforce can ever reestablish a time slot on CBS.
The question is whether the sport really needs the kind of one-and-done appeal of someone like Batista, who seems open to three fights at most. Strikeforce will draw fans for a night or two, but what’s the plan for when he realizes the grind of fighting isn’t a good fit for a 41-year-old with a lifetime of wrestling afflictions? K-1 and Pride had both drawn huge numbers for bouts with celebrated Sumo attractions, an actor, and athletes whose myostatin wasn’t working properly --but when it was over, the fans that showed up for the sideshows didn’t stay for the other attractions. Batista/Lashley is a fine diversion, but it’s not a long-term solution.