Pros and Cons: Batista to Strikeforce 2010

When I think of the current rumors concerning former World Wrestling Entertainment performer Dave Batista (known in the WWE as simply Batista) breaking into the world of Mixed Martial Arts via the Strikeforce promotion, the phrase “whatever it takes to succeed” comes to mind. Let’s not mince words here: Batista fighting in Strikeforce would be a “freak show” in every sense of the word, no matter who his opponent would be. The silver lining in this is the simple fact that a good “freak show fight” manages to overcome the stigma and stereotypes surrounding it. Promoters may draw the ire of the MMA faithful, but the boost in ratings and viewership from the relative newcomers tuning in just to see their favorite performer in a new setting ends up being worth the scorn. So what does Dave Bautista bring to Strikeforce? To put it simply: lots of name value and very little skill.

Now, let’s clear the air right off the bat: I’m not saying that because he’s a former professional wrestler. For the longest time I considered myself a hardcore wrestling fan, so I have a huge amount of respect for the physical trauma pro wrestlers put themselves through on a daily basis. And if you look a little further back than current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, there’s actually a long history of pro wrestlers turning to MMA and even MMA stars turning to pro wrestling. No less than Josh Barnett, Ken Shamrock, Don Frye, and a host of others have all dabbled in the world of pro wrestling.

There are several non-wrestling reasons why Batista just won’t cut it in the sport’s second-best promotion. One of Batista’s main stumbling blocks will be his age. Even though Batista has the look of a 30-something, the man is actually 41 years old. It’s become a bit of an urban legend amongst MMA fans and journalists that 40 is the cut-off date for professional Mixed Martial Artists. Once an MMA star reaches forty, it’s practically assumed that his attributes will begin to fail and that he’s only a few years from retirement. Batista would enter the sport at an age where most are leaving it, and unless your name is Randy Couture, few pro MMA athletes have proven that they can still hang past that dreaded fortieth birthday.

But the biggest reason Batista would fail in Strikeforce is the simple fact that he has no prior combat experience outside of the WWE. As many have stated in the past, Brock Lesnar was a highly successful amateur wrestler before he went into the WWE. Even fellow pro wrestling cast-off Bobby Lashley was a decorated “real” wrestler before he turned to pro wrestling. Batista’s credentials are non-existent; he would have to learn MMA from the ground up with no prior experience in any sort of real-life combat sport whatsoever.

With all that said, the following statement may shock my readers: I think Strikeforce should sign Batista. They’ll get eaten alive by the press and MMA faithful, but I can see legions of pro wrestling fans turning on their televisions in droves and setting the channel to Showtime or CBS to get a glimpse of a former world champion competing in MMA. Batista may never be successful in Strikeforce, but he’s good for one big ratings boost before someone utterly destroys him. A fight with Lashley has dollar signs written all over it. Batista’s stint in Strikeforce would probably only last for that one fight, but it would be a guilty pleasure that I think many fans (both of MMA and of pro wrestling) would not be able to pass up.

So what do you think, fans and friends? Is Batista doomed to failure if he signs with Strikeforce? Should he even sign with them at all? And how do you feel about more and more professional wrestlers considering MMA as an alternative once they leave pro wrestling?

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