Since the mid-2000s, UFC has prevented WWE from calling itself the top combat sports organization (real or fake) in the world. Their Pay-Per-View events routinely outdraw WWE's, and their simpler style of booking and creating stars has pulled thousands of fans away from pro wrestling. Had Ken Shamrock not been a part of the MMA organization, it's questionable if they'd even exist today. Shamrock made a name for himself in the "human cockfighting" days of UFC, when rules were more sparse and the competition was widely considered barbaric. Still, he became a celebrity, appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and of course, parlaying his success into a WWE career. After leaving WWE, Shamrock returned to the company he helped get off the ground. A feud between Shamrock and Tito Ortiz captured the world's attention and helped draw many new fans to UFC's product - a sizable percentage of whom were curious wrestling fans who were familiar with "The World's Most Dangerous Man." The two became coaches on season three of The Ultimate Fighter, and their battles helped UFC gain traction as an American staple. Before long, UFC was on top, and much to the dismay of WWE, the company had Shamrock to thank.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
