10 Ways MMA Has Influenced Modern WWE
2. Crossover Attempts - From MMA To Wrestling
The cross over trend between the WWE and MMA is not a one way street. While the biggest success stories have been those going from wrestling to mixed martial arts, lets not forget those who went the other way, or dabbled in both all along. Alberto Del Rio, who fought Cro Cop in Pride long before he was known to the WWE audience. The failed Tank Abbott experiment. Ken Shamrock, probably the most successful star to cross over the MMA to the WWE (it should be noted that Shamrock got his start wrestling in Japan before moving to shoot fighting and the world of MMA).
There have been others, in and out of the WWE. And don't think for a second that when a talent moves over from the martial arts realm to wrestling that they don't incorporate some of the moves, and overall feel, of MMA. They absolutely do. And as more move over (Jessamyn Duke and Matt Riddle are potentials), expect to see greater evidence of this.