8 Major Ways MMA Is Influencing WWE
5. The Emergence Of MMA-Based Styles
The biggest talking point of that Lesnar vs. Orton feud was, of course, the shocking finish to their match - which saw Brock brutalise The Viper with numerous stiff strikes to the head, leaving Randy lying in a pool of his own blood.
Beyond this rather extreme example, the influence of MMA-based wrestling styles - which has long been a staple of the indies - is now more evident in WWE than ever before. The recent pushes of strike-heavy superstars such as Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka are proof of this, as was the appearance of Zack Sabre Jr. in the Cruiserweight Classic - a man widely regarded as one of the best technical and submission-based wrestlers in the world.
Similarly, Kyle O'Reilly's recent NXT debut (and the apparent interest shown by WWE towards ex-UFC fighter Matt Riddle) indicate that this influence is only set to get stronger.