Current Events > A UFC fighter and a boxer are (technically) fighting for a WWE title tomorrow

(+) Yeah! (+)

http://deadspin.com/conor-mcgregor-is-somehow-defending-the-lineal-wwe-braw-1798404095

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is boxing Conor McGregor this weekend, and the whole thing is completely awesome. While the traditionalist fight press sees this simply as a capitalist exercise with an inevitable result and no titles on the line, that’s not exactly the case—at least not officially, that is.

Back in 1998, what was then known as the World Wrestling Federation embarked on an adventure called Brawl For All. As originally envisioned, this would be a tournament featuring pro wrestlers taking part in legitimate no-holds-barred fighting, or at least something resembling what MMA was at the time. That idea went out the window when martial artist and pro wrestler Steve Blackman asked if kicks to the knee would be legal; instead, the rules were changed so that the tournament would feature pro wrestlers in (still legitimate) Toughman-style contests that also featured takedowns and an esoteric scoring system. The tournament’s eventual winner was journeyman tag-team wrestler Bart Gunn, who had Toughman experience and a powerful left hand; he dropped his next fight to Butterbean, the gimmick super-heavyweight boxer who made a name as a toughman competitor himself.

Butterbean soon ventured into MMA, losing to grappling wizard and general oddball Genki Sudo. And if you track who beat who from there, the lineal Brawl For All title ends up in the hands of ... Conor McGregor, who defeated Dustin Poirier for it before losing it to Nate Diaz and then regaining it in their rematch. There are no stakes more perfect for this momentous exhibition of sweet science than these.

On Saturday, barring some sort of well-played con, Mayweather will win, taking one of McGregor’s two prestigious lineal titles. (McGregor is also the lineal lightweight MMA champion, at least as tracked by Fight Matrix). That this of all fights happens to have this half-real, half-imaginary title on the line is incredibly appropriate … especially since Mauro Ranallo, the voice of Showtime boxing who’s also a WWE announcer, will be calling the action.

And on top of all that? At Wednesday’s press conference for Mayweather-McGregor, the World Boxing Council introduced a new “WBC Money Belt” to be awarded to the winner. Made with 300 emeralds, 600 sapphires, and 3,360 diamonds laid in 1.5 kilograms of 24-karat gold on an alligator skin strap, it’s hard to see it and not think of “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Championship belt from the WWF. The one other thing that could make this spectacle more perfect, more of a spectacle, and more pro wrestling-like has actually happened.

Too bad it’s only the second most prestigious title at stake.

You just can't make this shit up.
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Calwings posted...

You just can't make this shit up.

I mean, they kinda did.
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I heard one of them might die

Zikten posted...

I heard one of them might die

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