If you watched this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling, the confrontation between MMA legend Quinton “Rampage†Jackson and professional wrestling legend Kurt Angle was cool, right?
Not so fast.
While on paper it seems like a heck of fun, don’t forget that Jackson has zero experience in pro wrestling. It could be months or even a year before Rampage is Impact ready.
Remember King Mo’s appearance on TNA? He hasn’t been in the ring yet, for a reason. He’s not ready. Professional wrestling requires timing and precision that MMA simply doesn’t. In MMA, your actions are the most important. You don’t have to worry about taking care of the person you’re “sharing†the ring with. It’s all about you. Even seasoned pros that went back to the sport from MMA, like Brock Lesnar needed time to readjust and actually “pull†their strikes.
On a positive note, TNA worked quickly and got Jackson some fitting ring music and made his debut cooler than many would have expected. The fact that TNA snagged Jackson with Spike TV and Bellator MMA and will likely split the costs of his contract also makes this an excellent, low-risk, high-reward signing. For once, it looked like TNA made a smart move here.
Well, that was until he spoke. Although he’s definitely one of the more charismatic MMA stars in the world, that doesn’t mean anything in pro wrestling. Uncomfortable and sputtering at times, Jackson needs time in OVW to work on his promo skills before he can truly make an “impact.†It doesn’t matter how many times he borrows lines from Ric Flair either- the monster is definitely rough around the edges when it comes to his on-camera presence.
In a real-life fight, Jackson would destroy Kurt Angle, but in the world of professional wrestling, Angle would job Jackson out. If TNA can find a way to polish this iconic MMA star and make him reputable in their world, it’ll be like winning the lottery on a dollar ticket.
While it won’t be nearly as terrible as WCW’s Tank Abbott experiment if done wrong, Rampage Jackson’s tenure in TNA, if botched, could hurt future MMA stars turned professional wrestlers chances at success.
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