10 Pro Wrestlers Who Would Have Made Intriguing MMA Fighters

Terry Funk

Much like Bruiser Brody, Funk is a wildman. For almost 50 years, he has been one of pro wrestling’s most unique and colorful characters and a multi-time world champion. He is also a phenomenal talker, and he would have been a big pay-per-view seller if he had proven he could fight.

Why might one expect him to be able to fight at a high level? This one is more of a hunch. He did not have an elite wrestling background or unique physical gifts. What he did have is every intangible you could want. To begin with, this was a man with extraordinary physical and mental toughness. He worked a hard style for decades and continued to perform at a point when doctors marveled that he could even walk. He had the right sort of craziness -- a fighter’s craziness. He was not going to back down from a fight.

Toughness does not mean much if not accompanied by technique, and to that end, Funk’s great intelligence and adaptability would have benefited him in MMA. Funk was always on top of changes in the wrestling business and was an innovator throughout his career. That open mindedness likely would have lent itself to diligent studying of different techniques. He would not have been complacent if he fell on hard times. Funk almost certainly would not have excelled at MMA if he got into it in his 30s, but if he started training earlier and had time to develop, he would have been fun to watch.

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