Many people believe that wrestling doesn’t hurt, that the people that are in the ring fake it all and get out of the ring without a single scratch. Those people are probably not the fans of wrestling, and they really don’t know what they are talking about. These guys are very well trained professionals, risking their well-being each and every night that they step into that squared circle. It is just how the wrestling works.
A lot of wrestlers have a fighting background. It is not only that they are wrestlers that are performing in front of a crowd, but they can actually throw hands in a ring. We all know about the time that Chris Jericho really gave it to somebody backstage a decade ago. They can really fight.
A guy like Nakamura is not named a King of Strong Style for no reason. He can hit, he can hurt, and this man loves what he does in the ring. Many people don’t know about this, but he has MMA background and was once even considering going to the UFC instead of being a pro wrestler. Looking back, he did make a good decision. Here is what he had to say about the opportunities that he had back in the day.
“Around 2005, UFC offered me a chance to fight for them. But, at that moment, I was under contract with NJPW and I decided to stay in pro-wrestling. It was a good opportunity, but I don’t regret my choice. You have to understand that I am 37-year old now. It has been a long time since my last proper MMA training and although I still train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, it will take me at least one year to be ready for a proper fight. That is not something I want to do as I am happy in WWE.”
