News & Stories

MMA Fighter Reveals He Almost Signed With WWE In 2004

In a recent interview with Two Man Power Trip, former Strikeforce Light Heavywight Champion & former TNA Superstar King Mo talked about almost signing with WWE back in 2004, his Impact Wrestling debut, his MMA entrances & more. King Mo noted that former WWE Superstar CM Punk’s UFC debut will do more than 1 million buys. Below are the highlights:

Nearly signing with WWE in 2004 and eventually signing with TNA:

“WWE offered me a contract after the Olympic Trials in 2004. I went there and they offered me a developmental deal but I turned it down. Shad Gaspard said to me if I want to win a lightweight title in a fight go do that because wrestling will always be there. So I did that but looking back maybe I should have taken that deal. I made the decision I made and I can live with it. I waited and got an opportunity with TNA and they sent me to OVW and I got a chance to obtain my dreams, granted it didn’t really play out the way I wanted to because I didn’t get to have a match and I was match ready. Things didn’t really work out the way I wanted and Dixie (Carter) was always busy and they didn’t seem to think I was ready and I didn’t get a chance to prove myself.”

Other Pro Wrestlers competing outside of the wrestling business:

“It’s the way you process things. I think (CM) Punk will do good. It all depends on what you learn and what you see. He will probably get someone he can probably beat, he isn’t stupid. They will give him someone who is known but not good. Not for his first fight, I just see them giving him someone that he can beat. If you think about business, CM Punk’s first fight will do one million buys. So why risk it with having him get beat for his first fight. Try to get him a few wins and then see what he can do later. He is serious about it. Let him fight a grappler first, let him fight a striker, let him fight a wrestler. Let him grow and then give him a test. (Brock) came at the right time and then he left at the right time, he made his money. He is smart. You know how wrestlers like to work and trick and prank. Wrestlers are kind of shady anyway, not to bash them but you can’t believe what anybody says. Like when they said Kurt Angle was going to try and make a wrestling comeback. I think he thought about it until he showed up for practice and once he got there realized he wasn’t that committed.”

His anticipated Impact Wrestling TV debut:

“I was nervous as hell. I just wasn’t trying to be the “Black Glacier”. Because if you remember Glacier didn’t get a “pop” after all that build up and that was the last thing I wanted to do. It all would have failed if that had happened.”

Are his MMA Entrances Inspired by Pro Wrestling?

“Pretty much. I figured that everything I’ve done is pro wrestling, kung-fu movies, Heathcliff and Walter Payton. Those things molded my life growing up. Those are things that were most important to me.”

Is Training Pro Wrestling harder then MMA?

“Hands down. If people want to say “Mo, you really don’t know what you are talking about”. Find a pro-wrestling school and take some bumps and go through the first few weeks of pro-wrestling school and see how you feel. Go wrestle a match. Phil Baroni didn’t believe and said being a fighter is way tougher and I said it is tough but if you don’t believe me go see and Phil went to FSW (Future Stars Wrestling) and started to complain to me about his “neck, back, shoulders, heels, knees” all being sore from taking bumps. People don’t realize it’s work on your body. Back in the locker room you see guys before they go out to the ring and they are struggling to walk. You see guys like a Dolph Ziggler who is my age and even though he looks good I guarantee that back in the locker room he’d be struggling or Jack Swagger aka Jake Hager is probably struggling because they are always putting their bodies through the ringer for the sake of your entertainment.”

 


        
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

To Top