10 Pro Wrestlers Who Would Have Made Intriguing MMA Fighters

Danny Hodge

It is admittedly quite speculative to ponder how a Terry Funk or Bruiser Brody would do in MMA. There are so many questions to which we will never know the answers; not so with Hodge. If you had to pick just one pro wrestler in history most likely to thrive in MMA, Hodge is it.

A three-time NCAA champion, Hodge is one of the greatest amateur wrestlers in history, but he did not stop there. He was cross training well before that became common, winning a Golden Gloves boxing title and going 17-0 as an amateur boxer despite a limited background in the sport. He was done in as a professional by his lack of experience, with promoters quickly looking to capitalize on his amateur wrestling fame.

Hodge was limited in his day by the need to focus on one pursuit at a time: first amateur wrestling, then boxing and finally professional wrestling. If he had gotten into MMA, he could have used his wrestling base to enhance the other aspects of his game. His different pursuits would have complemented each other rather than working at cross purposes. The likelihood is he would have been a very dangerous opponent in a hurry.

Continue Reading » Rey Misterio Jr.