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Steve Austin says The Ultimate Fighter made him a hardcore MMA fan
By Zach Arnold | July 13, 2010
If you have not checked out Larry Pepe’s extensive interview with Steve Austin, go out of your way to do so. Download that show and listen to it in the car, on your computer, or on the MP3 player. The interview starts at the beginning of the show. It’s a really fascinating interview with Austin about a pro-wrestling’s mentality towards MMA and about the similarities and differences between the two sectors of the fight industry.
Here’s a passage from that interview as to how Austin became a hardcore MMA fan and why MMA has been able to take away many wrestling fans:
LARRY PEPE: “When did you get into [MMA]?”
STEVE AUSTIN: “Well, you know, shoot, for years and years and years, you know really lately probably the last two years. I mean, I probably get every single PPV that the UFC does, even if it’s not such a stacked or loaded card. I’m just a big fan and you know I watched the sport evolve… either a striker or a ground guy. Now, everything is a hybrid, everything is all combined and guys have diverse backgrounds so the sport has become what it’s become and that’s probably why I’m such a big fan just because you know the action is so intense in the ring with all the different varieties of fighting styles and that’s why I continue to be a fan.”
LARRY PEPE: “Steve, you said about two years is when you started not missing a PPV. What kind of like got you into it at a higher level at that point? Where there was any particular fight or what made you so intense about it starting two years ago?”
STEVE AUSTIN: “Actually, I was down at my ranch in South Texas and it was raining cats and dogs and I’ve never watched The Ultimate Fighter and they had one of The Ultimate Fighter marathons and I started watching episode after episode, all day long and I just got totally hooked and you know because at first my take on it was, OK, here’s just kind of another reality show. But that was just me kind of judging a book by its cover and I just fell in love with that show and from there on just a huge fan and to go back to your question about Brock, I mean, as big of a fan as I am, I live in Los Angeles right now, but going down to Las Vegas to see Brock fight Shane Carwin, that was about Brock. I wanted to go see an old friend of mine and see him make a comeback from you know a serious illness and to see two top fighters fight because Shane Carwin’s one of my favorite fighters as well but Brock’s my guy and that’s why I went down to see that fight.”
LARRY PEPE: “Fair enough. So, the UFC, for everything we hear and a lot of the statistical stuff, it seems to be making a big dent in Vince’s market share in that 18-34 demo and I hear opinions but nobody better than you to get one from. Why do you think that’s happening and what is wrestling doing wrong and what is the UFC doing right that’s starting to kind of shift a little bit of that demo towards MMA?”
STEVE AUSTIN: “You know, I don’t know what wrestling is doing wrong. I mean, you know, I come from a pro-wrestling background and I absolutely loved the WWE just because it was a big part of my life and we did so much for each other but if anything if I could say anything, Larry, I would say it’s probably just the realistic nature of the shoot nature of the UFC storylines and you know WWE right now is really geared more towards kids and you know while their product remains strong, that would be the only thing that I could guess. I’m really intrigued by the match-ups that the UFC has been able to put together… and you know when you see the backgrounds and stories of some of these fighters, the odds they overcome and how they get started in the sport and just the bio and history of each fighter, you know, that’s what pro-wrestling really used to be based on. Although in a worked fashion, so I just think it’s a serious, straight-forward aggressive nature of their programming which is kind of allowed the shift, sort of speak.”
LARRY PEPE: “Yeah, and you know Steve, to your point, I think that’s exactly what MMA needs to do to even grow more because covering the sport every day, there are some amazing stories out there about these guys that don’t always get highlighted and I think that’s what makes people identify with the fighter much like when you guys did your scripts for WWE, you were trying to make somebody identify with that particular wrestler, no?”
STEVE AUSTIN: “You know, a lot of these guys have such interesting backgrounds. The same with pro-wrestling. I think that although you know pro-wrestling is simulated, I mean you know it’s in a worked fashion, but the guys are by in large the same kind of breed of person. They come from interesting backgrounds. I mean, I’ve met some great pro-wrestlers and I’ve met some great fighters and they can be great people but people in those two forms of business are different kinds of cats, I find that interesting for everything that I’ve done, if people in pro-wrestling or people who fight they can be as normal as everybody else but they’re just different kind of people. It takes a rare breed to step inside that ring or inside that Octagon.”
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, UFC, WWE, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
…and that’s the bottom line.
Wrestling isn’t the only combat sport where promoter’s aren’t on good standing with the fans….
People always criticize promoters for their undercards. I can honestly say this is the best undercard we’ve put together since we formed Golden Boy Promotions. This is a pay-view-card, which means we pay for everything. We’re taking a big risk. I hope the fans support us and come out in big numbers to watch on pay-per-view or live at Mandalay Bay. If they don’t, I don’t want to hear anyone complain about weak undercards anymore. – Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions
I know what people want and they can go fuck themselves. – Bob Arum, CEO, Top Rank
http://www.queensberry-rules.com/2010-articles/july/f-k-the-promoters-coming-straight-from-the-undercard.html
Pro wrestling’s problem is that it isn’t real. It can’t change that. Asking for the “old days” to come back is nonsense. The attitudes of fans are totally different today.
As for boxing fans complaining about undercards: Numbers are truth, and undercards don’t sell and never had. MMA does the same thing, but the media is willing to sell anything they’re given by certain promoters.
Pro Wrestling was real to many people because they could not see behind the curtain. UFC is not real — but most of the fights are — meaning the mystery and intrigue remain intact because naturally, and instinctively anything can happen in a fight.
This used to be the case with wrestling– when wrestling was wrestling, not what it is today. What it is today is a soap opera with wrestling in it. The in – ring is secondary. Listen to any of the new talent talk about trying out for the big show — the scouts are looking for the “it” factor, rather than the in-ring craft. UFC, most guys can must focus on some craft — boxing, wrestling, ju – jitzu — brawling — they lay claim to a style and a way even if it is chaos or un-crafty.
Wrestling has devolved for more than one reason, but it has devolved nontheless. . .
Who the hell is Larry Pepe? I’ve only heard about him on this site LOL