My Top 5 Times Pro Wrestling And MMA Promotions Accidentally Me Something That I Wanted.

Written By Patrick O'malley

Intro.

I think that we can all agree that it's nice to get something that we want. I mean when you go into your local shops, or market places to get your weekly shop, and you pick out your meals for the week, along with the treats that you like, but what if those shops or markets gave you something that you like, without evening realising. The WWE. AEW, and the UFC are perfect examples of this, so today I'm going to take you down the road, and take a look at incidents when Major Promotions gave me the fan, a look at something that is very appeteising.

5. UFC On Paramount+

Over here in the UK we get the UFC on TNT Sports which is behind a monthly paywall. Stateside things were on the change from the early part of last year when the Promotions deal with ESPN came up for renewal. I understand that the first broadcast may have let a lot of fans down, but when you dig beneath the surface, this is actually a fairly good deal. When the Las Vegas outlet was on ESPN fans were having to pay up to 80$ for a ppv, this deal when broken down means that more fans would be able to access the UFC with a wider range, because Paramount+ has a base of up to 77million subscribers worldwide. In my country of the UK, the deal with TNT is set to continue until the end of the year, but after that I fully expect them to move to Paramount+.

4. Roman Reigns Heel Turn.

In late August of 2020 Roman Reigns came back to the WWE after taking six months off due to being immuno comprimised due to having a history with Leukemia, in the face of the global pandemic. Roman returned and was then partnered next to Paul Heyman, and just like the bubbling was underway under the surface. He instantly went into a programme against his cousin Jey Uso, this would lead to some steller Matches as the grounds for Manipulation had started to grow. The reason that I call this an accident, is because I don't think that WWE knew what they had on it's shoulders. In this time space WWE were throwing everything against the wall in a creative sense, and nothing was sticking like glue, however the building of acknowledgement, as the rise of My Tribal chief took place. Roman went on to become the hottest in the company, as the industry stood up, and started to see that he was more than just the words believe that.

3. The Rise Of Connor Mcgregor.

Some old school fans of the UFC have argued that in 2012, they were struggling to make new stars. I don't get why some would think that, because it's simply not true, However the reason that the rise of one of Irelands most recognisable athletes, and all of his controversies has made to this list is very simple, they had no idea what they were in for. The UFC has had its fairshare of brash personalities before this, with the Likes of Tito Ortiz. Josh Koscheck, and. Chael Sonnen all being part of the roster over the years, but Connor took things to the next level were ever he went. His rise would start in March of 2013 when he beat Max Holloway at a UFC on Fuel Fight Night, and would continue all the way through to 2017, when he ventured into the world of Boxing when he faced Floyd Mayweather, and ended up losing, having sustained some substantial blows. He would come back to the UFC in October of 2018, to face Habib Nurmagnamedov, in a losing bout for the lightweight championship that was shrouded in controversy due to his actions from the past april, and the chaos that ensued in the aftermath of UFC 229. This was a dream fight, which turned into an accident, because according to Dana White the mayor of Las Vegas was running out of the building in the chaotic aftermath. This would be a blackeye that the UFC would struggle to get over for sometime in the eyes of the fans.

2. The Elite Saga In AEW.

In earlier 2020 AEW was still finding it's feet, as the rise of Jon Moxley as a babyface World Heavyweight Champion, and the Inner Circle provided some of their best moments in this time period, but when you isolate the main event scene from this time, and take a look at how the build of how The Elite saga came to fruition. You could easily be mistaken for this being the main event picture, because this was a superb piece of booking, that would take shape throughout 2020, and into 2021, from steller matches, to the outright bullying of Hangman Adam Page, from his former friends. The Young Bucks, and. Kenny Omega. This was AEW at it's very best, and in my opinion this is something that they've been striving to hit ever since it ended at Full Gear 2021. The reason that I label this as an accident is because. I don't think that Tony Khan knew what he had on his hands.

1. Cm Punk In AEW.

August 20th 2021 The United Centre in Chicago, became the sight, and night, that history was made in the world of Pro Wrestling, as all of the easter eggs that AEW had placed over the past two months had come down to this. The return to Pro Wrestling of one Cm Punk. This would start off a relationship with the Promotion, that was filled with high praise from a storyline aspect, and even higher turbulence, as rumours of his backstage behaviour became paramount. This would happen when stories would get leaked about him to the dirtsheets. Punk took this as a personal shot, and things would get worse as time would go on. In  March of 2022 Tony Khan would purchase the defunct ROH brand from its previous owners Sinclair, and moved Scott Carlson aka Colt Cabana to the brand as a talent. This would be met with heavy crosswires from Hangman Adam Page, which led to the August 17th edition of AEW Dynamite when Hangman outright called out Punk when it came to his stance on Colt Cabana. This led to mirrage of issues, that caused several legal issues, because Punk defended his belt at that years All Out PPV against Jon Moxley. which was held in the same venue as his debut on Rampage just over a year prior. He went into the Press conference in the aftermath, and completely tried to burn down the world with his words. He laid waiste to Hangman Adam Page. The Elite, and a reurning MJF, who had comeback on that PPV after a 3 month lay off, due to his issues stemming from his relationship with Tony Khan. What came after this was nothing short of embarrassing. The Elite barged into Punks locker room, and a fight broke out. This would lead to several suspensions, and the removal of Ace Steel. Punks friend, and AEW producer. This was a mistake because, when you book certain scenarios, you need to have every single duck in order. It's clear at this time that Tony Khan didn't do this, because this would be a blackeye against his company that would end up lingering on its face for quite sometime. Yes fans wanted to see Punk back, but not at this cost. The big question is this. Was all the attention that he brought with him really worth it? I would argue, No.

Overview Of This Piece.

Like I said in the intro I think it's clear that I love the treats that are bad for me, and when it's given to me by a Pro Wrestling, or MMA Promotion, I tend to gobble them up like the best slop i've ever tasted. This is what makes the industries of Combat Sports so special, because you never what you're going to get. I live by the phrase that was coined by Tom Hanks in the Robert Zimmeckis 1993 classic Forest Gump. Life is like a box of chocolates because you never know what you're going to get. I think that this is the right way to look at life, because both the sports of Pro Wrestling, and. MMA have taught me so much about myself over the decades that I've been a fan. What i'm trying to say is this. Treats are good, and when they're free,  and accidental, they're even better.