Torch Flashbacks
FLASHBACK: Keller's 1993 editorial on UFC 1 answering the question - what if pro wrestling were real?
Nov 12, 2013 - 12:10:27 PM FLASHBACK: Keller's 1993 editorial on UFC 1 answering the question - what if pro wrestling were real?

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On this day in 1993, The Ultimate Fighting Championship was born, with their first ever event hitting pay-per-view from Denver, Colorado. The Torch has had coverage on the organization since day one, beginning with this flashback editorial from Pro Wrestling Torch #253 in November of 1993, where MMATorch Supervising Editor Wade Keller examined how the UFC's debut event helped answer the question: what if pro wrestling were real?

By: Wade Keller, Torch Editor

Below the Bottom Line editorial
Headline: Ultimate Fight event provides lessons
Originally Published: November 20, 1993
Torch Newsletter #253

It's a novel concept: Real Pro Wrestling. For years, the promoters and wrestlers in this country have claimed pro wrestling is "real" - some still do, despite the near-zero believability factor of pro wrestling today. The UWFI in Japan promoted a pay-per-view event a few weeks ago and claimed to be the "real" thing, even though they weren't.

Friday night, live from McNichols Arena in Denver, Co., two things became perfectly clear. First, it showed why pro wrestling cannot be real if it in any way resembles the pro wrestling of today. Second, there is probably good money to be made from truly real pro wrestling.

A lot of people believed the UWFI was completely unrehearsed, uncooperative shoot-fighting. Others didn't think so, seeing too many gaps in credibility during the match. There were no gaps in credibility Friday night for two reasons. For one, the fights were real. Second, the matches were too short to contain any gaps.

The eight match card contained a total of just over eleven minutes of wrestling. The average length of the matches was 1:43. Take away the longest match, which was 4:17, and the average length was 1:03. The "ring girls" hired to carry round cards in the ring between the scheduled five minute rounds were not needed.

The event was called "The Ultimate Fighting Championship" promoted by the Gracie Family and Art Davie of W.O.W. Promotions. This pay-per-view featured an eight-match single- elimination tournament with no rules except eye-gouging, groin shots, and biting were not allowed. Everything else was legal. The ring was larger than a pro wrestling ring with eight sides, padded four-foot-high posts, and a wire mesh cage surrounding the ring.

It's funny what one will look past when an event has credibility. Royce Gracie, a jiu-jitsu instructor originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, won the tournament. He happened to be the brother of the promoter and son of Helio Gracie, who was given an award before the championship match. This would be called "Dusty-itis" if not for there being no guarantee going in Gracie would win. The announcing was horrible, but in an innocent, uninformed way rather than an arrogant, annoying way as was the case on the UWFI event.

The four-person announcing team, including former football player Jim Brown and Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, stepped on each other, didn't know what they were talking about much of the time, and seemed very disjointed throughout. But considering it was the first show for these announcers and promoters, overall it was a definite thumbs up.

Despite the brevity of the matches, enough was done to establish the legitimate backgrounds and the personalities of each of the competitors to make the matches meaningful to the viewers, even though none of these people has been on a national event before.

There was a lot that pro wrestling promoters could learn from this event. The first lesson is that if this style of event becomes popular (these promoters want to return early next year with another similar tournament on pay-per-view), pro wrestling cannot in any way compete on its level. Pro wrestling will have to seek popularity not based on legitimacy, but based on other facets of wrestling that make it sell (although promoters should not abandon basic credibility when it comes to establishing storylines, sensible match content, impressive moves, and intimidating or admirable personalities).

Promoters in this country could learn how to get somebody over without needing an outrageous gimmick that is such a turnoff to someone outside of the wrestling world who has not become accustomed to screaming weirdos. A simple, real person with a grudge, pride on the line, or desire to rise in the ranks could sell tickets. It doesn't always have to be a grunge band or tax man or evil clown who sells tickets, although making them part of the mix is still a sensible, essential part of some philosophies.

If the Ultimate Fighting concept catches on over the next year, wrestling promoters would be smart to tighten up the in-ring work of the wrestlers. Even though fans know wrestling is not completely real, a tightening up of the style and a stricter adherence to selling moves and doing things logically in the ring rather than so often obviously cooperating with one's opponent, would help draw viewers.

What made the Ultimate Fight so watchable and intriguing was a combination of brutality and credibility. If you didn't see the event, Gerard Gordeau whose style was Savate defeated Teila Tuli, a sumo wrestler, in 21 seconds after kicking him in the face to knock out a tooth and punching him below the eye to break his orbital bone. The match was stopped as Tuli bled from the eye and mouth. Quite a start.

What made this match special, despite its brevity, is that after the match, Tuli shouted at the referee to allow the match to continue, moped as he realized his night was over, and cried as he was tended to by doctors. You never see that kind of legitimate disappointment in a loss in pro wrestling rings.

In the second match, kickboxer Kevin Rosier beat Zane Frazier after pummeling him with a series of punches, stomps, and kicks. In the third bout, Royce Gracie beat boxer Art Jimmerson showing that once a boxer is off his feet (which isn't tough to do if you know jiu-jitsu well), he's useless.

In the fourth bout, Pancrase (Japan's new and most legitimate promotion) shootfighter Ken Wayne Shamrock defeated Tae-Kwan-Do fighter Pat Smith with an ankle lock. The struggling on the mat as the hold was applied added suspense before Smith gave up. Smith trying to break Shamrock's toe was a nice touch, too, as Shamrock locked in Smith's ankle.

In the semi-finals, Gordeau beat Rosier by pummeling him in the corner and Gracie made Shamrock submit with a chokehold. After an exhibition match with the stand-bys ended, Gracie made quick work of Gordeau by submission.

This style will survive only if the consumers will trade long matches for real fighting.