Michael “The Three Count” Bisping might just be making his pro wrestling debut if All Elite Wrestling (AEW) comes a-callin’.
Historically, MMA and pro wrestling have always been linked, both in terms of business formula and, on many occasions, the talent.
Names like Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Don Frye were among the first fighters to wear both hats, followed by Lesnarmania that ran wild through the UFC, and more recent crossover examples like Bobby Lashley and Jake Hager.
There has particularly been a surge of MMA talent dappling in rasslin’ world as of late, with several fighters over at American Top Team appearing regularly on AEW. This includes former UFC heavyweight champions Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski, who have made their in-ring pro wrestling debuts with the promotion recently.
Michael Bisping has taken notice of the ATT invasion of AEW, and he may just want to throw his name in the ring as well (h/t PWTorch).
“Hey, never say never, but I do know that professional wrestling, whilst it is a performance, it is very tough on the body” said Bisping on Radican Worldwide. “My body went through the wringer in the UFC, but hey listen… give me a call, give me a call. There you go. It looks like a lot of fun and I’m so happy to see Junior dos Santos and other members of the American Top Team making a successful transition into something else after fighting.”
One essential ingredient to making it in the rasslin’ business is knowing how to work a microphone. This is one thing Bisping has never struggled at. Whether it’s tearing his opponents down a peg before a fight with his trash talk or crushing it in the commentating booth or podcast studio, Bisping has always had a way with words.
That being said, if the 42-year-old former UFC champion decides to take up another post-retirement project, pro wrestling could certainly be a viable option.
“As a former athlete myself, a fighter, a lot of fighters or athletes struggle with what they are going to do post-fight career,” said Bisping. “I’m always happy to see someone else thriving and that’s why for myself when I was professional athlete I was always terrified as to what I was going to do afterwards, so things like this I’m forever grateful for. I’m truly passionate about my acting career.
“Obviously, I still got a long long way to go, but I study hard and do everything I can to be the best version of myself that I can. Fortunately, I got a few roles lined up for next year and so far so good, but yeah if AEW needed a one-eyed Brit, give me a call.”
If Bisping doesn’t want all that wear and tear on his body but still wants to leave his mark in professional wrestling, he could always just stick to the smack talk as a heel manager. And if things turn violent, “The Count” would be more than capable of taking care of himself in a very real way, believe you me.
Do you think Michael Bisping would be a good fit in the world of professional wrestling?
