WWE and UFC are two very different genres of entertainment, but there’s more common ground than you’d think. During an appearance on the Bobby Bones Show, Shawn Michaels explained how WWE had no choice but to evolve thanks to the rise of professional mixed martial arts.
Michaels, who serves as WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, shared insight into how the art of ‘selling’ in pro wrestling has evolved. UFC going mainstream led WWE to adopt a more realistic style. So much so, that wrestlers who shined in previous generations would look out of place in 2025.
“The business has changed so much,” Michaels said. Reflecting on the ’90s, he cited Mr. Perfect as a key influence, praising his visual and exaggerated selling style. “This day and age he would be considered an overseller, but it was very visual and very appealing.”
He added that wrestlers like Dolph Ziggler and Billy Gunn continued that expressive style, including himself, though he’s unsure how that level of performance would be received today.
Michaels pointed to the growth of MMA, particularly UFC, as a turning point.
With MMA being around, our business had to evolve and replicate what I think people perceived as legitimately painful or not,” he explained.
As combat sports gained mainstream traction, pro wrestling had to adapt to meet changing expectations for realism.
As this continues to grow, evolve, and change, our business is going to continue to do that,” he added.
Michaels said he’s gotten caught up in looking at the younger generation and saying, ‘They don’t sell like we did back in the day.’ He’s come to realize that nothing is static and change is inevitable.
Old timers like me often talk about, ‘These kids don’t sell anything like we did,’ but at the same time, I remember people saying that to me. That is generational.
I think you have to change with the times. Football, basketball, baseball, they all need to be faster than they once were to keep an audience entertained and locked in. Our business is no different.
You can check out the full interview here:
