Before getting started with the narrative, it's rather important to clarify what 'better' stands for here. By better, we mean an art form you can engage in more than the other. Like Black Mirror is better than House of Cards, Harry Potter is better than Twilight and marijuana is better than alcohol.
Now that we have that out of the way, let's address the elephant in the ring: which art form is better?
There are some obvious and some not so obvious similarities between pro-wrestling and MMA. Like the act of fighting is the most obviously common element and the use of a finishing move being the not-so-obvious one.
For two sports as combative and competitive, it's only natural that fans pass their judgements on them. That's partially why pro-wrestling even exists.
Many performers have famously switched over from one to the other. Purists from either sport haven't been too appreciative of this crossover exercise. But for someone who's never followed either pro wrestling or MMA, the non-scripted one will be the preference on the basis of aesthetics and authenticity.
But that's a judgement far from reason and information. And that's exactly what we're going to explain below. Here are six reasons why pro-wrestling is a better art form that Mixed Martial Arts:
#1 Multi-dimensional
While MMA, for the most part, only relies on the in-ring action, pro-wrestling has more performance dimensions than one. From delivering cut-throat promos on the mic to learning well-choreographed wrestling manoeuvres to convincingly playing a character, the world of pro-wrestling has more to offer than most people are aware of.
Walking down the ramp to the ring is also as much part of this entertainment as anything else. The Undertaker's walk down the ramp, as much time as it consumes, is an essential part of his character.
#2 Storytelling
It would be rather ignorant to say that there are no storylines in MMA.
However, MMA's storylines don't begin to compare with those in pro-wrestling. More often than not, hatred among MMA fighters is born out of their desire to beat their opponent. Whether it's the weigh-ins or the pre-match banter between the fighters, the story often seems one-dimensional.
Pro-wrestling, however, tends to have more at its disposal when it comes to playing around with their characters (played by pro-wrestlers).
The world of pro-wrestling involves iconic rivalries. Like the feud of Stone Cold Steve Austin with the McMahon family or the year-long suspense of "who ran over Stone Cold Steve Austin", which eventually culminated into Rikishi confessing, "I did it for The Rock".
It's the storytelling aspect of pro-wrestling that has helped the art form sustain itself for decades.
#3 Well choreographed moves:
Another important reason why some people prefer pro-wrestling over Mixed Martial Arts is because of the seemingly well choreographed violent maneuvers that can pass off as genuinely strong strikes. The drop-kicks and the piledrivers are all incredibly dangerous moves to hit somebody with.
If not executed carefully, wrestling moves can land wrestlers up in hospitals for months. Brock Lesnar's Shooting Star from the top rope onto Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 19 famously sent Lesnar to the hospital for a neck surgery.
But the choreography isn't just restricted to in-ring high-flying manoeuvres. Even the more brawly strikes like a chair shot and throwing someone through glass are also carefully executed. Making the audience go "Holy Sh*t" with insane real-time stunts executed in one go is nothing short of brilliance.
Legendary pro wrestler Bret "The Hitman" Hart said in his documentary that there is no art in hitting someone. The art comes when you hit a pro-wrestler in such a way that it looks violent and yet does minimal damage to his body.
And we damn well agree with the man.
#4 Out of ring action:
While MMA does have the usual standoff and the weigh-in 'ceremonies', what pro-wrestling has in that zone is at another level altogether. The backstage segments may or may not be violent but are more often than not, entertaining.
Giving a peak into the functioning of the authority begs the audience to dive deep into the world of pro-wrestling. Some of the best storylines have emerged out of the backstage shenanigans of Superstars.
The entire attitude era stands on the foundation of backstage mischief of the McMahon's. The McMahon's are also a major reason why people across the globe follow pro-wrestling promotions.
From pulling a gun on national television to having a mysterious attacker run over Stone Cold Steve Austin, pro-wrestling has gone through an immense amount of growth and change, thanks to the McMahons.
#5 Audience interaction
Doesn't take a genius to realise that no other form of art has the kind of audience interaction that pro-wrestling does. From "You look stupid" to "This is awesome" to "You suck d*ck", pro-wrestling fans are an integral part of the creative process of pro-wrestling.
The crowds’ reaction to a wrestler often decides the heel/babyface turn that the wrestler will take. With hardcore fans using the internet to express their views, the chants of the audience in the arena seems to be an extension of their internet discussions.
Like the famous ECW PPV One Night Stand of 2006, where the audience shouted "You Screwed Matt" at the sight of Edge. The bigger the Superstar, the greater the fan reaction.
#6 The Attitude Era
Let's not kid ourselves. The reason any of us ever saw wrestling had something to do with the Attitude Era of the WWE. WWE is one of the biggest companies of pro-wrestling in the world.
While the Monday Night Wars of the late 90s has brought an immense hike to the global viewership of pro-wrestling, the world of Mixed Martial Arts hasn't quite had something like this in its existence yet. Late 90s wrestling nostalgia is a major reason why people still invest themselves in pro-wrestling.
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