Wand vs. Baroni, pro wrestling in Japan 2/20?
Dave Meltzer reports that Wanderlei Silva may be having a pro wrestling match in Japan, with Phil Baroni, on Feb 20, with the Inoki Genome Federation.
Dave Meltzer, who knows more about the combined worlds of MMA and professional wrestling than anyone on Earth, says that Wanderlei Silva may be having a pro wrestling match in Japan, with Phil Baroni.
Silva, 38, is course under indefinite suspension in mixed martial arts after running from a PED test administered by the Nevada Athletic Commission. He is also one of the most popular foreign fighters in Japan. Further, the split between real and worked bouts is absolute in the US, but in Japan, fans don’t seem to care much, with promotions sometimes mixing MMA fights with pro wrestling works on the same card.
So Japan would be a natural place for Wand to trade on his fighting reputation, without violating the prohibition on actual fighting. A further impediment is his UFC contract, which prohibits participating in pro wrestling. On the other hand, the UFC has allowed Josh Barnett and Mirko Cro Cop to participate in Japanese pro wrestling bouts while under contract. That said, the UFC and Wand do not exactly get along at present.
The bout, which has not been announced, would be on Feb. 20 card with the Inoki Genome Federation.