Conor McGregor: WWE Superstar
Here's how the former UFC champ would best be used in the WWE.
Image via Complex Original
Irish UFC megastar Conor McGregor shocked the MMA world—along with the rest of the sports ecosystem—on Tuesday when he announced his retirement from mixed martial arts via short-and-sweet tweet. Skipping over how fantastically McGregor that is, the rumors immediately began buzzing about the 27-year-old fighting icon. Will he make his way into a WWE ring? The most optimistic of wrestling fans took to social media soon after McGregor’s shocking announcement like digital Nancy Drews, noting that @TheNotoriousMMA had recently added certain high-profile WWE personalities to his “following” count:
His coach, John Cavanagh, didn’t quash any of the rumors, and in fact added fuel to the fire with an Instagram post comparing his future role to WWE Hall of Fame manager Jimmy Hart:
WWE, not one to ever sit on mainstream buzz quietly, quickly threw up a video on their website, speculating whether McGregor was on his way to the company. Not that this means much, but they did the same sort of speculation regarding AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows; all four of those men are now employed by the company in one way or another.
Now, however, we know that McGregor was just bluffing, and his retirement is not, in fact, a permanent one from MMA. For now, it appears that the WWE dream is dead, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate.
What WOULD a Conor McGregor run in pro wrestling look like?
We all know he’s a legit fighter the likes of which wrestling hasn’t seen since Brock Lesnar returned in 2012, and he would probably be in the top 10 percent of talkers in WWE right off the bat. While he may not have the wrestling knowledge to pace matches correctly and sell like a pro, he seems like someone dedicated to whatever his craft may be. Plus, WWE has plenty of talented grapplers who can guide him through at least a “good” match if not a great one. And if he does get it off the bat and turns out to be a decent (or better) pro wrestler? To quote Sasha Banks’s theme song, “Sky’s the Limit.”
So, with that in mind, here’s how we’re fantasy booking McGregor’s initial run in WWE.
Debut
If there ever was a debut to hype the everloving crap out of, it’s this one. While debuts are generally best done as surprises to reward long-time fans that tune in weekly, if you’re getting Conor McGregor into a WWE ring/program, you need as many eyeballs on the product that night as possible. Hype it up on social media all day, have your pre-show hosts speculate on what he plans to do, and show video packages to really get across how big a deal this guy is. It would also help if RAW was in a very energetic city (think: Brooklyn, Philly, Chicago, or even Pittsburgh); while the excitement that would come from McGregor’s signing should be enough to get the crowd going, why take a risk that it won’t carry through the whole show, especially when more mainstream fans will be tuning in?
Then, once RAW is on the air (it’s safe to assume his debut would happen on a RAW to drive ratings, since pay-per-views are more limited in audience size; save that for his in-ring debut), have him open the show. Whip people up into a frenzy. Give McGregor as close to an open mic as possible and just let him do what he does best: Cut an A+ promo. WWE has a terrible habit of over-scripting promos, but if there’s one guy who wouldn’t need it from the word go, it’s him. After he’s gone on for some time, have his first feud interrupt him. Who should that be? Well...
First Rivalry
Luckily for everyone involved, McGregor actually has built the base for an initial debut WWE feud: Back in 2014, the Notorious One had a mini Twitter spat with the Celtic Warrior Sheamus, “ending” with McGregor laying down a tag team challenge to the former WWE champ
While we don’t think that’s the right move for a first bout, getting into the squared circle with his Irish counterpart would do wonders for McGregor. First off, few people in WWE sell stiff shots quite like Sheamus (the fact that his pale body shows every bruise is a positive), which would allow McGregor to maybe go a bit harder with his punches than normal wrestlers would. Second, Sheamus is so reviled by WWE fans that even those that would be against the idea of McGregor joining WWE (and you know there would be some) would still root for the newcomer to destroy Reverse Beaker. Plus, it gives Sheamus something important to do, which he desperately needs.
Possible Stables
The IRA
That name might be a joke, but you’re kidding yourself if you think that an Irish stable wouldn’t happen at some point after McGregor’s debut. Of course, the members would be Sheamus (remember, enemies can become the best of friends in the WWE), Finn Balor, Becky Lynch, and Conor McGregor, which is such a weird hodgepodge of personalities and alignments that it just might work. And we know that Becky is (rather conspicuously) recruiting McGregor already:
As long as someone tells Vince McMahon that he’s got three of the biggest potential stars in his company (and also Sheamus) on one team, they should rise above stereotypes to create a cohesive unit that, for once, has a reason to exist. Barring that, well, at least it’ll end the League of Nations.
Balor Club Mouthpiece
If that’s not on the menu, this should 100 percent be. Keeping Finn from the last stable idea, we have the nascent Balor Club, a store brand bastardization of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Bullet Club. If you’re not familiar with them, Bullet Club are basically heel foreigners who cause chaos in Japan and on social media. WWE’s Balor Club, as of now, is just the eponymous Finn Balor, but it’s heavily rumored that his main roster debut will see him ally with his old Japan buddies, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. What these three men have in intimidation and in-ring acumen, they lack in microphone skills; Finn especially has been a bit on the dull side as a babyface champion in NXT.
Image via Inquisitr.com
Well, here’s where you add McGregor and blow everyone’s minds. Not only do you put him at the forefront of a hot stable, but you also help mask everyone’s weakness; Conor doesn’t need to step into a ring until the situation calls for (and until he’s ready backstage), while the other three members get someone to do their heel promos for them. It’d be like The Shield but 100 percent better. And when you’re ready to pull the trigger on a babyface McGregor, you can easily have the other three turn on him. Finn vs. McGregor falls just short of a dream match, because it should be a reality match.
Dream Matches
Speaking of dream matches, there are a handful of cream of the crop matchups for McGregor once he’s acclimated to the pace and style of pro wrestling. Let’s get one thing out of the way: Basically every match he would have is a dream match in some way. Hell, I’d take McGregor vs. Heath Slater 10 times out of 10. But the below matches rise above the spectacle of seeing one of the biggest UFC fighters of all time in a WWE ring, and into the realm of potential classics that would be remembered for decades to come. These four opponents are all at the top of their game, in one way or another, and for McGregor to step into the ring with any of them would be a huge step towards validating his choice to hop into the squared circle.
vs. AJ Styles
If you’re going to invest a metric ton of money getting McGregor into WWE, you might as well let him work with the best technical wrestler you have going right now. A match with Styles would not just be a certified classic (if only because In AJ We Trust), but it would also allow McGregor a chance to play his natural heel self both in the ring and on the mic. It would take a lot for him to get booed (and if Brock Lesnar is anything to go by, it might never happen), but playing the heel against a beloved babyface like Styles is one way to do it. Meanwhile, AJ can carry McGregor through prep and the match itself, making sure the biggest investment in WWE history looks like a zillion bucks. Phenomenal vs. Notorious? Sign us up.
vs Shinsuke Nakamura
I know, I know: this is the dream match you never knew you needed in your life. It’s impossible to say who is the more charismatic between the King of Strong Style and The Notorious McGregor, but what is easy to see is that this would be a spectacle and a half. If anyone in WWE is ready to go toe-to-toe with a stiff-hitting McGregror, it’s Nakamura, and honestly, there’s no way this wouldn’t deliver. At the very worst, the ring entrances alone would be worth having this match. Plus, I feel like Nakamura’s reactions to McGregor’s trash-talking would take on a whole new level of “flamboyant.”
vs. Roman Reigns
This would be the Sheamus feud turned up to 11, basically; McGregor would be the overwhelming crowd favorite, but low-key, Roman would be the star of this feud. Between letting McGregor hit him almost for real (see: WrestleMania 31 main event vs. Brock Lesnar for example of how willing Roman is to get brutalized), and reveling in the crowd hatred against a seemingly-unworthy newcomer, Reigns’s smug levels would be through the roof. Plus, I want McGregor to be the first person to properly counter the Spear into a submission that gets Roman to tap out. Is that too much to ask for?
vs. John Cena
You know Big Match John is going to want a piece of this action, don’t you? Here’s the crazy part: This could be the best top-to-bottom program that WWE could hand McGregor. In one corner, you’ve got the biggest MMA star in the world (or second, hi Ronda), coming into the squared circle to face off the biggest pro wrestling star of the last decade. This is a WrestleMania main event topped by very few others in terms of hype and star power (spoilers: we’re going to top it shortly). This is John Cena vs. The Rock on steroids, and hopefully with less gay bashing. We’ve already established that McGregor would be a force on the mic, and Cena is one of the best talkers in the very specific WWE style. Plus, I want to see McGregor punch Cena in the face after John goes for a condescending “fine speech.”
The Ultimate Fantasy Booking
Of course, the second McGregor signs a WWE contract, we all know what match will be on everyone’s mind: Conor McGregor vs. Brock Lesnar. That’s the type of match that gets you on all of the mainstream sports sites, and the type of match that could expand WWE into the UFC audience. The only reason McGregor should go into WWE and through all of the training and above feuds is to prepare him to main event WrestleMania with Lesnar. Sure, everyone would act mad that two part-timers are main eventing blah blah blah. If ever there was a time to swallow your smark pride and enjoy the ride, it’s this.
I mean, my God; McGregor going up against Paul Heyman in promos leading up to the match?! The real fight feel from the entrances at Mania? The fact that Vince would be able to do something that Dana White could logistically never do (put together two of the biggest stars in UFC history in the same bout)? This is the logical finish to the McGregor hype train, and goddamnit, we need him in WWE just for this. So, while this current retirement was short-lived, I say screw it; pony up all of our WWE Network subscription fees and back the money truck into McGregor’s driveway. We need The Notorious One in the squared circle ASAP.