It’s been a hard week for Bellator.
The little MMA promotion that could spent a month cross-promoting their inaugural pay-per-view event and its Tito Ortiz vs. Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson main-event on Impact Wrestling (the Bellator to WWE’s UFC) with a ridiculous pro wrestling storyline only for Tito to fart out at the last second with an injury. Now Tito vs. Rampage isn’t happening and Bellator’s first attempt at PPV is now a free episode of television. What’s a company with luck like that to do?
Why, CROSS-PROMOTE MORE WITH THAT WRESTLING SHOW, OF COURSE.
In a series of tweets posted via TWITTAH MACHINE, former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray, aka Bubba Ray Dudley of WWE and ECW’s Dudley Boyz, stepped up to the plate and offered to replace Tito Ortiz in his marquee match-up against Rampage. Welp, at least Dixie Carter isn’t trying to fight him.
SHIT JUST GOT … fake?
My favorite part of the story (which is essentially two guys who know each other from work screwing around on the Internet) is the writeup from PWInsider.com, where SOURCES REVEAL that everything you’re reading here is DEADLY SERIOUS.
In asking around, I am told that this wasn’t Ray just trying to get publicity for himself, but being absolutely serious in that if Bellator would entertain his offer, he’d step in the ring with Jackson in what would be most interesting TNA-Bellator crossover.
I’m not gonna lie, I’d be excited if the U.S. started embracing that thing Japan does where pro wrestlers occasionally decide they’d be great at MMA fights, participate in one and get murdered. Bully Ray on Bellator couldn’t be any worse than the time Alberto Del Rio tried to fight Mirko Cro Cop or Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger trying to throw a koppo kick in a shootfight.
