As sports-entertainment products the crossover between mixed martial arts and pro wrestling has been persistent. Even before MMA had a real system of rules or recognition as a sport unto itself wrestlers have been a a fixture in mixed-style fights over the last century. In the early 90s, as MMA codified and structured itself into something resembling its modern iteration, fighters like Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock, Masakatsu Funaki and many more made names for themselves in both arenas.
One of Japan’s longest running MMA promotions, Pancrase, was as notable for its pro wrestling style works as it was its competitive bouts during its early years of development.