5 Superstars who could beat Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman in a "shoot fight"
Penning this down, or in my case, as I punch the keys on my keyboard, I've now begun to realize that more than a fair share of fans may be a tad confused as to what I intend to convey through this article.
So, I'd like to be crystal clear as we start off!
Witnessing a hilarious argument between a few of my friends regarding which current WWE Superstar could beat Brock Lesnar in a "real fight", got me thinking about two other top Superstars on the WWE's RAW brand today -- namely Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman -- and which performers from the current WWE roster could defeat them in a "real fight"!
A real fight or a "shoot fight" as we refer to it in the world of professional wrestling, doesn't really have any specific rule-set. In fact, it's nothing more than a glorified street fight, which could be way more brutal than a fight/match that takes place in a professional combat sport setting such as in pro-boxing or MMA.
(*Warning: The content noted in this article strictly refers to a hypothetical, unarmed, one-on-one combat situation between the Superstars mentioned -- and does not intend to glorify unsanctioned shoot fights) Having competed in the combat sports realm for several years now, I believe that there are indeed a few unwritten rules, which form a code of honour even in a street/shoot fight situation -- a few important rules being that eye-gouging, groin shots, and weapons aren't allowed.
Now that we've established the rules of our hypothetical discussion, I have to note that the following analysis has been put forth after extensive observation of the Superstars' strength and conditioning levels, combat history, age, size, etc...
#5 Bobby Lashley could use his amateur wrestling and MMA experience to take this fight to the ground and win
Bobby Lashley is perhaps one of the most underrated professional wrestlers of all time. Besides, in MMA, with wins over Jason Guida, Bob Sapp (Sapp was still somewhat dangerous back then), and Wes Sims, "The All Mighty" holds an MMA record of 15 wins and 2 losses.
Lashley notably lost a Unanimous Decision to James Thompson at SFL 3 on May 6th, 2012 in New Delhi, India, but brutally avenged his loss by destroying Thompson via TKO (Technical Knockout) at Bellator 145 on November 6th, 2015!
Against Braun Strowman: Lashley was an excellent amateur wrestler in his younger days, and vastly improved his striking as he began competing in MMA. Per the evidence, all signs point towards Lashley using his long jab to keep Strowman at long range, and pick him apart on the feet with straight punches and a few standing elbows.
Against Drew McIntyre: Against Strowman, Lashley would probably avoid grappling, because The Monster Among Men is quite powerful in static exchanges -- which is obvious because of Strowman's history of being a successful pro power-lifter.
However, against Drew McIntyre, Lashley would have a much easier time in in the grappling exchanges. But on the feet, McIntyre could prove to be a pest to deal with, because of his long arms.
We don't have the exact measurements of McIntyre's arms' reach, however, Lashley is smart, and he'll avoid striking with the longer guy. Instead, Lashley will distract him with a few jabs and feints, before shooting for a takedown, and beating up McIntyre with ground-and-pound (ground strikes)...