Vince McMahon and the WWE Lobbying for MMA Bans in Europe?

(We really are just Warhammer table top pawns to these guys *sigh*)

Really that headline should have read "Vince McMahon and the WWE lobbying for *****UFC***** bans in Europe?".

Cage Side Seats brings us this exchange from the Wrestling Observer as German sportscaster, Oliver Copp, insinuates that the WWE is pushing, lobbying, clamoring, "actively trying to get UFC banned".

Unless UFC manage to pack a stadium they go into, it'll be a negative for the brand's development. WWE, for instance, is only waiting for a high-profile failure like that to try and mock the UFC. They're already actively trying to get UFC banned in many European countries. Don't give them ammunition.

Dave Meltzer responds:

Well, I guess that cat is out of the bag.

Yeah, very scared of what happened in the U.S., and more particularly Canada, would happen in Europe.

But Oliver would know better, my impression is it's whispering behind the scenes about violence and brutality not being suitable for television, not inability to draw.

Oliver proceeded to add more to his original post, which you can read at Cage Side Seats.

Two things jump out from this exchange. First, are the roots of the German television ban of MMA UFC traceable back to Vince and the WWE? That may be a little too conspiracy theory for some people but the question writes itself after the juxtaposition of this fact coming to light and the recent, out of the blue ban.

Second, the UFC and the WWE are in competition, at least in the sense of what Meltzer stated. The WWE's European pay-per view market would take a hit if UFC expansion was successful. Of course, the implication is that the rise in the UFC's popularity coupled with the decline in the WWE's (or at least in pay-per view buy rates) opens the door for the conclusion that UFC fans are professional wrestling converts.