Brock Lesnar: Vince McMahon is a better promoter than Dana White

Dana White and Vince McMahon are two promoters cut from the same, very distinct cloth.

White has long considered McMahon a visionary and someone he could look to when laying out the plans for his vision for the UFC.

In fact, it was McMahon’s WWE which helped the UFC break out of obscurity in the mid-2000s when “Monday Night Raw” served as a lead-in on Spike TV for the UFC’s new fighter reality show, “The Ultimate Fighter.”

One competitor who has experience in dealing with both men is former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar cut his teeth in the WWE in the early millennium before embarking on a personal athletic journey that saw him test the waters of the NFL and eventually become an all-world MMA champion.

Now, Lesnar is back with the WWE and preparing for a huge rematch with WWE legend The Undertaker at this weekend’s SummerSlam pay-per-view in Brooklyn. During a “SportsCenter” interview Tuesday, Lesnar was asked about his relationship with both White and McMahon, and who he thought was the better promoter to work for. And Lesnar, who isn’t exactly known for biting his tongue, shared exactly what was on his mind.

“The business model is the same,” Lesnar said of the two companies. “It’s identical, and I think Vince McMahon is better at it than Dana. And that might rub Dana the wrong way.”

White rubbed plenty of wrestling fans the wrong way when he, rather obviously, stated that pro wrestling was “fake [expletive]” during a recent Twitter Q&A with a fan.

“Of course, Dana, it’s fake,” Lesnar said. “Everybody knows that. You are promoting the same thing we’re promoting: Dana White is promoting fights. We’re promoting fights. It just so happens that we get a little more longevity out of our fights and our fighters, because of the circumstances.

“It is a staged arena. Everyone knows that and if you can’t turn WWE on Monday night and get something out of that show and be entertained, then there’s something wrong with you.”

It is rather odd that White felt the need to get on a soapbox and proclaim something as obvious as “pro wrestling is fake.”

That’s hardly news.

What White apparently missed is the vast number of sports entertainers who risk their long-term health in an arena built for the enjoyment of the public at large. At the end of the day, whether it’s a staged production or an actual fight, there is still that serious battle of risk vs. reward that every impassioned professional must struggle with.

So, it’s no wonder that Lesnar, along with the likes of WWE champion Seth Rollins, took exception to White’s comments.

Vince McMahon and the WWE have been around for the better part of five decades. They are a staple of this country and the business is steeped in Americana. Whether you enjoy the art of professional wrestling, or think it’s a sideshow, one thing that cannot be denied is McMahon’s passion for the business his family helped establish, and the astute visionary he will be remembered as.

If McMahon wasn’t going to defend himself and his company, then leave it to Lesnar to set things straight.

“Vince is the pioneer of it,” Lesnar said. “He’s been doing this his whole life. And he’s damn good at it. Dana, probably in his defense, is promoting fighting, but it’s the same thing. He’s trying to sell pay-per-views; he’s trying to sell money fights. It’s the same racket.”