Originally posted on 12/30/2011:

Depends on how they write it. I figure Lesner is done they make it look good, he loses a decison and he goes back the the WWE. Then maybe if he is healthy enough in a year or so and they build this other guy up enough they have Lesner leave WWE again and come back and either win or lose badly making the guy a 'legend'.

So it can be a cross promotional windfall for everyone. Enough losers still watch WWE to make it viable, and enough losers think MMA is still real to make it the big thing in 'sports' right now. If Vine and Dana White are as smart at business as people think they are this is a gold mine.

But I think Dana White is still trying to make his sport legit and trying to get it really main stream. That network primetime fight was a disaster for that though. So he still thinks WWE is his biggest competition in terms of PPV sales. So he might still want to keep himself distanced from them, but still use the comparisons to his advantage.

But I would say it is 80% Lesner loses and 'retires'.