Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice on CBS

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

--Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock is expected to be announced officially either late today or tomorrow by CBS as the main event for the 10/4 special from Sunrise, FL. We have the fight confirmed from multiple sources today and will talk about the card and more after Raw tonight on our radio show report. It matches two of the biggest TV drawing cards in MMA history against each other. I don't really want to see it, but given the circumstances, I don't know that they had much of another choice.

 

F4W

 

Ken Shamrock will be the fourth man to face Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson when the two icons clash at EliteXC’s third installment of “Saturday Night Fights” Oct. 4 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. The headlining bout will anchor a live broadcast on CBS.

 

Sherdog.com confirmed the bout’s signing with multiple parties aware of the fight, while a press release is expected to circulate later today with the news.

 

The 44-year-old Shamrock (26-13-2) beat out fellow candidates Sean Gannon and Brett Rogers , who called out Slice in May, for the coveted slot.

 

Shamrock, a 15-year veteran of the game who made his storied Octagon debut at UFC 1 in November 1993, has dropped his last five bouts in a row since 2005, including a lackluster showing against brawler Robert Berry at Cage Rage 25 last March.

 

However, “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” exudes substantial selling power for a match now only five and a half weeks away. A strong personality in and out of the cage, Shamrock’s 15 appearances in the UFC earned him international recognition alongside his original nemesis Royce Gracie .

 

Slice (3-0) earned a third-round victory against Brit James Thompson in his last foray for EliteXC in May. The bout was much criticized for its questionable officiating, placing Ferguson’s skill set in doubt after Thompson held the advantage for sizable stretches of the 11-minute contest. Ferguson holds previous wins over David "Tank" Abbott and Bo Cantrell .

 

Sherdog

 

It's not a fight that the message boards will like, but it's the biggest match, in terms of marquee value, that they could get out of Kimbo.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Stop ducking Brett Rogers, Kimbo...

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Honestly though, Brett Rogers needs to go the Clubber Lang route to get a fight here... He already has the mohawk, now he just needs the atittude and the personality.

 

He should start accusing Kimbo of ducking him everywhere he goes, saying he doesn't want a real challenge, and all that jazz. It worked for Antonio Tarver when he was trying to get a fight with Roy Jones, it will work for Brett to!

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

sold

[NoCalMike 0]

Yeah if Kimbo happens to win this match, Brett Rogers better go Clubber Lang at the post-show press conference.

[Mik 0]

Kimbo better win because if he loses to a broken down Ken Shamrock who got embarrassed by Buzz Berry, of all people, then the dream is over.

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

I can't see Kimbo losing.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

Watching hardcores freak out about this fight is hilarious, as it always is. Because no matter how many times it's shown, they just don't get it.

 

You'd think after the second CBS died in the ratings that it would have sent a wake up call to people. MMA for the sake of MMA will never draw. Ever. No matter what country. No matter how talented the fighters are. It will *NEVER* draw. I don't care who you are, you won't draw just on skill alone.

 

It's always been about marketing, star power, storylines, and charisma. From day one. And it always will be. Ken Shamrock, for everything he isn't anymore is one of the few MMA fighters who "gets" that MMA needs heels. It needs charisma. It needs shit talking to get interest. It needs a hook. Kimbo Slice has more notoriety then he should have, but the proof is in the pudding as the saying goes. He drew on his own a monsterous rating for their debut. The man draws, and Ken Shamrock is one of the few people out there that you can put against Kimbo and immediately draw interest. The Street Fighter vs. The UFC original. I would imagine that as soon as they get to press conferences and TV ads, that Ken Shamrock will be out there talking as much shit about Kimbo as he possibly can. The bigger the rating, the more people see his fight, the more potential offers he will get, and the more money he'll make. He's a smart man.

 

As for what happens, who knows? Ken will likely lose, which I'm sure won't help those "KIMBO'S FIGHTS ARE A WORK!" crowd, but what can you do? Win or lose it's win/win for Elite XC. Ken wins? Well then by golly you can throw Ken into a big fight again. Kimbo wins? Well by golly then you can throw him into a big fight again.

 

Winning and losing do not matter in the business of MMA. It's all about how you play the fans.

[Lei Tong 0]

It'll draw, but that doesn't make it an interesting fight in the least, and I probably wouldn't want to discuss MMA with anyone who'd like that kind of match-up.

[The Niggardly King 0]

This is gonna be an awesome fight

[Broward83 0]

...I actually find myself cheering for Ken on this one.

[Markme123 0]

A few updates:

 

Rogers has been told he will be fighting the winner of this fight in the next couple of months. He has been invited to sit ringside, ala Carano, during the Cyborg/Bazler fight.

 

Dave Meltzer made a terrific point on Monday's WO Radio show; if Kimbo wins, huzzah, but if Ken somehow pulls it off, it sets the foundation for a Ken/Frank fight both have wanted to set up. It really is a win/win for EXC in a time when all they've gotten are bad news.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

It'll draw, but that doesn't make it an interesting fight in the least, and I probably wouldn't want to discuss MMA with anyone who'd like that kind of match-up.

 

I usually respect your opinions, but that is an elitist way of thinking.

 

Yes, MMA is a sport. No denying that. But the goal of ALL professional sports is to make money. Bottom line. MMA is not, nor has it ever been so ingrained in any culture that simply putting on a good fight will draw. Even in Japan, the market for which absolutely crushes anything any other market has ever done was never like that. Name any PRIDE main event that drew 30,000 to 60,000 fans along with gigantic ratings percentages, and I can give you a storyline from it, a hook that drew that crowd. Same thing with UFC. All their biggest, and most remembered fights have a storyline surrounding them. That's just reality.

 

Two really great fighters slugging out just will never draw without the four things I listed above. ANd two fighters slugging it out without any market power, any drawing power, or any fan interest means nothing beyond people going "Hey, good fight!" and then immediately forgetting it. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with liking a freakshow. It's just another form of a fight. If you think like that, then 99.9% of all MMA fans *around the world* are not in your bracket to talk with, and by token seemingly many of the people in this forum.

 

There's no right way or wrong way to view things. Other then facts, it's just all opinion.

[Lei Tong 0]

I used to be all about MMA garnering as many fans as possible, but nowadays I couldn't give less of a shit. From my experience, the influx of fans to MMA is one made up largely of idiots who make discussing the sport with them as mind-achingly unpleasant as possible. So yeah, I am an elitist.

 

What's enjoyable about talking MMA with someone who's utterly oblivious to Shamrock's competitive relevance in today's fight scene, or who thinks that Kimbo is actually a promising fighter? It would seem to me that only people with that level of ignorance are the ones who'd be all that interested in this fight, and avoiding MMA-related banter with them is hardly a loss. I'm simply too burned out to try and bring people up to speed anymore, so it's easier for me to simply avoid the conversations completely.

[Lei Tong 0]

Addendum: I don't much like freak-show fights, which this one has all the makings of (bar fights are comparable, but more morbidly satisfying). I prefer fights between skilled and/or competitive combatants.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

That stance is just a foreign concept to me. I honestly don't care about MMA's popularity, or it's influx of fans, or "Bad precidents" or anything of that nature. I suppose I take a promoter's stance to certain things as I look at it from purely a business standpoint, and I also use the "Will it entertain me" stance. If freakshows aren't your thing, then that's fine, but enjoying two relatively unskilled (Or in this case unskilled/past their prime) fighters beat on each other isn't really wrong.

 

The truth is, Elite XC needs a fight that will draw. This will draw. Thusly, since UFC needs in some form of competition (Monopoly is not good folks), it is a good fight to have made. If it is correctly promoted, this fight could be the biggest fight in the history of North American MMA.

 

Does it interest me? I suppose. I've always had an attraction to certain freakshow fights. Depends on who, really. Most of the more popular/historic fights in MMA history have had some freak show element to them. (Off the top of my head...Takada/Gracie was complete freakshow, Frye/Takayama was a freakshow, Sapp/Nog was a freak show, Royce/Sakuraba was a freakshow due to the rules, all the early UFC's were freakshows and you can even say that Sylvia/Couture was a freakshow and we all know Mir/Brock was a helluva freakshow). It just depends on WHO is in it. Did Akebono ever pick my interest? Not really.

 

I think I have more interest in this fight then I would have in Rogers/Kimbo. Where's the fun in seeing Kimbo get smashed to a uncharismatic Rogers who won't draw, thereby watching Elite XC crumble? I mean, in the Gina Carano/Cyborg fight (if it ever happens) Gina can cut promos and be really, really pretty. What the fuck does Kimbo got after that first loss? Feeding him to someone who wont' draw makes no sense whatsoever.

[Youth N Asia 0]

Ken's gotta know he can't win this on his feet. He just got knocked out by Buzz Nobody not too long ago. I think Ken takes him down and tries to bore out a decision. And then I see the ref standing the fight up as often as possible to get Kimbo back on his feet

[Lei Tong 0]

That stance is just a foreign concept to me. I honestly don't care about MMA's popularity, or it's influx of fans, or "Bad precidents" or anything of that nature. I suppose I take a promoter's stance to certain things as I look at it from purely a business standpoint, and I also use the "Will it entertain me" stance. If freakshows aren't your thing, then that's fine, but enjoying two relatively unskilled (Or in this case unskilled/past their prime) fighters beat on each other isn't really wrong.

 

I never claimed it was wrong. However, I'm entitled to my opinion, and my opinion is that people who readily lap this kind if crap up are retards.

 

The truth is, Elite XC needs a fight that will draw. This will draw. Thusly, since UFC needs in some form of competition (Monopoly is not good folks), it is a good fight to have made. If it is correctly promoted, this fight could be the biggest fight in the history of North American MMA.

 

I don't care about EliteXC being a competitor with the UFC. Their roster is weak, matchmaking weaker, and utter reliance on a few names that I care little for leaves me apathetic about their survival. I'm not for the UFC being the only game in town, but that doesn't mean I'm going to blindly heap praise on a promotion that has done little to pique my interest. Only the interdependant survival of the several regional promotions ProElite has brought under their umbrella makes me hope for its continued existence.

 

I think I have more interest in this fight then I would have in Rogers/Kimbo. Where's the fun in seeing Kimbo get smashed to a uncharismatic Rogers who won't draw, thereby watching Elite XC crumble? I mean, in the Gina Carano/Cyborg fight (if it ever happens) Gina can cut promos and be really, really pretty. What the fuck does Kimbo got after that first loss? Feeding him to someone who wont' draw makes no sense whatsoever.

 

It doesn't matter to me who does or doesn't beat Kimbo. He can fuck off and never be seen again, for all I care. If he starts showing the potential to be a relevant HW, or begins fighting relevant HW's, I might cut him some slack. As I've already made clear, I don't watch MMA for the sake of seeing the ratings the next day; I watch MMA to see fights that entertain me.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Brett Rogers and his camp response to Shamrock Vs. Kimbo

 

On behalf of Brett Rogers and the Team Bison Camp -

 

We are getting a lot of requests for interviews concerning the recently announced Shamrock vs. Slice match up. I believe many people are looking for us to be upset and join the pig pile on EliteXC. Well, people have to keep on looking.

 

Brett has two words tattooed on his arms: one is success and the other is patience. We of course would like to fight Kimbo here and now. We would like to fight him today. We would love to fight a legend like Shamrock as well. We would also like to fight for the title. There is no doubt we will get to do all three; we just need to have patience and then we will have success.

 

As for Elite – this is our home. We are excited to be part of Elite, CBS and Showtime. We are proud to be part of one of fastest-growing and best backed promotions in the world. We are proud to be part of a show that treats their fighters with love and respect and is not afraid to let their fighters compete outside the boundaries. Elite is also not afraid to give fighters the opportunity to develop and grow as athletes and entertainers. Elite has a growing network of mid-level and developmental shows that are bringing up true up-and-coming talent that will provide the bedrock of the sport for a long time to come.

 

I know a lot of people want to dog on Elite; but these same people would have an MMA world where no more then a dozen guys were making a living wage. People who think the real world should run just like it does on their PlayStation. But this is a complicated, difficult business for every side of the equation. For the fighters, promoters and everyone else involved. As a camp we have to negotiate, posture, bully, push, plead to get our share of the love. But at the end of the day we are Elite.

 

As for Oct 4th; that was our spot. Shamrock with his name and giant ego butted in line to get a slice of Kevin. At 103 years of age Ken usurped our rightful place against the YouTube champ. Our sincerest hope is that Ken whips Kimbo and then we can finally euthanize the “World’s Most Dangerous Man” and relegate him to some MMA dinosaur exhibit. Maybe taxidermy him and Severn and place them on a rotating pedestal where they can endless circle each other.

 

If Ken proves to be more sham then rock and Fergi beats him, then the Slice hype grows even greater. Dude is already more myth then Sasquatch, Chupacabra and a f**king unicorn combined. Kevin is the black Yeti.

 

Caught between a Shamrock and a hard place, Kevin has chosen the old over the new; the past over the future. But Fergi… the hard place is coming. By putting us off, making us wait will only make matters worse. There is nothing business about it anymore. Kimbo made it a point to go frontin’ to our boys at Big Black. But that street thug B.S. might work well with the fan bois and the Internet dorks who think your street cred means something; but Son… Brett comes from Cabrini Green; the worst 12 blocks of America. Compared to that your street is Sesame Street. So you can say it is very personal between Brett and Fergi. So go ahead and make us wait while you fight Tank and Shamrock. Hell, why not fight Hackney, Harold Howard, Fred Ettish and the rest of Jurassic MMA? And while your shuckin’ and duckin’ we will be hustlin’ and muscilin’ and when the bell finally tolls the only real question left is … do you wake up looking at canvas or arena lights?

 

On behalf of Brett Rogers – Team Bison

 

GODDAMN! PWNED!

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Black Yeti? Awesome.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

And Hawk52 has the nerve to say Brett Rogers is uncharismatic!

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

Myeh. A written response doesn't really indicate charisma. When he's been on screen I didn't feel anything from him.

 

Now, if they turn this into an angle where after Kimbo murders Ken, Rogers begins to claim Kimbo is ducking him going the "Clubber Lang" approach as has been mentioned? That could be buys.

 

That's of course if Elite XC is still alive. Even with a monstrous rating that's far from a lock.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I like Rogers if only because his voice sounds like Darrel from The Office.

[NoCalMike 0]

Nice response.

 

Now I kinda hope Kimbo beats Shamrock.

[SpikeFayeJettEdBebop 0]

Isn't Kimbo like 40lbs heavier than Shamrock?? Wiki lists sham as 205 and Slice as 240. Dunno how reliable that is but I'd always remembered Shamrock as a man not NEARLY as big as Kimbo.

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

Fucking awesome.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Fucking awesome.

 

Are you serious?????

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

I like a good freak show.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

I'll check it out. Too bad Shamrock's a goner.

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

Fucking awesome.

 

Are you serious?????

 

 

Very much so. I wanna see if Shamrock can use even the most basic knowledge of holds to beat Kimbo. Kimbo's shown he can only do stand up.