Ken Shamrock vs Kimbo Slice: Last Chance at Redemption.

Despite losing every one of his last 5 fights by first round KO - the world's one time premiere shootfigher Ken Shamrock has been given one last chance to steal the mixed martial arts world spotlight. Shamrock has signed to face Internet brawling sensation - turned mixed martial artist - Kimbo Slice on October 4th on primetime CBS. Kimbo Slice managed to carry his Internet popularity over into the world of MMA pay-per-views and prime time television. In addition to having a popular run on WWF television during the height of it's popularity in the late 90's, Ken Shamrock was catered to by the early UFC in the creation of the UFC superfight format in order to give the Pancrase champion (and two time UFC tournament loser) a chance to shine. Since then, Shamrock has had a storied road of success and failures. Does this fight against Kimbo represent a final chance at redemption for the UFC Hall of Famer?

I imagine that some long time fans like myself were early fans of Ken Shamrock. He came into the first UFC touted as the best shootfighter from Japan. The term “shootfighter” possessed a certain mystique in those days. No one knew exactly what it meant. Before I saw Ken fight - I became a fan of his highlight reel moments in the PPV promo to UFC 1. Ken's fights in the first UFC were at least entertaining. He quickly submitted the fierce Pat Smith with an ankle lock. Like any first time fan – I had no idea what an ankle lock was at the time – but I did understand the pain etched on Pat Smith's face as Ken torqued his ankle. After losing a lighting quick grappling match to Royce Gracie via rear naked choke – a popular theme in many early Gracie fights – Ken missed the second UFC due to a hand injury. Ken returned with strong showings in UFC 3 – but dropped out of the tournament in lieu of entering the finals. Shamrock later claimed that he dropped out of UFC 3 due to the fact that Royce Gracie did not continue his tournament bid after his quarter-finals fight with Kimo Leopoldo.


In between UFC's Ken spent his time in Japan as the King of Pancrase. For anyone unfamiliar with Pancrase – in short it - was a shootfighting organization that combined catch as catch can wrestling with kickboxing techniques. In addition to the regular rules against biting, eye gouging, and groin strikes - Pancrase prohibited striking with the closed fist or using the elbow – however almost any kick was legal as were knees strikes. Early Pancrase tournaments boasted a ferocious collection of mixed martial artists including Masa Funaki, Matt Hume, and future UFC champions Bas Rutten and Maurice Smith. Ken emerged from the tournament as the first King of Pancrase.


Word from the early MMA underground was that in the interim between UFC 3 and UFC 5 – Ken had briefly trained Brazilian Jiu-jitsu with the talented Machado family. Studying with the Machado's just long enough to work up a groundfighting game plan which consisted of simply sitting in the guard – Ken walked into UFC 5 confident he had the tools to hand Royce Gracie and the Gracie Family it's first defeat in decades. Ken returned at UFC 5 to challenge Royce Gracie in the first ever super fight in what was until the recent advent of Silvia-Monson – the single most boring MMA fight of all time. After 36 minutes which basically entailed Ken sitting tight in the guard of the much smaller Royce Gracie - the bout was mercifully declared a DRAW.


Although the bout was officially a draw – Ken began claiming a moral victory over the Gracies. On a strategic level – Ken Shamrock helped lay the ground work for what would eventually become known as the strategy of “ground and pound.” Take your opponent down to the ground and punch them. In applying this strategy to the jiu-jitsuan – this meant sitting tight in the guard, not extending one's arms or legs – and punching your opponent. No attempt is made to pass the guard or gain a superior position. In effect – it's a smart strategy for anyone faced with superior guard technique. It served Shamrock well enough to see him through his 36 minute encounter with Royce. Ken felt that since he had avoided submission during his second bout with Royce – that he had destroyed the myth of Gracie invincibility. Some fans might be inclined to agree.


Shamrock returned to Japan to defend his King of Pancrase title. The Japanese are fans of the fighting arts and as such began questioning Ken in earnest about his rematch with Royce Gracie – to which Ken replied that he felt he had won the fight. This is the point at which I started to lose all admiration for Ken Shamrock.


Somewhere between UFC 1 and the moment Ken tapped out to the choke hold applied by Royce Gracie – Ken began to forget that it ever happened. Not only was he stating that he won the rematch with Royce – but he would often state that he never lost to Royce Gracie. In effect that was true as long as one discounts the time he actually tapped out to the man.


Ken had mixed success in the UFC superfights. He had a memorable battle with UFC champion Dan Severn and went on to have a prolonged encounter with Russian Sambo expert Oleg Taktarov. After another series of increasingly languid superfights – culminating in one more UFC tournament run in the Ultimate Ultimate tournament – Ken would leave the UFC for an extended stay in the professional wrestling world of Vince MacMahon's WWF.


Ken Shamrock would enter the WWF as the World's Most Dangerous Man garnering exposure that no other mixed martial artist would see - until the advent of Dana White's The Ultimate Fighter reality show. Eventually Shamrock returned to MMA competition with mixed success. He was a prominent feature in many of the Japanese Pride events which culminated in a battle with – ironically enough – former UFC champion Don Frye. Shamrock left the encounter and Japan on the losing end and has never really returned to his winning ways.


Shamrock returned to the UFC nearly a decade after his early shootwrestling days in Japan and was served up as the opponent to help make UFC bad boy Tito Ortiz into a superstar. There's a fascinating history behind the animosity between Tito Ortiz and Shamrock – but that would require an entire article on it's own. In short - one could boil down Shamrock's late career as a jobber for Tito Ortiz.

 

Ken Shamrock showed on Spike's TUF that he was a self-centered ***** by refusing to train his team. Tito Ortiz completely shut the door on Shamrock's aura with a series of powerful elbows in a variation on the ground and pound blueprint laid out oh so many years ago by Ken in his fight with Royce Gracie. Ken lost the last vestiges of his credibility by being stopped in 5 of his last 5 fights. To say Ken Shamrock is shot would be an understatement to say the least.

Enter Kimbo Slice. Since the purpose of this article was to educate a few Kimbo fans on the history of Ken Shamrock and mixed martial arts – there's really no need to go into Kimbo's history. Everyone reading this knows who Kimbo Slice is. Rather – they know the Phenomenon of Kimbo Slice – the aura of Kimbo Slice. Kimbo gained national popularity in a series of violent Youtube battles. These clips showed him knocking down more stiffs than a 1986 Mike Tyson highlight video. It's easy to see the appeal of Kimbo Slice to the average viewer because he does what any fighter should do since the days of John L. Sullivan – he knocks m***********s out. Kimbo knocks out guys on Youtube that is. Everyone except Sean Gannon. Gannon survived a rather torrid encounter with Kimbo to leave the bearded powerhouse laying battered and beaten. Since entering the realm of MMA, Kimbo has had success. In his first match he submitted former heavyweight challenger and Olympic gold medalist Ray Mercer with a guillotine choke. Kimbo scored stoppages in his next few bouts – so one could almost say that Kimbo is a great success in MMA. Right? As long as you're not a MMA purist – you might consider Kimbo a real threat in MMA. Many long time fans are upset at the instant stardom of the Internet sensation. This writer has never begrudged a man the right to earn a living. As the saying goes – there's a sucker born every minute. If people want to pay to see Kimbo fight – then let them. And let them eat cake while they're at it.

Since his MMA debut – Kimbo has been matched very carefully. His first opponent Ray Mercer's better days were still in 1997. Since being KO'd by current world champion Wladimir Klitschko several years ago – Mercer has wandered from boxing into kickboxing and finally mixed martial arts – without so much as the hint of success. Another Slice opponent Tank Abbott was once a ferocious brawler with KO power in both hands – but he had managed only one victory since 1998 and was therefor hardly a serious challenge to the nascent mixed martial artist Kimbo. Kimbo's last fight left a bad taste in everyone's mouth as he was extended in a sloppy encounter with veteran Glass Joe of MMA – James Thompson. Thompson withstood the early Kimbo onslaught and manged to batter him on the ground for much of the fight. Kimbo eventually scored a dubious referee stoppage when he burst Thompson's cauliflower ear with a right hand and unleashed a follow up combination to stagger the man moments later. Thomspon was still on his feet when the referee jumped in prompting many fans – casual and otherwise to cry foul. Many felt Thompson should have been given the chance to continue and even more fans feel that an instant rematch is warranted before Kimbo moves on with his career.

I do credit Kimbo Slice as a mixed martial artist. He has been training with one of the premiere trainers and former King of Pancrase and UFC Champion - Bas Rutten. Rutten is renowned for his grueling training regime and is no doubt doing his best to prepare Kimbo for the challenges of the MMA ring. MMA purists feel that all the attention Kimbo receives from the media is doing a disservice to the sport of MMA. Many fighters toil in small dojos and gyms across the country while secretly plying their trade in smoker shows and dark houses for years before ever being given a chance to earn the a real payday inside the UFC octagon. The crest in popularity of MMA over the past few years has caused many competing organizations to crop up across the globe providing more opportunities for fighters to build their name than ever before. One such organization is the Elite XC – current home to Kimbo Slice. Elite XC hosted pay-per-view events in association with Showtime and played a part in bringing the highest rated MMA show to prime time television with CBS' Saturday Night Fights. Purists believe MMA would be better served by using the spotlight of prime time television to showcase a long time mixed martial artist – in full command of the various aspects of the sport instead of a man considered by many to be nothing more than a crude brawler. MMA was built on a heritage of martial artists cross training in various disciplines for decades in order to become complete martial artists. The complete martial artist is ready for anything – punches, kicks, clinches, knees, takedowns and submissions. In his fight with James Thompson – Kimbo unfamiliarity with groundfighting showed that he didn't know the difference between a wrist lock and a wrist watch. Slice is still learning – so it is to be expected – but not necessarily exalted. Casual MMA fans do not know the difference between a gogopolata and a mocha late – so they don't see the flaws in Kimbo's technique. Compound newbie ignorance with the fact that long time enthusiasts can't help but cringe at Kimbo's ground game and you have the makings of a debate that makes the Bowe-Golota riot look like a stroll in the park. New fans love Kimbo because he is primal – exciting. Long time fans feel slighted by the attention given to a man that amounts to little more than a n00b in the sport of MMA.

That highest rated show was headlined by Kimbo Slice and James Thompson. Many fans were disappointed in Kimbo's showing. Since that event it has become public knowledge that Elite XC is in financial trouble. The entire organization is on it's last legs and unless it can keep producing mega-events that capture the public' imagination – it will soon fade from sight. Enter Ken Shamrock. Shamrock – like any other long time mixed martial artist from 185 lbs and up has joined the “I'll KO Kimbo Slice” bandwagon. Due to Shamrock's popularity from the UFC and WWF – there is no other opponent in the world that will bring Kimbo Slice more name recognition. Unfortunately, a promoter could probably pick anyone from the local downtown dojo and they would present more of a challenge to Kimbo than the old toothless lion Shamrock.

Or would they?

What if Ken Shamrock turns back the clock? He has been KO'd in his last 5 fights – but Kimbo has the ground game of a cadaver. Surely if Shamrock could effect a takedown – he could twist Kimbo into pretzel of quivering jelly? Although Shamrock never studied jiu-jitsu in depth – his knowledge of submissions is masterful. There was a time when he would have gorilla pressed Kimbo Slice and thrown him into the third row with two broken ankles. Ken has demonstrated in the past – when properly motivated he could follow a game plan into victory. What more motivation does Shamrock need other than to know that he carries the banner of Mixed Martial Artists everywhere. Here is his chance to do the MMA world a favor and send Kimbo Slice back to Youtube on crutches. If Shamrock can slam Kimbo into the mat and lock on that patented ankle lock – he would no doubt be carried out on the shoulders of the MMA world and could peacefully retire with his head held high. All memories of his ego trips and poor showings of the past would be instantly erased in the eyes of the MMA community. Ken Shamrock's fight with Kimbo Slice gives him one last chance to remind the country why he was once known as “The World's Most Dangerous Man.”

For Kimbo – this fight represents another chance at acceptance from the MMA world. If he can emerge from the fight with an impressive showing – he puts another dent in the armor around the hearts of MMA purists. I like Kimbo as a fighter and as a person. In interviews – he always conducts himself as a gentleman and shows nothing but respect for his opponents. Even if he has a lot to learn about the sport of MMA – Kimbo is already a great example of a good sportsman and that is something that all MMA fans can learn from.

I am looking forward to this fight. Hopefully new fans to MMA will read this and take away a little something to help refine their appreciation of Kimbo and in the process learn more about the great sport of MMA. I am a fan of Kimbo because he brings in new fans. Come to the octagon to see Kimbo – but stick around to watch GSP, Randy Couture, Minotauro Nogueira, BJ Penn, Anderson Silva, Cung Le, and of course the Baddest Man on the Planet – Fedor.

Kimbo Slice vs Ken Shamrock is good for the sport of MMA. It has all the makings of a classic striker vs grappler match and can only serve to cement the legacy of one man or help another take one step closer to creating a legacy of his own.

October 4th, Kimbo Slice will fight Ken Shamrock on free television on CBS. Do yourself a favor and watch what could become a part of mixed martial arts history.

 

Dammit! I can't believe I typed all that and there's a typo in the thread title.atsch

 

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. :good