Oct 1, 2008 - 11:05:41 PM By; Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist
Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock are only a few days away from meeting in the main event of Elite XC:Heat on CBS, and pretty much just about everything that can be said about this matchup has been said. As far as the fight itself shall go, we have heard everything from the notion that this is the airing of a live execution to the endless chatter about how this is nothing more than a sideshow; but not once have I noticed anyone pointing out the similarities between Kimbo and Ken. These two men have more in common than would be expected and while this does nothing to make the fight any more competitive it does at least make for some semblance of meaning for what in all sincerity is a meaningless spectacle of a fight. Where Kimbo stands today is upon the pedestal which Ken once called home and while both men are clearly at opposite ends of their careers; they are not really as opposite as one would think.
1993 saw the birth of the Ultimate Fighting Championship which served to formally introduce both MMA and Ken Shamrock to the world. Obviously the first UFC served as an infomercial of sorts for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and showcased the Gracie family by way of Royce, but it was Ken Shamrock who would become the breakout star in the eyes of so many who had watched this groundbreaking event. Ken did not win but came away with having been seen as the only credible challenger to Royce Gracie when all was said and done with. Shamrock looked raw but everyone was left wondering just what could happen were these two men to meet again with Ken being more prepared for Gracie’s skills.
UFC 5 would bring us the first UFC “Super Fight” with Shamrock facing off against Gracie in a rematch which would end up being declared a draw after 36 minutes of action. This was significant in that this would be Royce’s final appearance in the octagon until his ill-fated return to face Matt Hughes in the main event of UFC 60. Ken Shamrock had come back to give Royce Gracie all that he could handle and came away the winner in the eyes of the viewers at home and would instantly become the poster boy and face of this ultraviolent new sport.
It was around this time that MMA would be featured on a network show which profiled some of the world’s most dangerous jobs, with one of these being that of a “no holds barred” fighter, for which Ken Shamrock was selected as the representative. This show would bestow the moniker of “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” on Ken and would serve to be one of the first steps toward mainstream acceptance and stardom for Shamrock. This was back when MMA was called “Ultimate Fighting,” and of all the fighters, none would be considered more “ultimate” than Ken Shamrock. Boxing had the “Baddest Man on the Planet” in Mike Tyson and now there appeared to be someone who could beg to differ with that assessment.
From the onset of the first UFC it became commonplace for sports fans to wonder just what a guy like Mike Tyson could do inside of the Octagon without any rules to hold him back. For the years following the first UFC, this was often brought up by many sports fans, as most of the UFC fighters at this time were out of shape brawlers, save for a few; and it would have seemed a given that Tyson could have entered and decimated all that could stand in his way. On the other end of the argument it would be brought up that perhaps Ken Shamrock could be the guy who would possibly destroy Tyson. Ken Shamrock became bigger than the sport and while Royce Gracie can claim that the Gracie’s built the house, Ken Shamrock’s name was on the deed to the property.
Ken had the intimidating look to go along with his well earned reputation as a skilled fighter and doors suddenly opened for both Shamrock as well as the sport itself. This was of course during the days in which current Presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, deemed the sport to be “human cockfighting” and spearheaded the campaign to banish it forever. UFC fighters were considered barbarians who were more animal than athlete and it was Ken Shamrock who played a large part in gaining this sport a modicum of acceptance, which would be what kept the sport alive in a world that really wanted nothing to do with it.
This is where Ken Shamrock is similar to Kimbo Slice in that both were the face of what so very many did not want to even look at. Ken was not considered a “real” athlete by the sports writers and pundits in much the same way that Kimbo is not considered a “real” fighter by the MMA writers and fans alike today. Ken Shamrock was a fearsome looking individual who just looked like he could rip you from limb to limb while exhibiting the demeanor of a serial killer. Kimbo Slice is the fearsome, bearded menace who could make many a man urinate themselves if he would even attempt to board the same elevator as them. Ken represented the sport that not many wanted around and Kimbo represents the athlete that many wish would go away. Both were as loved as they were despised and this is why they both are alike, in that they both have been in the same position in the early days of their respective MMA careers.
Both men are as important as the other, whether we like this fact or even choose to accept it, as Ken Shamrock was the face of this sport to seemingly everyone in the early days in much the same way that Kimbo Slice owns the lion’s share of media attention today. It was Ken Shamrock who became larger than life in the brutal world of MMA, and today it is Kimbo Slice who has been on the covers of magazines and under the bright hot spotlight of prime time network television. MMA was brand new and the sports world pretty much looked at Ken as not belonging in their world, which is exactly how MMA fans and fighters today seem to feel about Kimbo.
It took Ken Shamrock to open the doors for MMA and regardless of how we feel, it is a positive thing that Kimbo is getting attention at all in that it is shining a light on MMA which may serve to draw more fans to the sport. This sport needed Ken Shamrock back in 1993 and in a way it needs Kimbo Slice today. Was Ken Shamrock the best fighter or the most skilled athlete in all of MMA? Not in my book; and it is a fact that Slice is not the most skilled athlete, or even truly qualified to be in the cage with many of his peers today. Both can and have drawn the attention of the casual sports fan and have made the mainstream sports media curious enough to pay equal attention.
Ken Shamrock went from being considered a legitimate threat to a certifiable joke to those who follow the sport, but among the casual sports fan, Shamrock is still one of the bad asses; and this is why he is being featured in the main event of Elite XC:Heat. We know that he is well past his prime, and it can be argued that he never really was as great as his reputation seemed to suggest, but similar arguments can be made about Kimbo Slice. Slice doesn’t belong in with Fedor Emeilianenko, but the difference between the two is that most people could not pick Fedor out of a crowd much less tell you that he is the best heavyweight on the planet. MMA needed Ken Shamrock to get to where it is today in much the same way that MMA does need Kimbo Slice to possibly help us get to a tomorrow where Fedor could be recognized for all that he can do. The first is not always the best nor do they have to be, but they do have to open the door so that others may follow.
The world didn’t want Ken Shamrock or his sport; the MMA world doesn’t want Kimbo Slice in their sport. The world considered Ken Shamrock to be less than a highly skilled athlete and more of a barroom fighter; Kimbo Slice is considered an unskilled MMA fighter and was actually a backyard brawler. Ken Shamrock received more attention than Royce Gracie who actually won the early UFC tournaments; Kimbo Slice receives more attention than any of the MMA champions do and they have actually proven themselves to be the best. These two men have more in common than one would imagine and it is this uncommon bond which serves to set the stage for their fight on Saturday night.
This fight is no more an even contest than any of Mike Tyson’s recent battles inside of the boxing ring have been. No matter how many times Mike had been summarily dissected and defeated, it was simply because of his name and what he once represented that made the public shell out 50 dollars to watch him take on Danny Williams in 2004 on PPV. Shamrock is much the same in the MMA world as he has been soundly thrashed in his last five fights with the last one being a throttling at the hands of the considerably unknown and unheralded Robert Berry. Hell, Ken Berry the actor known for having played “Vinton” on the television series ‘Mama’s Family’ could probably have a fighting chance against the eroded skills of the once formidable Shamrock. The man is making a living off of his name in much the same way that Tyson eked out a few more paydays in the early years of this decade and this fight with Slice is no different.
Shamrock is also fighting a guy who brings more of a name to the fight than he does fighting skills in Slice, although it is seemingly a given that Slice will be more than capable of dispatching Ken in short order. This fight is not the best fight possible, in fact it can successfully be argued that this may be one of the worst fights in recent MMA memory, but it is of significant importance. This fight could go a long way towards there even being a future for Elite XC and is taking place simply because it is the biggest draw possible for Elite XC at this time.
Kimbo and Ken stand at the crossroads of their respective careers as they prepare to battle it out under the primetime lights on CBS. Ken is hoping to enjoy one more moment in the sun and to be deemed relevant in the sport that so long ago passed him by, if only for one instance. Kimbo is hoping to use Ken’s name as a springboard to bigger and better things, and for the chance to earn the respect of those who have chided him for being nothing more than smoke and mirrors or beard and hype.
If Ken Shamrock comes out victorious it will not mean that the Shamrock of 2008 is capable of anything in the modern era of the sport, but instead would show that Slice is definitely not ready for prime time. Should Kimbo win, as most expect, it could still be argued that perhaps the outcome would have been different had the Ken of 1995 been inside the cage. Rarely is anyone ever as brilliant as their hype would lead you to believe and more often than not we find ourselves wishing for the heavily hyped to fall equally as hard. Ken Shamrock once fought to legitimize his sport and now it is Kimbo Slice who is faced with fighting to prove he is legitimate in his sport. Ken was looked down upon by the sports world in much the same fashion that the MMA world enjoys looking down on Kimbo. Both men have been in similar roles albeit in vastly different situations but it is in this respect that these two men have so very much in common. Both had to fight in order to prove themselves and on October 4, this shall be no different.
Elite XC:Heat is in all actuality not too bad of a fight card as Andrei Arlovski will be battling Roy Nelson in a heavyweight bout along with fights featuring Jake Shields and Murilo Rua. Also on the card will be the notable female fighter Gina Carano as she is set to fight for the second time on CBS. This isn’t necessarily a great card, but this isn't really about greatness, it's about survival. Elite XC is gasping for air and this is widely considered to be their final chance to put something together if they wish to remain on the MMA map.
It is very fitting that Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice are leading the charge as on one hand you have a fighter who once fought for his sport to survive and on the other you have a fighter who is now fighting for both his future as well as the survival of the very company he fights for. Both men represent what it is like to fight for survival when so very many would like nothing more than to see them go away. This is what these men have in common and also what I find compelling about their matchup on Saturday night. There is no belt at stake but there is most definitely a torch to be passed and how fitting that it could be handed off to the man who represents MMA to the mainstream by the man who once was in that very same position. Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice may be worlds apart but in this particular instance are not really much different after all.
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