Ken Shamrock is a legend in mixed martial arts.  He is one of the best known names in the sport and a bonafide Hall of Famer.

But there are plenty of people out there who question the 44-year-old Shamrock for continuing to fight.  While he has racked up a career record of 27-13-2, he only has one win in his last eight fights.  His latest loss in March was a particularly bad performance as he was knocked out in the first round by journeyman Robert “Buzz” Berry.

Now, Shamrock wants to put quiet all those critics and prove that he can still be a good fighter.  He’ll get his chance again tonight when he faces Kimbo Slice in the main event of the EliteXC event which will air from 9-11p.m. ET on CBS.

“I’ve had some rough times, says Shamrock.  “My last couple of fights where is just seems that no matter what I did I couldn’t get myself ready because of some injuries that I had. I’ve had good luck over the years and there was a stretch of time there over four-five years where I couldn’t get away from injuries.  It seems like finally – maybe – I might have some good times coming my way.”

A win over Slice would put Shamrock back on the map in a big way.  Sure, Slice (3-0) isn’t the best fighter in the world and is very inexperienced.  But the guy has proven to be very tough.

“It’s not like he hits hard like he possesses a Mike Tyson punch but he is a big guy,” Shamrock explains.  “He’s 240, 250 pounds and he’s muscle.  Therefore, he’s going to have some sort of power.  You can’t get lazy on him because if you do it could be a short night.”

Anyone that has followed Slice’s career to this point knows the story.  He was an Internet sensation, fighting all-comers in street fights which made their way to YouTube which instantly earned him a cult following.  But he isn’t the only person who has done their fair share of backyard brawls.

“If you read a little bit about where I grew up and how I grew up, that’s what I did,” tells Shamrock.  “I fought in pools.  My dad used to have these things out in the backyard whenever you had a beef at school you’d bring them home.  He had this pool out in the back that was just being dugout.  We’d get inside that pool and he would serve popcorn and punch and we would get it on until one of us had enough.”

Although many MMA followers have lost faith in Shamrock as a fighter, EliteXC obviously has not when it comes to being a ratings draw.  The company is in financial peril and needs to have a good number to move forward.  That is why Shamrock got the shot as he has proven to be a major draw including the three UFC fights against Tito Ortiz which all did record business at the time.

He once again expects another ratings record to be set when he squares off against Slice.

“Absolutely – I think it’s going to happen,” says Shamrock.  “Every time I’ve stepped in the ring and fought, I’ve always – whether it be in Japan or here in the United States, I’ve always been able to outdo the numbers prior to.  I’ve been very fortunate to be able to do that and I’m excited.”

So Shamrock has two things to prove – that he is still a good fighter and that people want to watch him at this point in his career.  He understands where people are coming from when they doubt him now.  But that doesn’t mean he agrees with them.

“I know I’m an underdog and I should be after my last couple of performances,” says Shamrock.  “But again, because of my last couple of performances, I’m being judged pretty heavily on that but I should be.  After I win this fight and I win it very dominantly, then I want to be judged fairly again.  I don’t want excuses like ‘he doesn’t really know that much’ and ‘he’s still kinda green’.”

The man has one more shot and Slice is that chance.  It’s a huge opportunity on a national stage.  It’s once that Shamrock believes he will take full advantage of.

“Just because I haven’t had good fights prior to this, I’m going to go out there and put all of that to rest.  I’m going to go out there and dominate this guy and put it all to rest.”

“This is my time now.  I’m going to go in there and set things right.  I’m hungry.  I want to get back in the game and Kimbo is in my way.”

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (1)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by johnny, October 04, 2008

Shamrock, does he even train anymore? What excuse will he have this time when he loses? He better me happy the the completely clueless non fan will still watch this and the show will probably produce a big rating. The guy is a can.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

Name

Email

Website

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment