The internet phenomena makes sense to me. The fact that millions of people saw his videos on the internet, saw how hard he hits and how tough he looks and said “damn, that guy is one tough son-of-a-bitch,” makes sense. His ability to entertain makes sense, in the same way that Brock Lesnar’s showmanship does. His athleticism is considered a fixture in the same way that a professional boxer’s is; we may question it’s applicability in MMA, but it’s still there.
What I don’t understand is the shaky mix of feelings about the guy. Long time, hard core MMA fans, fans who experienced the street-fighting era of MMA that quickly dissipated after the appearance of Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn and (slightly thereafter) Mark Coleman, hate Kimbo Slice. They hate Kimbo because they know that he’s not a serious fighter, that he doesn’t have the same level of technique that the long time fighters do. That hate is as passionate as it is for any professional wrestler or boxer that says they deserve to be considered a top “fighter” without fighting, except that Kimbo has stepped into the cage. (for that, in my mind, he’s earned a little respect, but it hasn’t done much to dissipate the other issues I have with him)
Many new wave fans (those who haven’t really connected themselves too closely with the hardcore fans) love Kimbo Slice. They think he’s exciting, he’s explosiveness and he’s powerful. They think that his viceral fighting style is all there is to fighting (despite the fact that the upper echelon of this sport has proven time and again that that is absolutely not true). The love him because they think he’s fun to watch.
Here’s what I don’t like, not just about Kimbo Slice, but about the way that he is treated by the fans.
No one talks about Kimbo’s loss. When he was just an internet fighter, his embarrassing loss to Sean Gannon (or what little we saw of it) was a big deal. It called into question his technical skills, even in terms of his fans. Still, that seems to have all been overshadowed by the fact that he is training with Bas Rutten. People take his coaching as proof of improvement, when we have seen absolutely nothing to show that that’s the case.
I’ll be honest, I don’t really like any gimmick fighter, and I see Kimbo as just that. I have no problem with a big, hard hitting dude, but that’s only if he’s got skills. (Tim Sylvia, Gan McGee and Hong Man Choi all have real kickboxing skills, and I’ve got no problem with that) If you put a guy in the cage and say: “This guy has punched out a couple of street punks and has a beard and wears a grill on his way into the cage, this is going to make a great fight!” then I’m going to have to ask you what you’re smoking and where I can get some.
So, Gary Shaw, who’s your dealer?
Look, I’m not going to smash on Kimbo because that’s the popular thing to do among hardcore MMA fans. I don’t have a problem with the guy, and I don’t think anyone can if they’ve seen his interviews, as he’s a decent guy with a kid trying to put food on the table. The fact is, I don’t think that Gary Shaw should be billing him as a serious competitor in this sport when everybody knows that that’s a load of crap.
Kimbo Slice is not the Mike Tyson of MMA. Period.
When we talk about Mike Tyson, yeah, we think of a badass with a thug attitude, but that’s not why he was the greatest sports sensation of the ’90s. Mike Tyson was the most recognizable sports sensation in the ’90s because he had some of the best technical skills and the most aggressive boxing on the planet. He hit harder than anyone and if you stepped in the ring with him, he was going to hit you so hard that you were going to wake up and wonder what your name was.
Kimbo hits hard, but if you put him in a cage with any of the top 20 fighters in MMA or K-1 and he’ll get his face rearranged.
Mirko CroCop would submit him, Jeff Monson would knock him out, hell, Fujita would probably beat him via groundnpound.
We’re talking about a fighter that has done nothing (and promises to do nothing) that will excite the world of MMA, or shock anyone who properly assesses the abysmal level of his competition.
There’s been alot of talk about him fighting Ken Shamrock, and all I have to say is: who cares?
I like Ken Shamrock as much as anyone, and I respect what he’s done for the sport. In my mind, no one has done more for MMA then Shamrock. What I will say is that Ken hasn’t won a fight in almost 4 years, and you’re going to call him serious competition?
That’s like putting Danny Abbadi in the cage with Anderson Silva and calling it the fight of the century.
Get it over with and put Kimbo in with Antonio Silva, so we can see the big bad bearded brawler get smashed and watch his hype machine crumble like the unstable mess it is. If you’re going to bill him as the best, put him on the top of the card and take the fight to his hometown, give him the best competition you have. Not the silver-goateed Tank and the retirement ready Shamrock.
C’mon Gary Shaw, if you’re not going to give us a serious matchup, you’re never going to compete, regardless of the hype you put together. Because if you don’t show that you are going to offer serious competition, then no legitimate heavyweight is going to want to sign with you. It’s that simple. Really, it is.
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I do still love MMA and have...
March 13th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Kimbo is not being hyped as the worlds greatest fighter like you imply and he’s put at the top of the card because that is the guy at the moment who is going to give EliteXC the most buys/tickets/publcity.
No one at EliteXC has said he is the best heavyweight, they are giving him time and work his way up and gain experience. I find absolutely nothing wrong with that. If people don’t like it they don’t have to watch.
I will because I’m curious as to how much he can pick up from Bas and see if he can show some skills in other areas.
And Tim Sylvia does not qualify as being skilled in kickboxing because he knocked out one guy with a high kick.
March 13th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Cory, nothing personal, but the comment is completely wrong.
Kimbo has been billed as one of the top “fighters” in the world by his manager for a long time, and he’s also said for a long time that he deserves to fight anyone and everyone at the top of that division.
Gary Shaw has said that he’d destroy UFC hall of famers and future UFC Hall of famers, openly disrespecting Tito Ortiz (by name) and calling out the top heavyweight fighters just in general. If you don’t see that stuff, you’re clearly not looking at the press coverage the same way that I am.
Again, not personally, but you’re exactly the kind of fan I’m talking to when I say that Bas Rutten’s coaching does not make his skills legit. To they make him promising? A little, but there’s still no evidence. Bas Rutten is not one of the world’s best coaches, contrary to popular belief. I respect the guy alot, both as a fighter and a coach, but to say that he’s at the top of that game is just wrong.
Sylvia is one of the best kickboxers in the world because he technically outclassed more than a half-dozen fighters during his UFC career: Cabbage, Rodriguez (a great fighter at the time), Gan McGee (bigger than Sylvia), Wes Simms (one of the most well respected fighters around), Tra Telligman, Assuerio Silva (despite crapping his pants) and Andrei in their second fight. To say Tim isn’t a legit fighter is like saying Semmy Schilt isn’t a legit kickboxer (and Sylvia has actually done more damage in MMA, while not in K-1).
March 14th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Gary Shaw is just hyping up fights because he knows that Kimbo Slice’s popularity will sell fights. He indirectly admitted that he would not set up a prize fighter to fall when he said that Dana mishandled Brock Lesnar’s UFC debut.
As far as stating that Mirko would sub Slice, and he would
simply get KOed by Monson, pounded by Fujita that’s just pure conjecture. In theory and on paper, GSP would overwhelm and destroy Matt Serra, Keith Jardine was supposed to beat newcomer Houston Alexander, Liddell would KO Jardine, and Shogun Rua would easily over come Forrest Griffin.
A fight is a fight and Gary Shaw is a business man. There’s really nothing to understand. I wouldn’t worry too much about fans reaction or their perception of fighters or organizations for that matter. It’s simply a show. Eventually he will face better competition and he will either be exposed or who knows, he may win via submission (Gogoplata).
End note, Ken Shamrock fight anyone at this point is a joke.
April 4th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
All I can say is give him time, I mean its almost like Kimbo he was shot down before he even got started Im sure in the future he will get his big shot with some of the best and then we will see.