Afro-punk
Kimbo returns...
I wish the brother luck. He was definitely over hyped and overrated, but most of that wasn't his doing. It shows some humility that he is willing to go back to what is essentially the minor leagues. If he gets washed out here, I think it's a wrap for him as far as MMA goes.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-kimbo071509&prov=yhoo&...
Kimbo ready to get ‘TUF’
LAS VEGAS – LeBron James stormed off the court and didn’t fulfill his responsibility to meet with the media after his Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated by the Orlando Magic in Game 6 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals, a game in which James had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Imagine what James might have done had he performed as badly in his big moment as Kimbo Slice did in his.
Slice, the heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter, was knocked out in just 14 seconds by a jab thrown by middling light heavyweight Seth Petruzelli during a main event fight on CBS on Oct. 4, 2008.
But it’s a tribute to the much-maligned man’s character that he reacted the way he did to the adversity and, as some who don’t know better would say, the humiliation. The promotion behind the CBS card, Elite XC, went bankrupt not long after that fight, and Slice was exposed as not the brute he was portrayed to be but as a highly inexperienced fighter.
Slice, who had made his, ahem, reputation in bare-knuckle street fights that were posted on YouTube, never wavered in his desire to become a full-time – and legitimate – mixed martial artist.
And so he did the thing that stunned nearly everyone in the MMA community, including Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, and accepted an opportunity to be on the cast of Season 10 of the UFC’s reality series, “The Ultimate Fighter” on Spike TV. The show, which begins its run in September, recently finished filming.
Slice’s appearance on the program means a significant reduction in pay and some potentially humiliating situations for a guy who clearly had become a star in 2008, but Slice never once thought of anything but the opportunity the show would bring him.
“I’m the only guy going in the house with a bull’s-eye on my back,” Slice said on the day top-secret filming began in June. “That’s cool. I’m always going to be the underdog, no matter who I fight. These guys have been doing it over 10 years, some of them all their lives. And in me, you got a guy coming right off the streets.”
It was that very reason that White mocked Slice unmercifully throughout last year. Slice headlined two of three cards Elite XC promoted on CBS and drew exceptional numbers of viewers.
It angered White that Slice, who had little MMA training, was put in the main event on the first card ever televised on a legacy broadcast network. White had spent years selling the notion that MMA fighters were great athletes who were highly trained in their disciplines. He feared that Slice could tear much of that down in one night fighting on CBS.
And so, he began an anti-Kimbo campaign in 2008 in which “Kimbo sucks” was about the kindest thing White said about him.
Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, was well aware of White’s stance, even though he didn’t respond. It wasn’t his choice to put himself into the main event. He didn’t ask to be made the face of the company.
He wasn’t trying to be a sideshow, though that’s what he became. He was trying to learn the sport from the ground up, but a combination of circumstances thrust him into the unlikely position as the public face of the company.
Hearing White’s taunts weren’t easy for him to accept.
“You had a guy from right off the streets and, yeah, it [expletive] with me a little bit, I ain’t going to lie,” Slice said. “It [expletive] with my head a little bit. But I’m here to prove myself, make him swallow those words.”
Slice tried to parlay his YouTube fame – his videos had more than 10 million views – into a career as a fighter. He was willing, though, to start from the bottom and enlisted the aid of former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten as a trainer.
But Elite XC, which was founded in 2007, had a dearth of talent, particularly network TV-caliber talent. Slice resonated because of his intimidating visage and his YouTube fame.
He was quickly pushed into situations he wasn’t ready for and wound up paying the price.
After Elite XC’s demise, could have gone to Japan and fought carnival-type fights for big money, but he remained steadfast in his desire to become a complete, and legitimate, mixed martial artist. And so he accepted White’s offer to appear on TUF, saying all he wanted was a chance.
Whether he gets knocked out with the first punch in the first fight or whether he manages to win the show and earn a UFC contract, Slice has earned great respect for doing things the right way.
He is a straight-talking man who makes no excuses. If he can pull it off – and it’s a big if – he’s going to be one of the most recognizable faces in the world with the UFC’s marketing muscle pushing him.
This is a guy who didn’t have to take the fight with Petruzelli, who was a last minute replacement for veteran Ken Shamrock. Slice likely would have blown Shamrock away in a fight that wouldn’t prove anything.
But Shamrock had to pull out hours before the fight because of a cut he suffered when he was warming up and rolling on the ground with a training partner. Slice accepted Petruzelli because he understood he was the man everyone was tuning into CBS to see, even though he wasn’t nearly ready for anyone of Petruzelli’s skill.
Petruzelli himself is a former cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter.” And while he is never going to be a world champion, he’s a solid, professional fighter, exactly the opposite of the opponent a fledgling fighter needed to face on short notice.
“I have no idea what happened, but [switching opponents at the last minute] definitely [expletive] with me a little bit,” Slice said. “I kind of mentally beat myself, because I had just, well, let’s just say that [expletive] wasn’t right with me mentally. It was like being in a house with green and blue rooms and brown ceilings skeletons all over the walls.
“It’s a mind thing. You have to be pretty much 100 percent mental and 70 to 80 percent physical to fight, and I [wasn’t].”
But he was clearly 100 percent mentally when he made the choice to appear on the reality show. The worst thing that can happen is that he loses his first fight, but he’ll be a much bigger name for having been on the show and will be able to get plenty of experience fighting and learning the nuances of the business.
The best case scenario is that he wins the season and earns what White said is a much larger than normal contract for a TUF winner.
“Every fighter wants to fight in the UFC,” said Slice. “Not everyone gets this opportunity to be on this show like I did. What happens from this point is up to me. I don’t see how I could have passed it up. There might have been a little more money elsewhere in the short run, but I’m looking at the big picture, and this is the right move for me at the right time.”
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-kimbo071509&prov=yhoo&...
Kimbo ready to get ‘TUF’
LAS VEGAS – LeBron James stormed off the court and didn’t fulfill his responsibility to meet with the media after his Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated by the Orlando Magic in Game 6 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals, a game in which James had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Imagine what James might have done had he performed as badly in his big moment as Kimbo Slice did in his.
Slice, the heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter, was knocked out in just 14 seconds by a jab thrown by middling light heavyweight Seth Petruzelli during a main event fight on CBS on Oct. 4, 2008.
But it’s a tribute to the much-maligned man’s character that he reacted the way he did to the adversity and, as some who don’t know better would say, the humiliation. The promotion behind the CBS card, Elite XC, went bankrupt not long after that fight, and Slice was exposed as not the brute he was portrayed to be but as a highly inexperienced fighter.
Slice, who had made his, ahem, reputation in bare-knuckle street fights that were posted on YouTube, never wavered in his desire to become a full-time – and legitimate – mixed martial artist.
And so he did the thing that stunned nearly everyone in the MMA community, including Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, and accepted an opportunity to be on the cast of Season 10 of the UFC’s reality series, “The Ultimate Fighter” on Spike TV. The show, which begins its run in September, recently finished filming.
Slice’s appearance on the program means a significant reduction in pay and some potentially humiliating situations for a guy who clearly had become a star in 2008, but Slice never once thought of anything but the opportunity the show would bring him.
“I’m the only guy going in the house with a bull’s-eye on my back,” Slice said on the day top-secret filming began in June. “That’s cool. I’m always going to be the underdog, no matter who I fight. These guys have been doing it over 10 years, some of them all their lives. And in me, you got a guy coming right off the streets.”
It was that very reason that White mocked Slice unmercifully throughout last year. Slice headlined two of three cards Elite XC promoted on CBS and drew exceptional numbers of viewers.
It angered White that Slice, who had little MMA training, was put in the main event on the first card ever televised on a legacy broadcast network. White had spent years selling the notion that MMA fighters were great athletes who were highly trained in their disciplines. He feared that Slice could tear much of that down in one night fighting on CBS.
And so, he began an anti-Kimbo campaign in 2008 in which “Kimbo sucks” was about the kindest thing White said about him.
Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, was well aware of White’s stance, even though he didn’t respond. It wasn’t his choice to put himself into the main event. He didn’t ask to be made the face of the company.
He wasn’t trying to be a sideshow, though that’s what he became. He was trying to learn the sport from the ground up, but a combination of circumstances thrust him into the unlikely position as the public face of the company.
Hearing White’s taunts weren’t easy for him to accept.
“You had a guy from right off the streets and, yeah, it [expletive] with me a little bit, I ain’t going to lie,” Slice said. “It [expletive] with my head a little bit. But I’m here to prove myself, make him swallow those words.”
Slice tried to parlay his YouTube fame – his videos had more than 10 million views – into a career as a fighter. He was willing, though, to start from the bottom and enlisted the aid of former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten as a trainer.
But Elite XC, which was founded in 2007, had a dearth of talent, particularly network TV-caliber talent. Slice resonated because of his intimidating visage and his YouTube fame.
He was quickly pushed into situations he wasn’t ready for and wound up paying the price.
After Elite XC’s demise, could have gone to Japan and fought carnival-type fights for big money, but he remained steadfast in his desire to become a complete, and legitimate, mixed martial artist. And so he accepted White’s offer to appear on TUF, saying all he wanted was a chance.
Whether he gets knocked out with the first punch in the first fight or whether he manages to win the show and earn a UFC contract, Slice has earned great respect for doing things the right way.
He is a straight-talking man who makes no excuses. If he can pull it off – and it’s a big if – he’s going to be one of the most recognizable faces in the world with the UFC’s marketing muscle pushing him.
This is a guy who didn’t have to take the fight with Petruzelli, who was a last minute replacement for veteran Ken Shamrock. Slice likely would have blown Shamrock away in a fight that wouldn’t prove anything.
But Shamrock had to pull out hours before the fight because of a cut he suffered when he was warming up and rolling on the ground with a training partner. Slice accepted Petruzelli because he understood he was the man everyone was tuning into CBS to see, even though he wasn’t nearly ready for anyone of Petruzelli’s skill.
Petruzelli himself is a former cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter.” And while he is never going to be a world champion, he’s a solid, professional fighter, exactly the opposite of the opponent a fledgling fighter needed to face on short notice.
“I have no idea what happened, but [switching opponents at the last minute] definitely [expletive] with me a little bit,” Slice said. “I kind of mentally beat myself, because I had just, well, let’s just say that [expletive] wasn’t right with me mentally. It was like being in a house with green and blue rooms and brown ceilings skeletons all over the walls.
“It’s a mind thing. You have to be pretty much 100 percent mental and 70 to 80 percent physical to fight, and I [wasn’t].”
But he was clearly 100 percent mentally when he made the choice to appear on the reality show. The worst thing that can happen is that he loses his first fight, but he’ll be a much bigger name for having been on the show and will be able to get plenty of experience fighting and learning the nuances of the business.
The best case scenario is that he wins the season and earns what White said is a much larger than normal contract for a TUF winner.
“Every fighter wants to fight in the UFC,” said Slice. “Not everyone gets this opportunity to be on this show like I did. What happens from this point is up to me. I don’t see how I could have passed it up. There might have been a little more money elsewhere in the short run, but I’m looking at the big picture, and this is the right move for me at the right time.”
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by BlaqJeff on -
I know this is a Kimbo thread, but someone metioned Bobby Lashley vs. Bob Sapp.
For your edification.
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Permalink Reply by Wheredawhitewomenat on -
BlackJeff said:I know this is a Kimbo thread, but someone metioned Bobby Lashley vs. Bob Sapp.
For your edification.
I can't say that I'm surprised by the outcome of this fight...But what's up with all the Pro-Wrestlers getting into MMA?
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Permalink Reply by Mlle d. Sade on -
Same thing that got them into wrestling: the aren't in it for life, just big $. The only men who make big $ in wrestling are the giant hosses MMA also likes to steal to try and bring some of the wrestling fans over. Brock (got a "fuck you, sellout" chant at Wrestlemania when it was announced he was leaving the company high and dry for more $) had fans but no one gave a damn about Bobby Lashley who is best known amongst wrestling fans for having a lisp. Both Lashley and Lesnar got in it because it's the only other place-Brock is blackballed in wrestling and Lashley sucks ass at wrestling.
Those two flighty fennecs should have taught Vince to stop signing huge guys like that for insane amounts of money in the hopes of turning them into the flagbearer because they were too weak in the ring and didn't care about wrestling enough to be what the company needed them to be,
Wheredawhitewomenat said:BlackJeff said:I know this is a Kimbo thread, but someone metioned Bobby Lashley vs. Bob Sapp.
For your edification.
I can't say that I'm surprised by the outcome of this fight...But what's up with all the Pro-Wrestlers getting into MMA?
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Permalink Reply by Compound Egret on -
Wheredawhitewomenat said:BlackJeff said:
I can't say that I'm surprised by the outcome of this fight...But what's up with all the Pro-Wrestlers getting into MMA?
MMA continues to gain market share and momentum, likely enabling the athletes to make more money via sponsorships as well as prize purses. Plus isn't wrestling "scripted"? That has to stifle an athlete used to competing and winning. It's ironic because I thought Kimbo might go the pro wrestling route. Heavy buzz and reputation, but so far unable to really compete in the "big league" of UFC.
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Permalink Reply by Wheredawhitewomenat on
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Compound Egret said:Wheredawhitewomenat said:BlackJeff said:
I can't say that I'm surprised by the outcome of this fight...But what's up with all the Pro-Wrestlers getting into MMA?
MMA continues to gain market share and momentum, likely enabling the athletes to make more money via sponsorships as well as prize purses. Plus isn't wrestling "scripted"? That has to stifle an athlete used to competing and winning. It's ironic because I thought Kimbo might go the pro wrestling route. Heavy buzz and reputation, but so far unable to really compete in the "big league" of UFC.
Yes, wrestling is scripted. I forgot that most of these guys who are in Pro-Wrestling are former Collegiate Wrestling champions.
So when's New Jack coming to MMA?
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Permalink Reply by Mlle d. Sade on
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It doesn't "stifle" athletes- ever heard of Shelton Benjamin (former collegiate wrestler- there's tons of those men and women in pro wrestling.)? He isn't "stifled" he shines. It's a chance for him to put his athleticism on stage, to show how good his timing is, how agile he is, how good his pylometrics training must be.
It being scripted does not stifle the athletic ability of Kurt Angle- it makes for a pretty damn good piece of performance art when he's in there with the right guy. Same with Shelton- his match with Shawn Michaels who at over 40 is still one of the most athletically gifted men in wrestling was one of the best matches on TV in recent years.
Winning and losing isn't what matters- what matters is putting your athletic ability on a stage to shine, not to mention your storytelling (what magicians/illusionists and wrestlers call "psychology") and performance ability. It's difficult to be thinking of what conclusions you want the audience to come to as your rough housing and pulling of maneuvers in the ring and then succeed in making the crowd come to that conclusion.
The idea of wrestling being scripted somehow "stifling" an athlete clearly comes from a mind that does not comprehend what wrestling is really all about. It's not about "winning and loosing" it's about the story in between and after. This is what all the snotty outsiders are stuck on- boxing sells you a story, football, soccer, nascar and MMA most definitely does (which is why it's an original ECW usurper)- in wrestling the story is more important- people who don't "get" wrestling don't get that two wrestlers can go in there, wrestle for an hour or even two and just have a crowd riveted to their seats because the story sucks them in- that's what wrestling is about. If you get hung up on it being scripted and the colorful cartoon era and "winning and loosing" ...you haven't made the connection in fanbase between MMA and pro wrestling like you should have.
Jim Cornette said MMA is what wrestling used to be- two athletes fighting for an end- and thanks to the WWE's contrived form of wrestling they've taken away this element that made wrestling so big all over the country (not just MSG) in the 40s-80s and it's their fault the business is taking on water, they've shot themselves in the foot with all these Lashleys and Lesnars (who could never tell a story like a wrestler should- the psychological manipulation I mentioned above. It's easy to hit someone hard, it's harder to do it like a wrestler should which is why Lashley and Lesnar were VERY limited and wouldn't last long).
Compound Egret said:Wheredawhitewomenat said:BlackJeff said:
I can't say that I'm surprised by the outcome of this fight...But what's up with all the Pro-Wrestlers getting into MMA?
MMA continues to gain market share and momentum, likely enabling the athletes to make more money via sponsorships as well as prize purses. Plus isn't wrestling "scripted"? That has to stifle an athlete used to competing and winning. It's ironic because I thought Kimbo might go the pro wrestling route. Heavy buzz and reputation, but so far unable to really compete in the "big league" of UFC.
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Permalink Reply by Compound Egret on
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Mlle d. Sade said:It doesn't "stifle" athletes- ever heard of Shelton Benjamin (former collegiate wrestler- there's tons of those men and women in pro wrestling.)? He isn't "stifled" he shines. It's a chance for him to put his athleticism on stage, to show how good his timing is, how agile he is, how good his pylometrics training must be.
It being scripted does not stifle the athletic ability of Kurt Angle- it makes for a pretty damn good piece of performance art when he's in there with the right guy. Same with Shelton- his match with Shawn Michaels who at over 40 is still one of the most athletically gifted men in wrestling was one of the best matches on TV in recent years.
Winning and losing isn't what matters- what matters is putting your athletic ability on a stage to shine, not to mention your storytelling (what magicians/illusionists and wrestlers call "psychology") and performance ability. It's difficult to be thinking of what conclusions you want the audience to come to as your rough housing and pulling of maneuvers in the ring and then succeed in making the crowd come to that conclusion.
The idea of wrestling being scripted somehow "stifling" an athlete clearly comes from a mind that does not comprehend what wrestling is really all about. It's not about "winning and loosing" it's about the story in between and after. This is what all the snotty outsiders are stuck on- boxing sells you a story, football, soccer, nascar and MMA most definitely does (which is why it's an original ECW usurper)- in wrestling the story is more important- people who don't "get" wrestling don't get that two wrestlers can go in there, wrestle for an hour or even two and just have a crowd riveted to their seats because the story sucks them in- that's what wrestling is about. If you get hung up on it being scripted and the colorful cartoon era and "winning and loosing" ...you haven't made the connection in fanbase between MMA and pro wrestling like you should have.
Jim Cornette said MMA is what wrestling used to be- two athletes fighting for an end- and thanks to the WWE's contrived form of wrestling they've taken away this element that made wrestling so big all over the country (not just MSG) in the 40s-80s and it's their fault the business is taking on water, they've shot themselves in the foot with all these Lashleys and Lesnars (who could never tell a story like a wrestler should- the psychological manipulation I mentioned above. It's easy to hit someone hard, it's harder to do it like a wrestler should which is why Lashley and Lesnar were VERY limited and wouldn't last long).
Compound Egret said:Wheredawhitewomenat said:BlackJeff said:
I can't say that I'm surprised by the outcome of this fight...But what's up with all the Pro-Wrestlers getting into MMA?
Several things...
I'm watching the ESPY awards right now. How many of these sports would be getting this type of coverage if their outcomes were "scripted"? Can anyone imagine a "scripted" olympics or March Madness?
if winning and losing weren't important why do they even have champions in pro wrestling? Why do I see replicas of that championship belt with the spinner on it every time I go to Target?
Beyond that, there's no need to get bent out of shape when someone gives a different opinion.
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Permalink Reply by Compound Egret on
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Good for the sliceman. They have been blowing him up on TUF, just having completely unrelated cut ins with him talking. Although I have my doubts, I hope he lives up to the momentum and buzz and most importantly parlays it all ala George Foreman and Oscar De La Hoya.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/09/kimbo-slice-has...
The ratings for the first edition of Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter: The Heavyweights," doubled the popular reality fighting series' usual numbers, Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White said Tuesday.
There were 4.1 million viewers for the show's debut, and another million watched the replay. The major draw of the show is Kimbo Slice, the former YouTube street-fighting sensation who had a brief run in the short-lived Elite Xtreme Combat fighting organization that aired fights on CBS.
Although filming for "The Ultimate Fighter" is complete -- except for the finale to be aired live in December, with the winner earning a six-figure contract and membership in the UFC -- White told The Times that whether Slice wins or loses during the competition, he'll be in the UFC.
"Are you going to see Kimbo Slice fight again in the UFC? Yes," White said.
Asked if that was a decision based on the first episode's ratings, White said: "No, never. The ratings do not influence our decision. The guy can either fight or not."
White said one of the strongest endorsements he received about Slice's skill in the octagon came from former light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, who's a coach in the show and told White he wants to continue working with Slice at his elite MMA training compound directed by respected trainer Greg Jackson in New Mexico.
"We've been very impressed with Kimbo's performance," added UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta.
-- Lance Pugmire
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Permalink Reply by sceneless on -
It's time for him to fight next week on TUF. I hope he wins.
*fingers crossed*
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Permalink Reply by Compound Egret on
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Disappointed but not surprised by the Sliceman's performance last night. Still, he has a good attitude and seems willing to learn. I wish him luck.
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Permalink Reply by Matthew on -
really disappointed about last night. Everything is a conspiracy to me so I wouldn't be surprised if he came back some how. I though he seemed to hold back, I thought he would have at least come out blasting, that we know he could do. One thing I was very impressed with is was his attitude. He completely shattered the stereo type and came across really well.
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Permalink Reply by Darkness Unlimited* on -
You mean to tell me folks here actually watch this stuff? Yeeesh!
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