EliteXC, the mixed martial arts league that is doing its best to crawl out from under the mighty shadow of UFC, is perhaps done with its mission before it has started, all thanks to a street brawler myth that turned out to be nothing but a big cloud of smoke.
Kimbo Slice, the man who existed mostly as local legend prior to this year, was embarrassed on national television this weekend.
This was the second night of EliteXC action to air on CBS, a network that was desperately seeking a ratings edge and thought it had found its opening with some Saturday-night fighting.
Their first foray was a very mixed result, as the three hours of television turned in some very anticlimactic fighting, and ratings that were equally so.
This time was going to be different, This time, they were headlining names that were semi-familiar, a good fight that would finally start bringing people around.
On one side of the main event, you had Kimbo Slice. Originally known for his incredibly brutal yet successful street brawling (and several adult videos, but that's another story), Slice was being touted as a diamond in the rough, a brawler who was learning the sport as he worked his way up the food chain.
He hadn't really fought anybody of note to date, but it was passed off as his opportunity to build up his abilities and become a legitimate fighter who would provide the brand with some credibility and star power.
This weekend, his opponent was Ken Shamrock. He, ten years Slice's senior at 44, hadn't won a fight since 2004, and was known as much for his brief time in WWE as he was for his ultimate fighting, but at least it was a recognizable name.
Then Slice's opponent wasn't Shamrock. Apparently Ken had injured himself the morning of the fight while sparring, and there is a lot of differing opinions, but he supposedly could not get medically cleared to fight that night.
EliteXC found itself in a pinch. They had to find someone on short notice for Kimbo to fight. Word has it they tried to originally solicit Shamrock's brother, who was already there as a color commentator, but to no avail.
Article comments
1 - RJ Elliott
Kimbo Slice frankly scares me. Although a little less now than, say, a week ago. If some pink-haired nobody can beat his ass down in 14 seconds, then maybe an Average Joe slob like me would have a chance as well.