Ken Shamrock: Better MMA fighter or Pro Wrestler

[Hyorinmaru]

Ken Shamrock UFC Hall of Famer & Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion

MMA
Founder of the world Famous Loin's Den, a MMA training camp. He was the first UFC Superfight Champion (The title later became the UFC Heavyweight Champion when they introduced weight classes in the UFC). HE was the first MMA Champion in Japan when he won the title King of Pancrase. He's had great matches with UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie of the Legendary Gracie family in the Early days of UFC. In the later days of UFC he had a great series of matches with Tito Ortiz. The man is rightfully an MMA legend and will be remembered for a very long time.


Pro Wrestling
He started out in the WWE in 1997. throughout that year he had great feuds with such greats as Big Van Vader as well as Bret Hart and the Hart foundation. he was one of the top canidates to win the WWE title from Bret Hart before the Montreal Screwjob occured. He won he king of the ring in 1998 last beating The Rock. He had a great feud with The Rock ove the IC title. He joined Mr. Mcmahon'ds corporation making him a heel. He got kicked out of the Corporation and joined The Union making him face again. He is a 1x IC Champion and a 1x tag Champ w/ Big Boss Man.

After he left WWE he joined a new company called TNA where he became the first NWA World champion of the TNA era.

My question is this, which do you think Shamrock is better suited for; MMA or Pro wrestling?

 

[Henry Hill]

though ken had success as a performer in the wwf and in tna, he was clearly much more happy doing mma. he may have liked wrestling, but he LOVED fighting, and you are going to do more for something you love than something to like.

 

[Ezzee]

I agree, I think Ken had a much better career as a MMA fighter. I think the fact that he was able to do what he did is amazing and the way he will always be remembered. I think he carried on a little longer than necessary in MMA, but that isn't too surprising of great talents.

He would've never had a WWE career if it weren't for his MMA career. Much like Severen, Mark Henry, and Kurt Angle, he was an established star that already had a certain amount of success and name recognition that allowed them to gain instant credibility. While I loved the gimmick that Shamrock often played, he would've been nothing without MMA.

 

[Razor Blade Dream]

I loved Shamrock. He had pure intensity in the ring. Even though you knew he wanted to fuckin wreck somebody for real in the ring though. I think his MMA career was more "legit" though.

 

[RKO_Legacy]

Ken Shamrock was much better in MMA then he was in Profesional Wrestling. He loved what he did in MMA with a record of 27-13-2 he did a very very well at what he did best, beating people up.

 

[jmt225]

I enjoyed Ken Shamrock much, much more in Pro Wrestling then I did in MMA.

I have to give Shamrock a lot of credit as to why I became a fan of MMA in the first place, but looking back at it... he wasn't a very exciting and even good fighter. He was ‘roided to the max, his stand-up was shit, his ground game was shit, and his wrestling was sub-par. There's a reason why he doesn't do well in today's MMA World: He fucking sucks.

However, the guy was a VERY entertaining pro wrestler. In my opinion, his entire stay in the WWF was highly enjoyable and to this day I thought he would've made a great WWF Champion. The intensity to he brought to every single match-up, his in-ring style was unique and daring at the time, and he was pretty damn good on the mic. The guy was definitely a very, very solid professional wrestler. And in my opinion, he was much better at this art, than he was at the sport of MMA.

I am very disappointed with the fact that he has repeatedly gone back to MMA, and not return in pro wrestling. He's still in good shape, and he still has a name. Pro wrestling is where he can make some real cash and I really believe he should hop on the wagon before it's too late. There's some great shit he could do with the wrestlers of today in both TNA and WWE. But the guy needs to stop being such a dumb fuck and get his ass back in the business first.

 

[jrcongine]

I have to give Shamrock a lot of credit as to why I became a fan of MMA in the first place, but looking back at it... he wasn't a very exciting and even good fighter. He was ‘roided to the max, his stand-up was shit, his ground game was shit, and his wrestling was sub-par. There's a reason why he doesn't do well in today's MMA World: He fucking sucks.

.

Are you kidding, you must be kidding or just have no knowledge of mma. Thats ok this is a wrestling site and will let it go but damn shamrock was a pioneer. Yeah his matches some were boring, but in that world a wins a win. His stand up wasn't as great, ok. But his ground and subs was pretty damn good. You don't beat guys like bas rutten twice, maurice smith, dan severn and kimo being shit. He got old thats it, he's 45 years old now and still competed competive at 40. Look at chuck he's only 39 and done but you wouldn't say he was shit, just got old.

 

[jmt225]

Are you kidding, you must be kidding or just have no knowledge of mma. Thats ok this is a wrestling site and will let it go but damn shamrock was a pioneer. Yeah his matches some were boring, but in that world a wins a win. His stand up wasn't as great, ok. But his ground and subs was pretty damn good. You don't beat guys like bas rutten twice, maurice smith, dan severn and kimo being shit. He got old thats it, he's 45 years old now and still competed competive at 40. Look at chuck he's only 39 and done but you wouldn't say he was shit, just got old.

Listen... I'm sorry bro, but Shamrock was nothing special at all. Bas Rutten are the only victories he ever had that hold any water, and to be completely honest here.. Rutten wouldn't be able to accomplish shit in today's MMA either, so it doesn't really matter. In fact, the only reason he's even popular to begin with is because of his personality, not his fight skills.

Anyway... Severn? Are you kidding me? That guy was never anything special, for one. Most of his wins came against way smaller guys. And I hate to bring up this abomination... but what about Shamrock's second fight against Severn? How did that one go?

Kimo? Another overrated piece of shit who wouldn't last two seconds in today's MMA.

Maurice Smith? That guy has literally ZERO ground game when he fought Shamrock. I'm not impressed with a victory there.

And speaking of ground game, you say Shamrock had a good ground game? What Ken Shamrock were you watching? Just because he could pull off Heel Hooks on ******s who never practice Jiu-Jitsu in their life, does not mean he had a good ground game. If he was so good on the ground, then he wouldn't have gotten owned by Royce when they fought, he would've been able to catch Tito in something in the three times he got dominated by him, he would've been able to sub Don Frye, ect.

And my opinion of Chuck Liddell? Dude, we have a MMA Section, in sincerity… please check it out. There was a thread started about the Iceman just about a week ago and the section is in dire need of more traffic.

 

[jrcongine]

So every guy i listed was a piece of shit, nothing special, zero ground game...but they all were pioneers in a buisness. Thats like comparing the earlies sports teams to know ofcourse they will get better and adapt over time.

 

[JenovasWitness]

Shamrock as a professional wrestler was fun to watch, but I would never in my life consider him to be great by any stretch. His run in the WWE did have some great matches, but that was dependent on who he was in the ring with.

As for his MMA career, Ken will always go down as one of the greats in the business. In his prime (which is not now, he should have retired about 10 fights ago) he was an excellent fighter whose lack of stand up skills were made up for with adequate wrestling and submission skills and incredible ferocity and intensity. If he had retired gracefully at an appropriate time, I think he would be better respected.

Unfortunately, he is making a mockery of his own legacy.