Ken Shamrock talks return and Triple H heat!

[rge2010]

Just come across this interview with Ken Shamrock. We all knew he had heat with Triple H but never knew why!!! I think Ken is spot on about Triple H not being able to do a thing about him...Shamrock would eat him alive in a shoot fight!!!

Looks like old Ken wont returning anytime soon.


Having Heat With Triple H: "I'd like to clarify that. There was a guy named Mark Henry, a strong man. He was in the locker room and there were a few guys involved. Hunter was one of them that put s--t in his sandwich and I told him. So, I think Hunter didn't like me for that and I think Hunter didn't like me for the fact that when I first came in Vince put me over on him. I was truly understanding that I was the new guy coming in and I hadn't put in my dues and I was getting a push, but I was doing what I was asked to do. I think Hunter had a real hard time dealing with that, especially with me being a real bad ass otherwise and there's nothing he could do about it. Then opening my mouth to protect another human being, I think there is ribbing and there is having fun and then there is things where you cross over the line, and so I said something!!!."

Why he feels "Blackballed" by WWE: "I had put out my feelers, I had actually talked to Shane McMahon, he put a call in. I thought I had a pretty intricate part in changing the face of wrestling when I was able to ref the match with Bret Hart and Stone Cold, it changed the face of wrestling. I was in all the Pay Per Views and all the house shows, and I thought I made a pretty good impact and helped change pro wrestling, not by myself, but definitely I was a part of it in the Attitude Era. There is no recognition towards me or about me and I'm kind of disappointed."

Wanting to get into the ring with Triple H: "When it comes to Hunter, I would love to get in the ring with him and show him what it's like... help him understand that there is a lot of people in this world that have a lot of natural ability and natural talent and just because you don't like them doesn't mean it isn't so... I would love to get in the ring with him and show him exactly who I am and what I'm about."

 

[Jack-Hammer]

It's possible that Triple H's ego generally caused him to dislike Shamrock. Maybe he resented having to put over Shamrock for any number of reasons. Trips could have thought himself as just a much better all around pro wrestler, maybe he resented Shamrock for being an MMA guy the same way some MMA guys resent pro wrestlers, maybe he thought Shamrock was just some MMA has-been who figured he could make some easy money in pro wrestling.

At the same time, I'm suspect of Shamrock. I'm not saying that he's lying, I've no way of knowing if he is or he isn't in fact. However, Shamrock's interview isn't any different than any of the dozens of other shoot interviews that've come out via the internet. It's a pretty standard, paint by the numbers type of formula: he paints himself as the hero of the story while demonizing those who didn't like him or had heat with, he puts himself over, he mixes in truth with personal POV while calling it all the truth, and exaggerates how good he really was & his contributions to the company or business as a whole.

In my opinion, and this is only my own personal POV, I don't think there's any sort of conspiracy on Triple H's part to not bring Shamrock back to WWE. Whatever heat there MIGHT be between them isn't the real reason why WWE doesn't seem to be interested. In my opinion, Ken Shamrock simply has nothing of any real value to offer WWE. Since he departed WWE, Shamrock's career as either a pro wrestler or MMA fighter has been, mostly, forgettable. Sure, he won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in TNA but, in all honesty, the NWA WHC hadn't meant much of anything for over a decade at that time. It had its history, but no degree of current relevance. Since leaving WWE, he's been in another 15 MMA fights and he's lost 10 of those fights. He's no longer revered in MMA circles as "The World's Most Dangerous Man" but, rather, he's now looked at as someone that's a sad shell of his former self that's long been criticized of just not being able to let go and walk away with dignity.

Ken Shamrock doesn't have the familial connection to wrestling, including WWE, like The Rock does, nor was he anywhere near as big of a star in wrestling as The Rock. Shamrock also isn't an A-list Hollywood action star who can bring tons of mainstream media attention to WWE via his appearances like The Rock can.

Ken Shamrock also hasn't generated anywhere near the type of buzz Brock Lesnar has created in either pro wrestling or MMA. Lesnar is someone who had, arguably, the most dominant 2 years in WWE since Hulk Hogan during the mid to late 80s. Lesnar's first run in WWE has been lauded over for more than a decade by lots of fans, especially internet fans. Every year during the annual WZ tournament, Lesnar's dominant run is endlessly repeated in argument upon argument for why Lesnar should go over against almost every wrestler he's pitted against in the hypothetical tournament. Lesnar was a dominant force in the company who went through THE top guys on the WWE roster Whether you love Lesnar or despise the ground he walks on, people still tune in when he's on television and pay out a lot of money whenever he wrestles or fights on ppv.

What Ken Shamrock brings to the table is a 50 year old MMA has-been, borderline pro wrestling never-was with a pretty elevated opinion of himself and his impact in the world of pro wrestling.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

This is a misnomer... Ken said this and a week later he was on WWE's "Where Are The Now" page so they haven't forgotten or buried him.

Unfortunately he is one of those guys who just didn't click as they planned, I remember seeing him and Owen team on a UK tour - he was intense and the match was good but when it came time for the hot tag to him he tried to jump the ropes and fell on his face. Everyone was pissing themselves including the fans, so however good his skills as an MMA ground wrestler were he wasn't "there" as a wrestler deep into his run.

So when someone like Triple H who was further along as a worker starts to get a bit of power and push he is naturally gonna put down the guy who is competition but he's also gonna be more nervous of the guys like Shamrock who not only COULD have quickly caught up given the chance but legit take him apart in the ring.

Ken had a fierce rep while on the road, so he's not known for likability or rationality at times where as someone like Trips is known as a rational if cold/calculating guy, he'll watch everything.

In reality I doubt Trips even thought about Shamrock in a long time, much less intentionally dissed him or held him out of a return. It's far more likely that Ken is pissed that he blew his chance and wants to try and relive some glory before it's too late. and that's not happened so Trips is the go to guy to bash for those who came up in that time.

That's natural but the problem is he should know from watching how WWE treats legends there is very little "glory" in it, they get put into joke skits and segments like Backlund wanting to ref or the Heath Slater stuff - unless their rep is such that they are A-List.

Shamrock isn't A-List and doesn't have that "fun" side that a Duggan, Piper, Sheik and the like have guys who have more reason to be blackballed than Ken... sadly he just doesn't fit although I COULD see him getting a lifeline from Taker if he does go at Brock as his cornerman or something but the reality is most of what WWE would ask him to do he'd think was stupid or making fun of him so it'd piss him off and never happen - much the same as Goldberg.

 

[Pedigree1]

IMO Ken Shamrock was a guy who should have stuck but just didnt for whatever reason. That reason being,if you have followed him for anytime is his attitude. The guy is the ultimate prick if you dont believe me go read past interviews. I will never buy anything Ken Shamrock says about HHH at all.

I would venture to guess Shamrock being around 50 yrs old is broke and trying to gardner one more pay day from the E! The WWE hasnt forgotten about you Kenny Boy,you just are a minor footnote in their history

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I don't think you can go as far as that. But he certainly has a rep of taking himself too seriously, same as Bill. In Goldberg's case he is smart enough to know to keep out of it - the Jericho incident destroyed his aura so mouthing off is not smart.

Ken never had that filter, even guys like the Road Warriors would make fun of him while still grudgingly respect him but had it come down to it Ken, like Goldberg would have been taken apart or taken to jail.

It could be as sad as he's that inch too "close" to Benoit in terms of intensity that the E doesn't want ANYONE close to that again.

 

[SSJPhenom]

Did Shamrock really say that he, as the referee for Austin/Hart at WrestleMania 13 helped change the face of Professional Wrestling? That statement right there by itself is enough of a reason to not bring him back.

Whether there's heat between he and Trips or not, IMO, he has nothing to offer the WWE. The man's 50 years old! What can he do? I don't think that he can wrestle anymore and he was never good on the mic so he can't manage someone either. Also, when people name drop wrestlers from the Attitude Era, Ken Shamrock is probably one that you wouldn't hear. So he really isn't that big of a name to bring back.

I don't think that Trips has an ego problem. After reading that interview, it seems like Shamrock is the one with an over inflated ego and self worth.

 

[DarksideEric]

Did Shamrock really say that he, as the referee for Austin/Hart at WrestleMania 13 helped change the face of Professional Wrestling? That statement right there by itself is enough of a reason to not bring him back.

It did help, for whatever small or large amount, it did in fact help.

Austin at the closing moments of the match cemented a face turn.

Bret, post match, edged towards heel turn and moved into it, then facing off against Shamrock after Shamrock belly-to-bellied him cemented a heel turn as he backed off from the now proposed fair fight.

Shamrock, even if he was just a grain of sand on the beach in terms of what he did wasn't "just there," his interaction helped move things forward.

 

[Mustang Sally]

.... and I thought I made a pretty good impact and helped change pro wrestling, not by myself, but definitely I was a part of it in the Attitude Era. There is no recognition towards me or about me and I'm kind of disappointed."

Fine, so he's another guy who's been trying to generate interest in getting himself re-hired by alternately buttering up the powers-that-be in WWE and trying to rile them up at other times.

I look at the contrast between Shamrock and Lex Luger. Both quit WWE, but after WCW folded (while Lex was still healthy) I don't recall reading about him trying to get back with Vince, as if he knew they owed him nothing after deserting them to show up on the first Nitro broadcast. He betrayed WWE, and didn't seem to expect any special favors from them afterward. Fair enough.

Shamrock, meanwhile, had a featured position as a pro wrestler and chose to go back to mixed martial arts fighting. Okay for that, but I never read of him again expressing interest in pro wrestling......not until his MMA career was over. Then, he started whining about being blackballed, and telling us of the problems Triple H has with him.

Sour grapes, Ken. The bloom is off the rose; you're almost 50-years-old and WWE owes you nothing. You make your choices, you roll with the results. The noise you're making has been heard by WWE management; if they feel they can benefit from using you, they'll arrange something. But if you're expecting them to roll time back to 1997 and give you the boost you received then, you can forget it.

 

[SSJPhenom]

It did help, for whatever small or large amount, it did in fact help.

Austin at the closing moments of the match cemented a face turn.

Bret, post match, edged towards heel turn and moved into it, then facing off against Shamrock after Shamrock belly-to-bellied him cemented a heel turn as he backed off from the now proposed fair fight.

Shamrock, even if he was just a grain of sand on the beach in terms of what he did wasn't "just there," his interaction helped move things forward.

IMO, I think that Shamrock was in fact just there.

The match would've had the same outcome if, let's say, Earl Hebner were the referee and not Shamrock. Austin still would've passed out, Hart still would've attacked him, and Austin still would've had his limp to the back with those in attendance standing and applauding. So even if Shamrock hadn't have bellied to bellied Hart, Hart still would've had his heel turn.

That's just my opinion.

 

[DarksideEric]

IMO, I think that Shamrock was in fact just there.

The match would've had the same outcome if, let's say, Earl Hebner were the referee and not Shamrock. Austin still would've passed out, Hart still would've attacked him, and Austin still would've had his limp to the back with those in attendance standing and applauding. So even if Shamrock hadn't have bellied to bellied Hart, Hart still would've had his heel turn.

That's just my opinion.

I think there's a big difference between how well a heel turn is cemented when you have someone stand up to the newly turned heel and just have someone pull him off.

If it had just been Hebner or had Shamrock not actually took action against Hart, the turn could have been softened with the justification of Hart just being frustrated and let his emotion get away from him.

With Shamrock actually slamming Hart and Hart stepping up then backing off from an opponent who is fresh it gives the presentation of more than just frustration, but actual targeting someone who can't defend themselves vs. fighting someone who actually can.