Ken Shamrock wants back in WWE, Lesnar not real fighter

[Matisyahu]

Just read an interview with Ken Shamrock where he spoke about returning to WWE and later about his view on Lesnar in UFC and Dana White vs Vince. Here are some highlights.

On returning to WWE: “Oh, definitely. I’ve tried to reach out, but I’ve been hitting some walls. I’m not sure if my messages are getting through or not. In my career, if you follow my career and watched everything that I’ve ever done from the time I was in high school to where I’m at now, I’ve always been able to reach the pinnacle."
"...I got into pro wrestling, I’ve got tag team champion, Intercontinental champion, King of the Ring. There were several times where I wished I had got that opportunity, and probably should have had that opportunity, to at least challenge for the Heavyweight Championship belt. I never got that opportunity, and I’m not sure why, but it is what it is. I will keep fighting to try and get that opportunity and close this thing up to be probably one of the only persons in sports history to go into several different organizations and become world champion in every one of them.”

His take on Lesnar in UFC: “…People go, ‘What about Brock Lesnar?’ Brock Lesnar was not a true MMA fighter. Brock Lesnar was basically eye candy for MMA. He came in there, he was big, he was strong, he won a few matches, he captured the title and then he was out. Not much of a career. He is a true pro wrestler and amateur wrestler, so I think it’s a lot easier making the transition from being an amateur wrestler and pro wrestler into MMA than it is being an MMA fighter into pro wrestling.”

Dana White vs Vince McMahon: “That would be awesome. The only thing is that this is what I know about Dana [White], and you can ask anyone, Dana always talks and talks and talks, but I’ve never seen him do anything. I saw Vince talk, talk and talk, and he has done something, he has gotten into the ring, he has participated with the fighters and the wrestlers. I have not seen Dana White do that. I’ve seen him call out Tito [Ortiz] like they were gonna fight, and it never happened. I’ve never seen Dana interact with his business the way that Vince has. Vince has stepped in the ring against guys he’s pissed off. Hey, you gotta give him credit for that. He stepped into the lion’s den, per say. He did step into the Lion’s Den one time!”

Let me start off by saying I enjoyed Shamrock's run with WWE and was a big fan of his at that time but I'm not sure if he would make as much of an impact now if any at all.

When Shamrock first signed with WWE he was former UFC champion and the thing to remember is that during Shamrock's original run in UFC, the whole concept at that time was completely different than it is now. During that time the UFC had no weight classes, nearly no rules, was more of a tournament style competition where the best of one type of fighter would face the best of another type, and it was just gritty and brutal. Senator John McCain particularly had a problem with it calling it "Human cock-fighting" and tried getting it banned in the US.

So in essence, when you take a guy like Shamrock who fought in this type of environment, from a company with as much controversy as UFC had at that time and bring him to WWE, you have a recipe for success in my eyes. Shamrock had the name value of being one of the greatest fighters at that time was look at as a legit bad ass.

Currently, Shamrock is a UFC Hall of Famer and at nearly 50 years old he has done a lot and has many accomplishments to be proud of but I just cant see any way he could be seen as a legit draw in the current WWE landscape except in maybe a few specialty matches.

As far as his take on Lesnar, I have to say I partially agree because it was apparent after a huge start in WWE with numerous championships and accomplishments, his pure size and amateur wrestling background that Dana White was going to see to it that Lesnar be one of his top draws when he arrived in the UFC because by his third match he was fighting for the heavyweight championship. Lesnar just wasn't a good enough all-around fighter though and after winning the big one he slowly became exposed as fight after fight he would get dominated at little more each time until finally losing the title to Cain Velasquez.


I'm not going to touch on McMahon vs White because everyone knows Vince would whip that ass.


What do you think of the possibility of Ken Shamrock returning and his thoughts on Lesnar and McMahon vs White?

 

[NegativeFeedback]

I would love to see Shamrock back in WWE. I know he's 49 years old, but I think WWE could do a big "Randy the Ram"-style story with Shamrock coming back to try and win the big one. Shamrock has a legitimacy to him that very few other pro wrestlers have. He's a true fighter and although he isn't in his prime anymore, he can still bring a large fanbase to WWE, especially if they give him some proper buildup.

They should sign him to a contract and have him interact with a few guys he used to wrestle with. Guys like The Rock, Triple H and Mark Henry would put him over on the mic giving him credibility, while guys like Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow would make fun of him for coming back at his old age. Lots of young guys will make fun of him, but when he has his first match on PPV, Ken will kick someone's ass into oblivion, shutting up all doubts that he still has it. He'll then cut a promo about how he came back to win the WWE Championship that he never had a chance to win.

He doesn't HAVE to win the title, but it would be a better story if he did. Plus, I think a lot of MMA fans might tune in to see Shamrock beat CM Punk in a title match, especially if Punk cuts promos shitting all over Shamrock's MMA career.

I think this could be a very good story for WWE, and will be great for all the Attitude Era fans out there who enjoyed Shamrock's WWE run.

I doubt it will ever happen though. Too bad, because I'm sure Shamrock still has something left in the tank.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

You ever hear the expression "creative has nothing for you"? That has to be the case with Shamrock. He's 49 years old, was a minor player during the Attitude era, and doesn't really bring anything to the table to the modern audience. Maybe as some sort of enforcer in a shoot style match would be alright, but I don't believe the WWE needs or wants him.

TNA may benefit from having him around. He was their first champion, so he's got some history with TNA and could be a 'big name' that comes into TNA and does the same enforcer or commissioner character.

 

[Mustang Sally]

There were several times where I wished I had got that opportunity, and probably should have had that opportunity, to at least challenge for the Heavyweight Championship belt. I never got that opportunity, and I’m not sure why, but it is what it is.

As far as I can see, one possible reason he never challenged for the world title was that he wasn't around long enough. His term in WWE lasted from 1997-1999, right? There are tons of wrestlers who don't get world title consideration in that short a time. Whether he would have made it eventually is subject to one's own interpretation.

Obviously, Shamrock is totally bowled over with his own perception of his talent. But I don't see him having a legitimate beef with WWE; Shamrock had the opportunity right in front of him.....and decided to leave WWE to fight "for real."

Okay, so now he gives us the usual "It is what it is"......and what it is concerns an almost-50 year old man who's decided he'd like to work as a pro wrestler after all. If he's "hitting a wall" when trying to contact Vince McMahon, he shouldn't be too surprised.

After all, it is what it is.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

With how the card is looking for this years WrestleMania, I'm surprised that WWE have not jumped at the chance to bring the guy back. sure bringing ken back is not going to be as big a draw as say the undertaker or HHH, but still having him on the card is going to make a difference. Plus it would do the world of good for one of the younger guys on the roster to face a veteran like shamrock at Wrestlemania whether they win or loss.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I was always a Shamrock fan, in WWE, TNA and followed his MMA career since, and personally I would enjoy seeing him in WWE again.

However, he is nearly 50 years old now, so I really don't see him coming back to WWE in any full-time capacity. He probably still has the name value that he could do a job in a one off match, perhaps some kind of return like Vader/Sid Vicious had with the Heath Slater vs the legends gimmick before Raw1000, but there isn't much else Vince would want to do with Shamrock.

TNA could use him, but he was never THAT big of a name in wrestling, he accomplished alot in the short time he was in WWE but how many of the newer casual fans will know him? He could be an enforcer if TNA go for another MMA style match again, or manage a "fighter", but I dont see either company wanting Kenny for much in-ring work, if at all.

Shame really, as I always hoped he would want to return to wrestling much sooner than this and get a run in the main event, I thought he was awesome back in the day and I would love to hear that entrance theme again!

 

[i'm a cm punk girl]

If Ken was younger and in better condition, I'd pay money to see a Lesnar vs Shamrock match.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I never gave a crap about Shamrock as an MMA fighter or as a pro wrestler. He was a bit player during the Attitude Era that got elevated to a point that was beyond his overall ability. The guy had a great look and vibe about him. Apart from that, however, I just never really saw anything out of him.

Shamrock is almost 50 years of age and I just don't see what he has to offer WWE. It's true that he was IC champ back in the day but, frankly, Shamrock was champion in WWE during a time when championships meant less than they ever have.

As far as Shamrock's MMA career goes, the guy is massively overrated. Since 2000, his MMA career has been in the dumpster. Between May 2000 & December 2010, Shamrock had 14 fights and, initially, lost 10 of them. With the exception of Alexander Otsuka, the other men he defeated during that time period were pretty much nobodies who, like him, were well past their prime. In 2009, he tested positive for steroids after he'd won a fight against some fighter named Ross Cliffton, so that shows up in the record books as a loss. So, all in all, he's lost 11 of his last 14 fights.

As far as his comments on Brock Lesnar, I do agree to some extent. Lesnar will never be thought of as one of the "all time greats" among MMA fighters, but he'll go down one of its biggest draws, if not the single biggest. At the same time, however, who is Shamrock to say who is and who isn't a "true MMA fighter" as he gave up MMA to go into a spot that a lot of MMA people just simply despise, namely pro wrestling.

Given that Shamrock was the first wrestler to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship while the title was exclusive to TNA, maybe he'd fit in better there. He's a link to TNA's earliest days & it's past, but I don't think he's going to be drawing any viewers to the show. He might pop a rating, but it won't go beyond that.

I think Shamrock is a macho minded guy whose getting older and is having trouble dealing with it. It would explain his reluctance to give up MMA fighting even though he gets his ass handed to him most of the time. He likes the action, he likes the crowds, he likes the attention.

 

[The Butcher]

He'll do a run-in during the Triple H/Brock Lesnar match at WrestleMania and cost Triple H the match.

If he does anything less than that then I don't care. I liked him okay during the Attitude Era, sure, but if he hadn't brought up the prospect of returning to WWE, I damn sure wouldn't have. I'm sure he'll make a cameo one day, though, regardless.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

There really isn't any money to be made with Ken Shamrock for WWE. He's 50. His relevancy with the casual fan is pretty minimal if there is any. Aside from a Rumble surprise old school entry, they would have to take broadcast time to recap his career in order to give fans an idea of who he even is. I'm sure they would rather use the air time to build up somebody young.

I can't really see a resurrected feud of Ken Shamrock v. Steve Blackman 14 years after the fact to have any drawing power outside of independents.

 

[dmc_tim]

In my opinion, it would be great for WWE to bring back people from the Attitude Era. WWE and wrestling has become so PG and not exciting sence WCW was bought out in 2001. I mean really the only 2 exciting things since then IMO was Evolution with flair , batista and HHH and Sting returning to TNA 5 or 6 years ago.

 

[donfryeismyhero]

Shamrock has taken to many shots to the head it seems. He's talking as if pro wrestling is a real sport with comments like “That would be awesome. The only thing is that this is what I know about Dana [White], and you can ask anyone, Dana always talks and talks and talks, but I’ve never seen him do anything. I saw Vince talk, talk and talk, and he has done something, he has gotten into the ring, he has participated with the fighters and the wrestlers. I have not seen Dana White do that. I’ve seen him call out Tito [Ortiz] like they were gonna fight, and it never happened. I’ve never seen Dana interact with his business the way that Vince has. Vince has stepped in the ring against guys he’s pissed off. Hey, you gotta give him credit for that." Yeah Vince got in the ring in a scripted match, Tito backed out of his boxing match with Dana because he didn't want to get embarrassed by a guy who was a promoter known to having better boxing then he had. People who actually think Vince a guy in his 70's nearing his 80's is going to beat a guy who is about the same size as him, in his late 30's early 40's & can box & knows jiu-jitsu are insane &/or delusional. Also keep in mind that Ken has bad blood with White where as he doesn't with McMahon. Of course he's gonna talk up VinMan over Dana. And he got plenty of title shots in the WWE, he wrestled both Bret Hart, HBK & Stone Cold for the world title.

 

[One to Remember]

As far as Shamrock's MMA career goes, the guy is massively overrated. Since 2000, his MMA career has been in the dumpster. Between May 2000 & December 2010, Shamrock had 14 fights and, initially, lost 10 of them. With the exception of Alexander Otsuka, the other men he defeated during that time period were pretty much nobodies who, like him, were well past their prime. In 2009, he tested positive for steroids after he'd won a fight against some fighter named Ross Cliffton, so that shows up in the record books as a loss. So, all in all, he's lost 11 of his last 14 fights.

You do realize the original UFC is not the same as the new UFC right? You realize you have to adjust and compensate to even compare some new UFC guy to a fighter in the 1990s octagon right? Ten wins in the 1993 octagon outrank 25 wins in the new octagon. The reason John McCain called it human cock fighting is because it was, the issue then was is that really too wrong? The UFC today are a bunch of kung fu show offs in swim trunks.

Given that Shamrock was the first wrestler to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship while the title was exclusive to TNA, maybe he'd fit in better there. He's a link to TNA's earliest days & it's past, but I don't think he's going to be drawing any viewers to the show. He might pop a rating, but it won't go beyond that.

TNA and NWA-TNA (weekly PPV era) had different feels, different rosters, more traditional USWA esque elements.. I think the issue isn't his worth but that the eras he are attached to are far too removed. I wanted to see Shamrock return for a World title before 2008.. Shamrock would had been good in Smackdown's prime between 2002-06. He would have had the star power to hold his own on Raw circa 2004 because he was kind of a '90s icon in combat sports and we weren't to far away from that. He waited too long to put the pressure on Vince..

I think Shamrock is a macho minded guy whose getting older and is having trouble dealing with it. It would explain his reluctance to give up MMA fighting even though he gets his ass handed to him most of the time. He likes the action, he likes the crowds, he likes the attention.

Foreman recaptured the heavyweight title at 45.. As with most discussions involving MMA guys in wrestling the whole "he is an actual real fighter" arguments and view points have arisen so I guess why don't I take that dumb logic further and say that a aging MMA fighter is perhaps on par with a 35 year old scripted fighter.. Since kayfabe has been busted for 25 years I guess its reasonable for a viewer to not be in shock when he does overpower a younger pro wrestler or dead locks..

 

[MCMG]

I liked Ken Shamrock but he doesn't have that much to offer. He is a legend of sorts but there isn't the same star power as others that the WWE could use.

His comments on Lesnar are a little exaggerated but do have some truth. While Lesnar was a big draw for the UFC, he beat Frank Mir and Shane Carwin in incredible fights. "Eye Candy" wouldn't be able to do that. His fights with Mir and Velasquez were massive. Injures played its part and he had to retire. Lesnar still had some big money-making matches left in him. Mainly with Dos Santos.

 

[Барбоса]

I enjoyed Shamrock's run in WWE, whether it be his brutal match with Vader or his bouts of going mental on the Rock. I was really looking forward to his feud with Jericho when he left.

That said, it is too late in the day for him to make any kind of meaningful return. He is too old and not all that well known.

The best use of him would probably be to appear on a one off basis and be forced to tap out to someone like CM Punk or Jack Swagger.

 

[One to Remember]

I enjoyed Shamrock's run in WWE, whether it be his brutal match with Vader or his bouts of going mental on the Rock. I was really looking forward to his feud with Jericho when he left.

That said, it is too late in the day for him to make any kind of meaningful return. He is too old and not all that well known.

The best use of him would probably be to appear on a one off basis and be forced to tap out to someone like CM Punk or Jack Swagger.

how much jobbing can you make one of the original UFC champions do before it makes wrestler look even more scripted and fictional? I am not saying MMA guys are golden but you can't have them lose too much ground or it looks weird. It hurt WCW when they had Tank Abbott dancing with 3 Count and losing matches to bozos in the cruierweight division..

 

[Robby89]

Shamrock was tight back in the day. Kind of similar to the Bill Goldberg Character when when sham was coming up in 1997 and so on. Shamrock coming back now to wrestle?? I dont know, a lot of his muscle mass is gone. Doesn't look as strong anymore. Could definitely see him soon go in the Hall of Fame though. He was pretty awesome during his wrestling career. However he couldn't school the Heartbreak Kid...