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Monday Morning Reverie: Cease and Desist
Ken Shamrock (Pictures) is enshrined in the UFC's hall of
fame and is a legend of mixed martial arts. Though the bulk of his
success came inside the Pancrase organization, he is well known on
American soil as one of the pioneers of the Ultimate Fighting
Championship.
At the age of 44, having won just three times since 2000, it feels like the right time to ask whether Shamrock should consider removing himself from active competition.
Considering how mythical the name "Ken Shamrock (Pictures)" is, one would presume that he has torn the sport asunder. With as much admiration and praise he receives, you'd believe that he toppled the likes of Randy Couture (Pictures), Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) and Chuck Liddell (Pictures).
Instead, his victories have come against Kimo Leopoldo (Pictures), Alexander Otsuka (Pictures) and Sam Adkins. Strewn between those monumental triumphs? Losses to Tito Ortiz (Pictures) (thrice), Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures), Rich Franklin (Pictures), Don Frye (Pictures), Kazuyuki Fujita (Pictures) and now Robert "Buzz" Berry.
Listen: This column isn't designed to rip into Shamrock for not dominating the sport for the past eight years. I'm not trying to bash the guy or throw him under the bus for not being as great as everybody thought he was. Everything thus far has been cold, hard facts.
Another fact tied to Shamrock's career, as I see it, should be his decision to hang up his gloves for good. Anybody who disputes that and tries to make the point that the last sentence is an opinion simply doesn't get it.
This is the same type of person who tries to argue that Michael Jordan is not the greatest to ever play professional basketball or that Jerry Rice is not the best receiver in NFL history. That's when opinion becomes factual, and now "Ken Shamrock (Pictures) should retire" falls into that category.
It's not as if he's been competitive. He was blown away by Ortiz twice for a combined 3:41, was trounced by feather-fisted Sakuraba in 2:27, smoked by Franklin in 2:42 and was pummeled Saturday by Berry in 3:26.
It's one thing to look halfway decent in losses, but when a fighter lasts about as long as I could against a swarm of bees, it's time to look for a different career. He's lost five in a row and eight out of his last 11 -- need I write more?
Shamrock is an icon in the sport. It pains me, and thousands of others, to watch him turned into spit with each passing fight. I've seen too many boxers suffer brain damage from sticking around too long, and it would be an utter tragedy if the same fate would envelope Shamrock. He's unfortunately and unintentionally making a mockery of his great name.
Misc. Debris
In keeping with Shamrock: The punch that floored him landed about as cleanly as Travis Lutter (Pictures)'s against Marvin Eastman (Pictures). …
I'll stay in my gripe mood for this one: Maybe it's time for King Fedor to step down from his throne and stop bothering us with more of his and his management's non-news. He signed with M-1 Global and was set to take on the world. Instead, he gave us a battle against a 7-foot Korean with a head bigger than my dad's beer gut. Then all the Couture/Fedor/UFC/Cuban nonsense happened. This soap opera has run its course with this columnist. Until Fedor, who I still consider the greatest ever, signs with a legit organization and fights the best there is at heavyweight (if not Couture), I'll ignore his endeavors. Come on, Fedor, I think you can control your own destiny in the sport a little better. Step up. …
I forgot to mention in my last column the horror of Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons having his leg snapped like a pool stick. Hopefully he'll be able to recover quickly and resume his fighting career. …
It's too bad that "Shogun" had to withdraw from his fight with Chuck Liddell (Pictures) due to yet another injury. The Liddell-Rashad Evans (Pictures) fight won't deliver anywhere near as many fireworks as the original main event, but at least we'll finally get to see what Evans is made of. I'm not sure just yet who will win this one, but I do know that Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) will end his losing skid when he fights Keith Jardine (Pictures).
Hit me up at www.myspace.com/sherdogsloan
At the age of 44, having won just three times since 2000, it feels like the right time to ask whether Shamrock should consider removing himself from active competition.
Considering how mythical the name "Ken Shamrock (Pictures)" is, one would presume that he has torn the sport asunder. With as much admiration and praise he receives, you'd believe that he toppled the likes of Randy Couture (Pictures), Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) and Chuck Liddell (Pictures).
Instead, his victories have come against Kimo Leopoldo (Pictures), Alexander Otsuka (Pictures) and Sam Adkins. Strewn between those monumental triumphs? Losses to Tito Ortiz (Pictures) (thrice), Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures), Rich Franklin (Pictures), Don Frye (Pictures), Kazuyuki Fujita (Pictures) and now Robert "Buzz" Berry.
Listen: This column isn't designed to rip into Shamrock for not dominating the sport for the past eight years. I'm not trying to bash the guy or throw him under the bus for not being as great as everybody thought he was. Everything thus far has been cold, hard facts.
Another fact tied to Shamrock's career, as I see it, should be his decision to hang up his gloves for good. Anybody who disputes that and tries to make the point that the last sentence is an opinion simply doesn't get it.
This is the same type of person who tries to argue that Michael Jordan is not the greatest to ever play professional basketball or that Jerry Rice is not the best receiver in NFL history. That's when opinion becomes factual, and now "Ken Shamrock (Pictures) should retire" falls into that category.
It's not as if he's been competitive. He was blown away by Ortiz twice for a combined 3:41, was trounced by feather-fisted Sakuraba in 2:27, smoked by Franklin in 2:42 and was pummeled Saturday by Berry in 3:26.
It's one thing to look halfway decent in losses, but when a fighter lasts about as long as I could against a swarm of bees, it's time to look for a different career. He's lost five in a row and eight out of his last 11 -- need I write more?
Shamrock is an icon in the sport. It pains me, and thousands of others, to watch him turned into spit with each passing fight. I've seen too many boxers suffer brain damage from sticking around too long, and it would be an utter tragedy if the same fate would envelope Shamrock. He's unfortunately and unintentionally making a mockery of his great name.
Misc. Debris
In keeping with Shamrock: The punch that floored him landed about as cleanly as Travis Lutter (Pictures)'s against Marvin Eastman (Pictures). …
I'll stay in my gripe mood for this one: Maybe it's time for King Fedor to step down from his throne and stop bothering us with more of his and his management's non-news. He signed with M-1 Global and was set to take on the world. Instead, he gave us a battle against a 7-foot Korean with a head bigger than my dad's beer gut. Then all the Couture/Fedor/UFC/Cuban nonsense happened. This soap opera has run its course with this columnist. Until Fedor, who I still consider the greatest ever, signs with a legit organization and fights the best there is at heavyweight (if not Couture), I'll ignore his endeavors. Come on, Fedor, I think you can control your own destiny in the sport a little better. Step up. …
I forgot to mention in my last column the horror of Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons having his leg snapped like a pool stick. Hopefully he'll be able to recover quickly and resume his fighting career. …
It's too bad that "Shogun" had to withdraw from his fight with Chuck Liddell (Pictures) due to yet another injury. The Liddell-Rashad Evans (Pictures) fight won't deliver anywhere near as many fireworks as the original main event, but at least we'll finally get to see what Evans is made of. I'm not sure just yet who will win this one, but I do know that Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) will end his losing skid when he fights Keith Jardine (Pictures).
Hit me up at www.myspace.com/sherdogsloan
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