Can Kimbo, Elite XC rebound?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
The ratings are in for Elite XC, and it’s more on par with what it did the first time around than the July offering. That proves the combo of Kimbo and Gina Carano are definitely ratings grabbers, will Kimbo still be for his next fight?
Early estimates say it was 4.5 million viewers, which is not bad. It was No. 1 in some of the key demographics, males 18-34.
I actually thought the July fights were better and the show was run a lot smoother, but hey, I’m just a Boneman, what do I know?
I’m not going to join the parade of Kimbo Slice bashers. Hey, you know, he just got caught. It happens to the best of them.
And what you have to remember is how little padding there is for MMA gloves. This isn’t like boxing where you have 8-12 oz. gloves. These are only 4 oz gloves. When you’re hit solid, you’re going to feel it.
After dogging on him in July, I want to give kudos to Mauro Ranallo. I still think he spouted off meaningless analogies in July, but he wasn’t into hyperbole Saturday. Instead, Ranallo, Frank Shamrock and Gus Johnson let the action speak for itself. The trio may have been a little overzealous calling Seth Petruzelli beating Kimbo one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. But it was huge, so I don’t begrudge too much.
Could Carano vs. Cyborg really headline an event? I don’t know, but it’s interesting. It’s too bad the women are cheated with the time with only three minute rounds. I’d love to the see the two women for 15 minutes instead of nine.
As for Kimbo, what to do, what to do? It’s been discussed on other forums, and I have to agree there are three options.
A rematch with Petruzelli. You sell it as the fact he had no time to prepare for him. Now with proper training, he wants to show the world the real Kimbo.
A bout with Brett Rogers. Most insiders (add me in that) think this would be Kimbo’s swan song as a legit player in MMA. Rogers should be able to handle him, and that would be one way of building up another star.
A bout with Ken Shamrock. Hey, the fight didn’t happen. Why not try for it again? I’m still puzzled by the fact Shamrock got injured the day of the event. I can’t comprehend it. I don’t think you would see Floyd Mayweather sparring on the night of the fight. But if the cut heals, hey, why not do it?
And one tidbit, smart thing by Affliction showing Fedor destroy Tim Sylvia. I think I saw the commercial about eight times in the two-hour event. For some of us without the benefit on an unlimited bank account, it was nice to see how quickly he took Sylvia apart.
Interesting week in MMA. Will Tito Ortiz really sign with Elite XC? We’ll see.
Time to turn back to boxing. A huge doubleheader with Sam Peter vs. Vitali Klitschko and Antonio Tarver vs. Chad Dawson. And just as big, OU vs. Texas and LSU vs. Florida. Fun weekend ahead.
Kimbo gets sliced and diced…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
How many versions of the word “slice” will you see in Kimbo headlines in the next week? Over/under on 20?
I don’t know what to say about this one. Last-second (almost literally) replacement Seth Petruzelli knocked out Kimbo Slice in 14 seconds during Elite XC’s CBS broadcast Saturday night.
Kimbo, of course, was schedule to fight Ken Shamrock. But a freak accident with Shamrock left him unable to compete. Frank Shamrock, commentator for CBS, was furious with Ken for the embarrassment this brings to the Shamrock family. I’m still trying to comprehend what actually happened to Ken.
Petruzelli was supposed to fight on an undercard bout earlier in the evening but stepped up for his shot at glory.
He made it count.
What I thought was weird (as well as the people I watched the KO with) was that Kimbo did not come out striking. He came out trying to grab, almost as if he wanted to show he had learned how to grapple.
Petruzelli caught him with a push kick coming in and then an unreal six-inch right hand that floored Kimbo face first. Dazed, Kimbo turned to his back, and that was game-set-match as Petruzelli pummeled him into submission.
Petruzelli, the multi-colored hair warrior, ran around frantically after the win. In the background, you could see Kimbo with the ref. It looked like he was trying to take him down because he was so unaware of what was going on.
Now that I could understand. I’ve seen that in boxing enough where guys really have no clue what just hit them and still think they’re in a fight.
Mr. OKC Thunder, Darnell Mayberry, called me after the fight asking if I thought it might be a fix. I gotta say no. Call me naive, but here’s my evidence.
You’re always hurt the most by the punch you don’t see coming. Kimbo was rushing in, looking to make his imprint on the fight. He’s not actually expecting someone who weighed less than 30 pounds than him to take a swing. It’s a short, compact and straight shot flush to the chin.
The way his body reacted to the punch is like something I’ve seen hundreds of times. If that was staged, that was damn impressive.
I understand the conspiracy theorists. Shamrock conveniently gets injured and his replacement happens to land one of the shortest punches in history and knocks out one of the world’s most famous fighters? It doesn’t add up, right?
False (TM Dwight Schrute). Those street fights are brutal, but there’s no technique. A wild haymaker won’t do nearly as much damage as a straight shot to the chin.
And then I point to Kimbo doing something with the ref. It seriously looked like he was trying to take him down.
After being thoroughly disappointed by the lack of Shamrock, this more than made up for it. It reminded me of the way I was for Hasim Rahman when he KO’d Lennox Lewis with one right hand in 2001. Stuff like that stays in the memory bank.
The real question is where does Elite XC and Kimbo go from here? The Elite XC card was a dud in just about every way possible. You lose your main event, the fights were not that appealing and then your meal ticket gets taken out. That sounds like a recipe for disaster, and it really was. Does Kimbo want to get back out there?
He refused to be interviewed by Gus Johnson afterward, and I think it was a pride thing. Even though he tried to play it off cool, I think he’s extremely hurt and frustrated at himself and was just trying to save face in front of his crowd. I could be wrong, but that’s what I read from the reaction. Now what would have happened had Jim Gray been there to demand an interview. We could have had an impromptu fight there.
But I digress. There was a contract for four Elite XC shows on CBS. But after dwindling ratings for the second and a botched main event (albeit with an entertaining ending), that may have been the last straw for MMA in prime time.
It’ll be extremely interesting to see what the fallout from this event is. Once again, Kimbo KO’d in 14 seconds by late replacement Seth Petruzelli.
Shamrock vs. Kimbo…who you got?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Side show attraction or legitimate fight? Over the hill has-been against unproven street thug? One of Elite XC’s most marketable fights?
It’s all about perception and perspective for Saturday night’s fight on CBS. I’m not sure where I stand on this one. I’ve gone on here before and just gushed about Ken Shamrock and who he used to be. I can’t think of many fine moments for Ken in the last five years.
And I’ve also said how I don’t view Kimbo as the enemy. I have no problem with what he is trying to accomplish. I do believe he is trying to become a legit MMA fighter and not just a street thug.
So I see it as a win-win situation. If Shamrock wins, one last hurrah for a legend. If Kimbo, maybe it’s a step toward legitimacy.
So what’s going to happen? We’re going to find out if Kimbo is serious about developing a ground game. Of course, he can strike with the best of them. I don’t even know if those are strikes as much as clubs. He’s just clubbing away at people.
Will he need a ground game? I think so. I may be foolish, but I think Shamrock has one more left in the tank, and I’ve liked his mindset leading up to Saturday.
He said he used to fight when he wasn’t 100 percent because he thought he could still do it. That pride, that ego, won’t allow you to back out. He’s reached a point now where he has to be at his best to fight yet alone win.
I’m going to go with my heart on this one and pick Shamrock. It’s not popular, and frankly may be the dumbest prediction yet, but let’s see if I can’t will a victory out of him.
In other MMA news, it was announced today that UFC 93 will be in Ireland. At this point, there’s nothing Dana White can do to surprise me. He’s got a vision, that’s for sure.
The main event will pit Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin.
“Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson is a battle between two great former champions who are both looking to get another chance to wear a world title around their waist,” White said at the announcement.
Boxing, get ready. If words mean anything, get ready for fireworks with Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver. I’ve loved Tarver for a long time (got any excuses tonight, Roy?), but I’m digging what Dawson brings to the fight game. Much more on that next week.
As I read more, a lot of people had Ricardo Mayorga close to winning against Shane Mosley. I stand by my card, but that just enhances what Mosley did that much more. Thanks, Shane.
HBO has a three-fight Boxing After Dark card. Eh, not too excited for it. It seems like cannon fodder for some “prospects.”
But the real fight this week is the Cubs and Dodgers. Born in Chicago, I’ll be clad in Cubs stuff all week. We’ll see how it goes.
