Kimbo Slice Breaking News: WWE-TNA Wrestling Shocker
By Kevin Nelson
According to reports in MMA fighting, Kimbo Slice is scheduled to enter the pro wrestling racket in Japan. The promotion is called “Inoki Genome Federation” and it was announced today that Slice will be competing in an 8 man tournament on February 5. If successful, there is the potential that he could get the eye of the WWE or TNA.
Slice, if you remember, rose to fame as being a youtube sensation by knocking out people in unsanctioned street fights. Shortly after that, the promotion Elitexc signed him to a deal and he was training in MMA with the legendary Bas Rutten.
Shortly after beating Ray Mercer, Tank Abbott, Bo Cantrall, he fought James Thompson on CBS, which was the height of his success as he defeated him by stoppage. Shortly afterward, it was announced he would be facing Ken Shamrock. But on the day he was scheduled to fight, Shamrock suffered a cut and his match with Slice was cancelled. In stepped unheralded Seth Petruzelli who stopped Slice with a straight left that grazed Slice and managed to stop him.
Petruzelli claimed that the Elitexc brass Garry Shaw, and son Jared, advised Petruzelli to keep the fight standing. This caused enough uproar that the promotion was folded shortly afterward.
After UFC President Dana White announced that the only way that Slice would fight in the UFC is if he competed in the Ultimate Fighter, he agreed and entered the octagon facing Roy Nelson. The fight was stopped when Slice was unable to defend himself or improve his position on the ground.
Slice picked up his first win in the UFC against Houston Alexander. What followed that was a match with Matt Mitrione a fight in which he repeatedly slammed Mitrione but ran out of gas and was repeatedly kicked and taken down for the stoppage loss. After that match, Dana White announced the release of Kimbo Slice from the UFC.
Slice signed a contract with Gary Shaw for six fights. His son Jared claimed that Slice could get a title shot after six fights, to which Slice said that he was going to “be a problem in the heavyweight division.” But ongoing scheduling problems and movies (SCORPION KING: RISE OF THE DEAD) cut into his training and now with the announcement of Slice entering pro wrestling, you begin to wonder if we will not see him in a ”real” fight again.
Like him or hate him, he is very popular with fans due to him being a classic underdog. Homeless after Hurricane Andrew, living on the streets, Slice was discovered by a porn company by the name of Reality Kings to which he served as a limo driver and personal body guard.
After making a name for himself on the Internet, Slice’s fame continued to grow. With his new venture into pro wrestling you get the feeling that Slice will continue to seek the bigger paycheck no matter how ridicules the offer may be.
In hindsight, the last thing the boxing world needs is a wannabe boxer making a name for himself and getting opportunities that other fighters deserve. So here’s a message to Slice from the boxing world: please go away!