If you ever want “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” to buy you a beer, challenge him to a fight.
He won’t lift a fist, only his wallet.
He might even invite you to sit down with him.
That’s just the way Ken Shamrock is.
“I see it as a lose-lose for me,” the former UFC, WWE, NWA titleholder said. “Either I kick their ass and they sue me, or I get my ass kicked and get embarrassed.”
The 44-year-old is a legend, a man who has taken on the biggest names in the business: Tito Ortiz, Dan Severn, Shawn Michaels, The Rock; the list goes into the hundreds.
Leaving his wrestling and mixed martial arts skills in the ring might be best for everyone.
Shamrock’s career began in 1988 when he got involved with pro wrestling, traveling the circuit under the ring names “Wayne Shamrock” and “Vince Torrelli.” Then, he got bored.
“I was exposed to this sport where there was fighting, punching, kicking, submissions,” Shamrock, currently a coach in the International Fight League, the hottest new MMA league to reach pay-per-view, said. “I thought it looked good and wanted to try it out.”
It was September 21, 1993 that Shamrock stepped into the ring for his first match as a “real” fighter. His opponent was Masakatsu Funaki, a man who taught Shamrock the early ropes of the sport. Shamrock won, catching Funaki with an arm triangle choke.
“It’s a sport that you go in there, move up the ranks and make it on your own ability,” Shamrock said, his voice rising in excitement. “I loved it.”
Over the next 13 years, Shamrock helped bring MMA into the mainstream. His name drew large crowds and his fighting style left opponents tapping out. Shamrock had made a name for himself, winning many more matches (23) in UFC and Pancrase than he was losing (5).
Then, he got bored — again.
His competitive fire still burned, but instead of using his own ability to decide matches, he opted to put the outcomes in the hands of writers.
“Going back to wrestling, I had to put my ego in check in the locker room because those guys were so much more seasoned,” Shamrock said. “I had to throw all the pro stuff out the window and start over.”
Shamrock says he joined the WWE at the perfect time in his career. He didn’t have to start over at the bottom of the sport, but at the bottom while at the top. “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” became a wrestling superstar.
He beat the Rock (“A great ring partner”) at Wrestlemania, feuded with Shawn Michaels (“An all-around professional”) and tangled with Bret Hart (“We had great matches together”).
“With wrestling, it had its own challenges. You had to do interviews a certain way and put something over. It was also very physical.”
Three years in the WWE and he began to get the “real-fighting” itch, again. When he returned to UFC, the sport had grown tremendously – and possibly outgrew him.
The eventual UFC Hall of Famer was victorious in his return match (a 9:43 first-round TKO of Alexander Otsuka). Over the next eight years though, Shamrock began losing (8) more matches than he was winning (3).
Despite the rough return, Shamrock had also turned his focus to other ventures, including watching his son Ryan develop into an MMA fighter.
“It’s amazing to watch him grow,” the proud father said of Ryan, who won his first MMA match last year. “He was around me growing up and is a part of my history.”
Shamrock’s also a teacher, grooming the sport’s next great fighters for the International Fight League. His “Lions Den” camp is one eight in the IFL that works with individuals before sending them into the ring. In the past two years, Shamrock’s fighters are 9-9 in competition.
In the Arizona Senate sits a bill that would allow mixed martial arts events in the state. Shamrock is behind the bill and says he’s “very much looking forward to it passing,” especially considering he’s building a new gym and “Lions Den” training facility in Scottsdale. (His others are located in Reno, Nevada and Dallas, Texas.)
The former champion is happy with the way life has treated him. He has a resume that most rookie fighters dream of. He has a future that looks bright behind the scenes.
He’ll drink to that.
"The Cheap Seats: Notebook" 