Now That Kimbo's Been KO'd, Let the Spin Begin
(Just another day in the organization for Jared Shaw. Props: Steve Cofield.)
The Kimbo Slice fairy tale is over now. At least it ought to be. The "street certified" brawler got himself knocked out in fourteen seconds by a guy who calls himself a "part-time fighter." A guy who isn't in the same weight class and isn't thought of as anything more than a mediocre also-ran in the weight class he normally calls home. To call this a worst case scenario for Elite XC is putting it too mildly. This is an absolute disaster. Which means, of course, that they will now try to convince us that it is not.
Announcer Mauro Ranallo got that ball rolling almost immediately after the fight by suggesting that this should be considered a "mulligan" for Kimbo, since he didn't plan on fighting Petruzelli. Do we dare mention that Petruzelli also didn't plan on fighting Kimbo, a heavyweight, in the main event? Apparently not. Instead we start playing up the predictable Rocky Balboa angle, forgetting for the moment that Rocky fought Apollo Creed, the world champion. Unlike Kimbo, the fictional Apollo was both style and substance, and he didn't go down to a tentative jab.
This is the point where Elite XC makes excuses for Kimbo and tells us that a star is born in Petruzelli. Just watch Jared Shaw working from this script in his interview with Ariel Helwani and see if you don't find yourself feeling a little sorry for him. His cringe-worthy performance includes transparent lies such as, "it's just another day in the organization," and "(Pertruzelli) is a very promotable guy; everybody in this sport is promotable," and my personal favorite, "we're gathering all our other nuts."
This, from the same guy who could be seen having a total meltdown at cageside while Kimbo was getting pounded out on live network TV.
The person who seemed least bothered by last night's events was Kimbo Slice himself. He hyped his after-party in the post-fight interview and showed up forty-five minutes late to the press conference, where he interrupted Elite XC Head of Operations Jeremy Lappen and made a very brief statement, laughing about his swollen eye, and then disappeared again.
Lappen came to his defense, saying,
"I think Kimbo's a huge star. Again he's been thrust onto the scene. People are interested in watching him. And I think people will continue to be interested in watching him. ...He showed heart. And stepped up on an hour notice and backed up anyone, anyplace, anytime."
It's interesting that Lappen uses the passive voice there. Kimbo has "been thrust onto the scene." That's true. Lappen conveniently ignores who did the thrusting, though.
As for the "anyone, anytime" rhetoric, it flies in the face of rumors that Elite XC had to sweeten the financial pot just to get a reluctant Kimbo to accept the fight against the 205-pounder Petruzelli. The backstage CBS interview alone revealed a very unhappy fighter who exuded anything but confidence and enthusiasm before the fight.
Kimbo was exposed on Saturday night, sure. But he wasn't exposed as anything other than what most of us already thought he was: an amateur fighter rushed into the spotlight by desperate, unscrupulous promoters. It was Elite XC who was truly exposed. They built their reputation on Kimbo's curious brand of celebrity, and fate conspired to grind their cash cow into hamburger.
Their strategy was to only make fights that Kimbo could win, then shout his name from the rooftops when he did. Last night they got a lesson in the unpredictability of MMA. Now they're left shouting excuses. They found out the hard way that you can only play the squash match shell game for so long before a former karate champ comes along and ruins it.
They can call it a mulligan for Kimbo and they can try and turn it into a big push for the very average Petruzelli. But the best thing they can do is learn from this catastrophe. Where they go from here, with respect to both Kimbo and Petruzelli, should tell us whether they have.
(-Ben Fowlkes)
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Comments
Jay Smith Says:
Kimbo will be back, love him or hate him. That was some fluke shit. Good shit for Petruzelli though.
Assnonymous Says:
"Bla bla bla bla. [...] Bla blah blah! Blah? [...]"
Kimbo will be back. Kimbo vs. Ken Shamrock in 4 months. 3 months is too early. The audience must forget his loss first, and that takes some time.
Now that Petruzelli or whatever his name is won, Elite XC will do everything in their power to make sure Petruzelli doesn't lose. Otherwise that will make Kimbo look even worse than he already is.
fab Says:
Nice read - nice pic too lol
Gong Says:
It amazes me how much of the 'blogosphere' has been brainwashed into rooting for Kimbo :/ Personally, I'm just ecstatic that his 'unveiling' has finally happened.
If only it was Rashad/Chuck-like. That would have been brllnt.
Tyrone Shoelaces Says:
Spin what? This is what he have been hoping for would end this Kimbo nonsense.
Did anyone take Shamrock/Kimbo seriously?
It was probably the 4th or 5th show of the card if you took away the media circus and dealt only in the 'what have you done for me lately (or ever)' realm.
Who cares how they spin the loss? Do you ever listen or believe the professional liars in the state dept. spin? Of course, not. Guys who are mouthpieces for promotions are hired to lie to the media. You know about that BenUFC, dont you? You were Jared Shaw just a few months ago.
Shields, Diaz/Alvarez, the broads, maybe a few more Affliction guys...they could have another good fight coming up without the Kimbo nuthugger contingent. I want to see Kimbo fight again but only as the bottom of the card freakshow like WWF stars.
There already is a big, scary black man in MMA, his name is Bob Sapp and he's taller and more than 120pds heavier than Ms. Slice and he's been 'learning' for the past decade and still cant fight for shit in the ring.
Been there, done that.
Next.
Me Says:
I think that Elite XC should not be hated on this much. They are trying to get their name up by promoting big events with big names just to call people's attention. If we allow the UFC to grow by itself while shitting on the other ones for their attempts to grow, what will happen will be that the UFC will monopolize the sport and do whatever the fuck they want with it. Sure, Kimbo is not the best representation of MMA out there, but if that is what it takes for little Elite XC to get its name going, then I agree with them doing it, and after that concentrating more on the reality of this sport. I am all for Affliction, Elite XC, Dream and all the other small ones. UFC is the best no doubt about it, but I don't want to see them take over the whole sport.
Dex Says:
That MMARated interview with $kala was brutal. I coudln't finish it. After he dropped the line about how promotable Petaruzelli is and gathering his nuts, I couldn't handle it anymore. AKWARD.....
LOL funny, but equally brutal.
Davey Cox Says:
This was the best thing that's happened to Kimbo.
mma-pr0 Says:
good read ben, that pic is priceless, another great pic is kimbos double leg take down attempt, too bad it was on the ref.. lol
oliver closehoff Says:
i think i enjoyed the post fight interview with shaw more than kimbo getting his ass kicked. mainly the part where he said he was only pointing out the "illegal" blows to the ref, because he wants all the fights in exc to be fair. that was very believable, because we all know if it was kimbo doing it to petruzelli he would have done the same thing.
MMAEruption.com Says:
The only solution may be to feed Kimbo to Tito Ortiz, then get behind Tito as the face of EliteXC. Only problem is, Tito will be out for a while for back surgery and common sense tells me that EliteXC's lifeline is quickly diminishing. I can't imagine CBS execs were happy with Kimbo's destruction and there were a heck of a lot of Affliction ads during the show, which many believe is an indication of weak ad buying for the show.
Me Says:
Any fight that ends that quickly is more fluke than anything. Not defending Kimbo here, but it could have, and often has, happened to anyone. I feel bad for everyone in this situation, except Shaw. He deserves everthing he gets for delivering such a poor production so consistently.
Me Says:
Hey I just realized that there is a fake Me here! Flee, Me jr., all the others have!
J-roc Says:
im glad this happened but i do like Kimbo and this isnt his fault they blew him up so big he should come back at the bottom of the next fight card he is on and work his way up like evrybody else did.....
but what is with the half chest hair?? y does he shave half of it and leave the other half??
Me Says:
@J-roc, it's far better than the cock-chest-fro he was reppin for a while. He biting off Lesnar hard back then.
Mr.Whitefolks Says:
" ...and fate conspired to to grind their cash cow into hamburger."
wow, bro!!!
I thought this was a sporting event? at times a poorly produced and managed event, but a sporting even non the less. I have to agree the ME in ^^^ that a UFC monopoly of MMA would fuck a lot of fighters in the end.
looking back on the early UFCs they look like televised small town promotions.
give the promotion a chance.
robnashville Says:
the ratings for the show are up at mmapayout.com
Booger Beard Says:
This was not a fluke, it was a mistake. He walked out there with his chin out. He thought Seth could not hurt him because he was just a wee little guy. But put that chin on a tee like that, and 14 seconds is longer than it should last. The bad thing about this is that it was a 12" jab. A Freaking Jab knocked the big bad kimbo crosseyed. My wife has hit her head harder on the headboard while I was plowing her and she just kept on gowing. (Not that it would have mattered if it would have knocked her out though)
Kimbo's an amateur Says:
To those of you who are still hanging on Kimbo and say this is a fluke... What this really is, is more evidence that he is a rank amateur fighter. For a fighter to get in there against an opponent he knows NOTHING about and bull charge him at the bell, is clear evidence that he knows nothing about professional fighting. Any professional would have taken the first round to feel out the other fighter, before going on the offense. Nothing surprising, though...
Plain old Kevin Says:
Everyone does lose. Jared was right about the rest of the card being good. I enjoyed the entire night. EliteXC and Affliction can stand against the UFC a.k.a. Nazi Germany. I love great fights no matter who is putting on a show. If you do not then you are just a UFC fan and not an MMA fan.
beastly Says:
how come nobody's talking about how Ken's dumb ass busted his eye by grappling? are'nt "veterans" supposed to know how to warm up?
Frank Says:
I also very much enjoyed the fights EliteXC put on last night, and I hope CBS keeps doing the Saturday Night Fights. The price is certainly right. If had paid $40 for a PPV, I may have been a bit disappointed, though. If Kimbo wants a career that lasts beyond his 15 minutes of fake fame, he needs to go back down and pay his dues like every other fighter. His age will make that more difficult, but he has potential. Petruzelli may be a part-time fighter, but he's taken his lumps in the cage--Kimbo had not until last night. How about giving Petruzelli some props? Those front kicks kept the charging Kimbo at bay. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. He might have been in trouble if he had tried to stand and throw with Kimbo. Kimbo would have murdered him in a clinch. I thought it was a great seat-of-your-pants strategy by a thinking fighter.
gmanc Says:
I wouldn't hate elite xc so much if they didn't put a fight that has no value to mma over a a title fight.
Frank Says:
How about this quote from the Post Chronicle's Mike Baron:
"Despite having a 30lb weight advantage, Kimbo simply had no right being in the cage versus anyone with a minimal level of MMA skill.
Petruzelli improved his record to 10-4. Kimbo falls to 3-1 and has now been revealed to be the ultimate fraud."
Ouch.
Justme Says:
You know Dana White is still laughing his ass off. If you listen closely you'll hear him now. Elite XC's star getting beat up by a TUF flunky that wasn't in his weight class. I love it.
Kimbo is a joke and EliteXC is a joke for trying to push garbage on respectable fans
kissenger Says:
How the fudge can anyone call the result a fluke!?
Kimbo was thoroughly whipped. And the worst part is that he was dropped with a JAB! and he barely even tried to come back and put up some kind of defence.
And Cagepotato guys: no need to be harsh on Petruzzelli - he's a decent fighter (he's no Fedor, but he is good).
jared shaw's shattered ego Says:
i thought it was a good card. i enjoyed all of the televised fights. but what bugs me is that elitexc still cant keep their shows on schedule. too many long commercials and too much fluff in between fights. i recorded it and had to watch the kimbo fight on the internet. it didnt even get to the entrances before the dvr cut off.
but on a good note (for me atleast) kimbo got smashed on live network television. by a guy in lower weight class no less, who also happened to have pink highlights. i just wish i could have seen the reactions of people watching at the bars.
and can anyone give me a good reason as to why the women's fights are only 3 minute rounds instead of 5?
Me Says:
To those, like kiss and Booger who say that this was not a fluke actually provide more evidence than I do supporting my assertion. The fact that it basically was a jab on one foot to a part of the face that normally sustains damage, makes it almost by definition a fluke. It happens to a lot of fighters, I think someone mentioned GSP as a good example.
Point was that no fighter is good enough to actually gameplan a 20 second win over anybody. Any time that quick wins like that happen it is pure luck, even if the winning fighter is that superior. One punch, one knee, one kick... nobody trains for that and it does not show skill on either fighters part.
Booger Nose Says:
Me
You obviously have no clue as to what you are talking about. No fighter walks towards an opponent with his chin out like that. A fluke means it would happen 1 in 100 times. What happenned there would happen 100 in 100 times. Stop hugging a spare fighter with a mean appearances nuts. He is just scary. Not Skilled.
Booger Nuts Says:
Also, who gameplans for a chin to be out there like that? That is a gift. Not a strategy. Freaking Bas has been working with this Fucktard for 9 months now.
B-Rad Says:
Here is the definition of the word 'fluke' on Dictionary.com
1. an accidental advantage; stroke of good luck: He got the job by a fluke.
2. an accident or chance happening.
3. an accidentally successful stroke, as in billiards.
no chin Says:
at least he was graceful in defeat. the free ride's over though and now that elitexc has been exposed i bet bas drops him. i wouldn't be surprised if he disappeared from the sport in a year or so and starts playing bit roles in bad movies.
Booger Butt Says:
B-Rad:
And by your definition, that accident/stroke of luck/chance happening happens by chance/accident. It is not an accident when you do not know or have too much of an ego to know not to do it. Liddell Does it and it is a fluke, Someone like me doing it is just stupid.
tallkitchenbags Says:
i never thought kimbo was legit, but he got dropped by an off-balance jab. damn.
eelcozy Says:
This fight pretty much made my year. I woke people up in my house screaming when it happened. I don't dislike Kimbo, but his hype is ridiculous. I hope he takes this loss and goes back to the drawing board to start becoming a real fighter.
RANDY uses this DVD to train for his match with FEDOR Says:
Nice pic...
Turd Ferguson Says:
If you guys listen to seth talk to someone with the staff after the fight you can hear Seth say "I want to get out of here safe" and the guy replies "ill make sure you get out ok"
I guess with all of kimbo's thugs i'd want safe passage as well... and for the lots of people who know nothing about MMA putting money on Kimbo.
Lawl
Smackdaddiest1 Says:
What the hell do they mean by "Give Kimbo a mulligan". This is the fight game assholes, there are no mulligans......Scary thought though, If this douchebag did this to Kimbo, what would Shamrock have done to him?
I wasn't a big supporter of the EliteXc Kimbo conspiracy theories, but Jared Shaw was visibly pissed with Petruzelli after the fight....maybe Seth didn't follow instructions and instinct took over.
Matt Says:
Is it me or did Jared Shaw sound like he was on the verge of tears throughout that interview?
norremo Says:
Once again Dana was right... he said BJ Penn could take Kimbo. The pink haired boy just proved Dana's point ten fold.
I can't wait for the next UFC card. I need a real promotion to wash this bad taste out of my mouth.
Anonymous Says:
yea i gotta agree with smack there i dont think Petruzelli got the memo HE was supposed to get KTFO! cant wait to hear Danas next interview
Ray Finkle Says:
Jared Shaw is on youtube right now looking for his next poster boy.
Wiltzor Says:
How much cocaine was up Jared Shaw's nose during that interview with Ariel?
Frank Says:
A fluke would be if I was fighting Kimbo and he slipped on a banana peel and knocked himself out just as he was about to rend me limb from limb. What Kimbo did was give Petruzelli a golden opportunity and the "Silverback" had just enough skill to take advantage of it. Watching the fight again, I think half of the kids in my son's Muay Thai school would have gotten the same victory over Mr. Streetfighter. He's a completely unskilled brawler. Kimbo's drawing power went to less than zero in 14 seconds.
Dana White Says:
If you watch the video again, the ref clearly stopped the fight at the 4:50 mark, that is 10seconds my friends, not 14! where are people getting 14?
Toxic Says:
Kimbo is one of the fastest KOs ever in MMA... and thats using 14 seconds. You know who else is on the list twice? Thompson, who Kimbo only beat because of a bad stoppage.
Everyone else is no-name. I think I see a theme.
KIMBO'S PUBE BEARD Says:
I hope this puts an end to all this Kimbo Slice nonsense. What a turd.
Nate Double Says:
Is it just me or does it seem like Jared Shaw did a hefty trash bag full of coke before he did the interview?
average joe Says:
it amazed me today when a bunch of my freinds asked if i saw Kimbo get beat by some rookie/underdog.
poopiestick Says:
Kimbo might be an alright fighter someday, but he will surely still make more money than everyone else -- as long as he can compensate for that lack of a chin!
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