(For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not, no explanation will do. PicProps: CombatLifestyle)

As it stands, the Potato has what you might call in the parlance of the fight game a “verbal agreement” in place to have Shonie Carter on an upcoming episode of The Bum Rush. So far it’s just been a matter of getting our schedules to mesh. When it happens and we get Mr. International live on the air you can damn sure bet we’re going to get to the bottom of this little tidbit: Recently retired, it now appears that Carter wants to take his singular talents to the world of professional wrestling. At least that’s what he told Old Dad on Wednesday in an interview over on MMA Fighting.

"I want to go to the WWE … ," Carter says. "I’m coming to acknowledge the midlife crisis that a lot of guys go through where they get a Corvette and a hot blonde girlfriend with big boobs. I’ve just decided to do the WWE. Overtime, that will be my name. Overtime, because I work hard. I put that hard hat on, I bring a lunchbox, and I punch in. If you get in that ring with me, you better punch in too, because you’re going to be working overtime."

Phew, midlife crisis averted. Still, we can’t help but wonder: Wouldn’t it be possible for Shonie to go to WWE and get the hot blonde girlfriend with big boobs? Just sayin.

Carter publicly called it quits after a loss to a dude named Jeremy Knafo at Israeli Fighting Championships earlier this month. The defeat capped a stretch of five straight losses dating back to March of last year and Ls in eight of his last 10 overall. With a streak like that it should come as no surprise that the idea of retirement had crossed his mind a time or two. However, dude is an MMA fighter, so of course he’s going to hedge his bets a little bit.

"I’d been thinking about it," Carter says. "It’s just, I’m fed up with decision losses. I’m tired of younger fighters building their credibility on my name … It’s about a 90 percent or 95 percent chance I’m done. Matter of fact, (an organization in) Costa Rica offered me a world title fight. Then I thought about it and decided, I’ve had five losses in a row. I don’t want to be fighting for a title with five losses in a row. What does that say about the state of things? I’ve had world titles before. I want to do something else.

"If you even get an inkling of a rumor that I’m about to fight again, I’ll tell you this: it’s going to be financially worth it. I’ve paid my dues. I don’t need to keep beating my body up for the mere pittance I was getting offered."

Amen. Carter made his debut back in 1997 and amassed (at least) 82 fights, appeared on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show and fought three times inside the Octagon. He also brought pimp cups and snazzy suits to the game back when Muhammed Lawal was still in high school. Anymore, shit probably just isn’t worth it  for a 38 year old who committed his best athletic years to MMA before the sport ever blew up with the masses.

"I never made $1.6 million to fight like some champions we know about,” he says. “No, I did not get a Harley-Davidson. I don’t get to drink Gatorade for free. I don’t get to train in free Under Armour shirts. I don’t even have a magazine cover. I’ll never forget what MMA is or what it has done for me. I’ll do whatever I can for it to help the next generation. I’ll still train and I’ll still coach.

"I’ve had my great adventures. I went to Tiananmen Square, just because I was there. I was on the Great Wall before I knew ya’ll. You know? I fought in Tokyo. I wrestled a bear in Russia. It’s been beautiful."