Nicky
15-01-2005, 09:32
The following is an interview that Ken Shamrock recently did with Boxing Insider. Here's what Shamrock had to say (interview by Ken Pishna):
BI: It's good to talk with you again Ken. Last time we talked, you were looking at opportunities to fight in Japan, possibly even on one of the big New Year's shows. Obviously that didn't happen, but what's the story behind that? Was there much interest from K-1 and Pride?
Shamrock: Absolutely. It was just the problem of trying to get things put together on such short notice, but there definitely was interest from both Pride and K-1. So, we'll see what happens. At the same time, the UFC and Dana White have shown interest in maybe doing a multi-fight deal with me. There are a lot of things on the table, but nothing is for certain.
BI: Currently you have one fight left on your present contract with the UFC?
Shamrock: Yeah, and then my contract is up. So, we're just waiting to see if the UFC is interested in doing a longer term deal with me, adding a couple of fights on or if Pride or K-1 is interested in doing something. At this point in time, I think the UFC and Dana White have expressed an interest in doing something in the longer term. Obviously with me being from the UFC and helping create the UFC, it would be nice to stay here and keep fighting. But at the same time, there's still Japan out there and I've been fighting over there for years. There are a lot of opportunities out there for me and I'm going to pick the best one for me.
BI: I think that's one thing that you've shown over time, is that you're very loyal to the UFC. But by the same token, it's been a little tough because there are only so many marquee matchups for you, like the Tito Ortiz fight at UFC 40. I know you've wanted to get back in there with Tito since that fight. Why hasn't that fight happened? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn’t there a rematch clause attached to that fight regardless of who won or lost?
Shamrock: Yeah, there was. There was supposed to be a rematch between me and Tito Ortiz. Through this whole time, even after he fought me, he said that I wasn't that strong, that I was weak, I wasn't that good, the injury I had was bull crap, he could beat me on my best day... basically just punking me. And I had to eat it because he beat me... and I did. No excuses, I never made any excuses. But at the same time, he keeps running his mouth and keeps saying, "He's no problem, he really doesn't want to fight me. He's just talking."
In reality, Dana White called me three days ago and said, "Ken, I got this great deal man. It's a great opportunity. There are some big things that are going to happen and I'd like to have you and Tito Ortiz fight."
I said, "This is something that I have been waiting for for a very, very long time and I am glad that you are going to put this together. So, whatever you need me to do, I will do it."
Dana White calls me back two days later and says, "Tito Ortiz doesn't want to fight you. He won't fight."
Then I guess that Joe Silva called him and Tito said, "Well, it's going to take a stupid amount of money for me to fight Ken."
BI: Do you really think it's just a manner of money to Tito?
Shamrock: He is running from me. The guy will not fight me. He saw when I fought Kimo. I knocked him out. You saw him stuttering on interviews, "Well, it looks like Ken's back." The guy could hardly talk. He knows I'm back, he knows that I have no injuries, and he knows that I'm very healthy. He knows that if he steps in the ring with me, I'm going to beat him down.
BI: Tell us how you really feel Ken.
Shamrock: This is something I'm saying to Tito Ortiz: I... am... punkin'... you! You have backed out of this fight that Dana White had set up. You have backed out after all of the trash talking that you have done and I have not replied to it, whatsoever, because you won the last fight. But it's now time for you to step up and back up all the trash that you've been talking and now you are punkin' out! Tito Ortiz... I am telling you... you have just been punked!
BI: Wow! I guess you do want this fight?
Shamrock: Yeah!
BI: So when Dana White proposed this fight, it wasn't contingent upon the outcome of Tito's fight at UFC 51 with Vitor Belfort?
Shamrock: No, because it doesn't matter to me whether Tito loses or wins. It's me. It's something I need to fix with me. I know when I went in and fought him the first time... no excuses, I've never made any excuses, but I'm tired of listening to Tito Ortiz talk his trash. He talks the talk, but now he's not going to walk the walk. He beat me the first time; no question, I give him that. But then he kept talking trash about me and he keeps talking trash. And now that the fight can happen, he won't fight, but he’s going to keep talking trash. So now it's my turn to talk trash.
BI: So, do you think that he’ll eventually step up?
Shamrock: He will not take this fight. Like I said, if he doesn't take this fight, I will always, always be the one that punked Tito Ortiz out!
BI: If this fight does not happen, where does Ken Shamrock go from here?
Shamrock: I don't know, we'll just have to wait and see. They brought the name Tito Ortiz to me and I jumped out of my seat thinking "Wow! It's great. It's going to happen." In reality, I've always known in the back of my mind that Tito Ortiz knows what I'm about. Even though he fought the Ken Shamrock before, he really knows that I've got more. I'm not sure that he wants to see that, but that's fine. If he can live with the fact that I've been calling him out and he doesn't accept this call out, then he has to live with that. Every time that they talk about Tito Ortiz, I'm going to say, "I punked him!" He's just been punked!
BI: It's good to talk with you again Ken. Last time we talked, you were looking at opportunities to fight in Japan, possibly even on one of the big New Year's shows. Obviously that didn't happen, but what's the story behind that? Was there much interest from K-1 and Pride?
Shamrock: Absolutely. It was just the problem of trying to get things put together on such short notice, but there definitely was interest from both Pride and K-1. So, we'll see what happens. At the same time, the UFC and Dana White have shown interest in maybe doing a multi-fight deal with me. There are a lot of things on the table, but nothing is for certain.
BI: Currently you have one fight left on your present contract with the UFC?
Shamrock: Yeah, and then my contract is up. So, we're just waiting to see if the UFC is interested in doing a longer term deal with me, adding a couple of fights on or if Pride or K-1 is interested in doing something. At this point in time, I think the UFC and Dana White have expressed an interest in doing something in the longer term. Obviously with me being from the UFC and helping create the UFC, it would be nice to stay here and keep fighting. But at the same time, there's still Japan out there and I've been fighting over there for years. There are a lot of opportunities out there for me and I'm going to pick the best one for me.
BI: I think that's one thing that you've shown over time, is that you're very loyal to the UFC. But by the same token, it's been a little tough because there are only so many marquee matchups for you, like the Tito Ortiz fight at UFC 40. I know you've wanted to get back in there with Tito since that fight. Why hasn't that fight happened? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn’t there a rematch clause attached to that fight regardless of who won or lost?
Shamrock: Yeah, there was. There was supposed to be a rematch between me and Tito Ortiz. Through this whole time, even after he fought me, he said that I wasn't that strong, that I was weak, I wasn't that good, the injury I had was bull crap, he could beat me on my best day... basically just punking me. And I had to eat it because he beat me... and I did. No excuses, I never made any excuses. But at the same time, he keeps running his mouth and keeps saying, "He's no problem, he really doesn't want to fight me. He's just talking."
In reality, Dana White called me three days ago and said, "Ken, I got this great deal man. It's a great opportunity. There are some big things that are going to happen and I'd like to have you and Tito Ortiz fight."
I said, "This is something that I have been waiting for for a very, very long time and I am glad that you are going to put this together. So, whatever you need me to do, I will do it."
Dana White calls me back two days later and says, "Tito Ortiz doesn't want to fight you. He won't fight."
Then I guess that Joe Silva called him and Tito said, "Well, it's going to take a stupid amount of money for me to fight Ken."
BI: Do you really think it's just a manner of money to Tito?
Shamrock: He is running from me. The guy will not fight me. He saw when I fought Kimo. I knocked him out. You saw him stuttering on interviews, "Well, it looks like Ken's back." The guy could hardly talk. He knows I'm back, he knows that I have no injuries, and he knows that I'm very healthy. He knows that if he steps in the ring with me, I'm going to beat him down.
BI: Tell us how you really feel Ken.
Shamrock: This is something I'm saying to Tito Ortiz: I... am... punkin'... you! You have backed out of this fight that Dana White had set up. You have backed out after all of the trash talking that you have done and I have not replied to it, whatsoever, because you won the last fight. But it's now time for you to step up and back up all the trash that you've been talking and now you are punkin' out! Tito Ortiz... I am telling you... you have just been punked!
BI: Wow! I guess you do want this fight?
Shamrock: Yeah!
BI: So when Dana White proposed this fight, it wasn't contingent upon the outcome of Tito's fight at UFC 51 with Vitor Belfort?
Shamrock: No, because it doesn't matter to me whether Tito loses or wins. It's me. It's something I need to fix with me. I know when I went in and fought him the first time... no excuses, I've never made any excuses, but I'm tired of listening to Tito Ortiz talk his trash. He talks the talk, but now he's not going to walk the walk. He beat me the first time; no question, I give him that. But then he kept talking trash about me and he keeps talking trash. And now that the fight can happen, he won't fight, but he’s going to keep talking trash. So now it's my turn to talk trash.
BI: So, do you think that he’ll eventually step up?
Shamrock: He will not take this fight. Like I said, if he doesn't take this fight, I will always, always be the one that punked Tito Ortiz out!
BI: If this fight does not happen, where does Ken Shamrock go from here?
Shamrock: I don't know, we'll just have to wait and see. They brought the name Tito Ortiz to me and I jumped out of my seat thinking "Wow! It's great. It's going to happen." In reality, I've always known in the back of my mind that Tito Ortiz knows what I'm about. Even though he fought the Ken Shamrock before, he really knows that I've got more. I'm not sure that he wants to see that, but that's fine. If he can live with the fact that I've been calling him out and he doesn't accept this call out, then he has to live with that. Every time that they talk about Tito Ortiz, I'm going to say, "I punked him!" He's just been punked!