Will Torelli(Ken Shamrock) take out Slice or will Kimbo KO “The World’s Most Dangerous Man”????

He’s still called Vince Torelli in some circles that are squared and if you go back to the old NAWA and South Atlantic League wrestling days with men like NJM, all of the ring set-up workers and turnbuckle hands still call Ken Shamrock, Vince Torelli. Shamrock has also been called “The World’s Most Dangerous Man”.

Torelli(Shamrock) takes on Kimbo Slice on Saturday night and here’s the spin from Mike Coughlin at Figure4OnLine.com:
“Can Ken Shamrock do it one last time?”

Ken Shamrock. He is perhaps the most singularly important North American mixed martial artist of all time. The first time the UFC boomed, Shamrock was in the middle of everything. The second time the UFC boomed, Shamrock was in the middle of everything. His early feud with Royce Gracie was one of the main storylines that helped the fledging Ultimate Fighting Championship become a hit. His most recent feud with Tito Ortiz was undeniably the beginning of the Zuffa-era UFC’s success. His first fight with Ortiz showed that there was an audience that would pay to watch MMA. His second fight with Ortiz set a then PPV buys record. His third fight with Ortiz set a then TV ratings record. Elite Xtreme Combat is hoping lightning will strike a third time.

Saturday night, Shamrock faces off with the only thing close to a proven draw EXC has, Kimbo Slice. At 3-0, but with his opponents having had more combined losses than wins, Slice is obviously more sizzle than steak. Long-term, a promotion hitching their wagon to a fighter that can’t deliver at a high level is a recipe for trouble. For EXC, worrying about the long-term is hardly a pressing concern. This is a company concerned about existing on Monday. For that reason, Shamrock v. Slice is the single best match the promotion could have booked.

No, neither guy can really fight. Kimbo’s a joke street fighter that barely got by an awful James Thompson. Shamrock hasn’t proven himself to be a real fighter in ages. Who cares? They’re both so crappy that this becomes an oddly competitive fight. Slice is younger and hits harder; the last five times Shamrock has stepped into the cage, he’s been TKO’d. Slice is still a neophyte to the game (particularly the ground game) and while Shamrock isn’t going to be pulling off a flying armbar anytime soon, he still does have a legitimate knowledge of submissions. What’s more, Shamrock’s specialty has been the usage of leglocks, notoriously the most difficult aspect of the submission game to learn. If you were to ask, “What kind of fighter is going to give Slice the most problems right now?” you might likely answer, “A slick submission guy.” If you were to ask, “What kind of fighter is going to give Shamrock the most problems right now?” you might likely answer, “A big guy that can hit really hard.”

Either guy can win, which is good. It’ll probably look kind of ugly, sloppy, and anything but the high-level of technique UFC fans have come to expect from a main-event. Eh. No big deal. It’s still competitive in its own weird way. The most intriguing matchups are those where you can make a case for either fighter winning. Ask yourself, what’s more interesting: Diego Sanchez v. Thiago Alves, or Anderson Silva v. Patrick Cote?

The real beauty of this fight is that no matter who gets their hand raised, EXC wins. The last time Slice fought, it was a gamble on the part of EXC. If Thompson had defeated Slice (and boy did he come close), the promotion’s biggest star would’ve been beaten by a joke. Things are different this time around. If Slice wins, great! He got himself a win over an MMA legend. Hardcore fans know it doesn’t mean anything, and casual fans might deep down feel it isn’t that impressive, but it’s still a win over Ken Shamrock on national TV. Slice looks more legitimate and EXC’s magic goose lives to lay one more golden egg. If Shamrock wins, no big deal. He’s rejuvenated his career, beating a big name. Most importantly, a Shamrock win sets up a potential big money fight with his brother, Frank. Ok, it probably won’t happen because this is the same promotion that never did a thing with the Diaz-Noons encounter, but imagine the buzz if Ken went out there and tapped Kimbo, only to be confronted by a brash Frank. They jaw-jack, maybe a little shoving ensues, and millions upon millions of people just saw Cain and Able play out in the year 2008. If it’s good enough for the Bible, it’s good enough for EXC. I don’t think it’s quite Chuck Liddell v. Tito Ortiz 2, but it’s probably the biggest non-UFC main-event available to a promotion.

And, hey, the rest of this Saturday’s card looks really good too. Ninja Rua v. Benji Radach has no reason to be bad. Jake Shields and Paul Kelly are both excellent at their respective disciplines, and I’d expect the winner to look dominant. Andrei Arlovski takes on the under-the-radar, but still dangerous, Roy Nelson – a fight provided by Affliction, marking perhaps the beginning of a strategic alliance between the two promotions. And finally, Gina Carano fights Kelly Kobold-Gavin. The one rule that seems almost absolute these days is that whenever the women fight, especially Carano, the bout tends to steal the show.

Nine of the 10 fighters who will compete on “CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights” this Saturday at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., attended Wednesday’s final pre-fight news conference.

The third installment of CBS’s primetime mixed martial arts event will be broadcast from 9-11 p.m. on CBS.

The televised lineup: Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson vs. Ken Shamrock (heavyweights); EliteXC 170-pound champion Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley; Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy “Big Country” Nelson (heavyweights); Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobald (140 pounds); and Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Benji Radach (middleweights)