A couple nights back I started writing the blog below, but decided not to finish it as I was not 100% sold on the idea that Kimbo Slice was a pop culture phenomena that warranted a blog. 2 days later I have seen him on ESPN for an interview and on Yahoo.com’s front page. I am now 100% sold and have finished my blog below.
Over the past few years MMA (mixed martial arts), has steadily gained traction with the US public as a viable sports entertainment option. UFC reality shows achieved good ratings and was subsequently aided by Chuck Lidell’s rise to fame.
While the UFC has steadily risen from obscurity, lurking and incubating has been the internet phenomena that is Kimbo Slice.
I first heard of Kimbo Slice a year and a half ago at my fantasy football draft. Usually considered to be someone “in the know”, the name Kimbo Slice was new to me but one that 2/3 of my friends knew well.
Kimbo Slice fought in a series of unsanctioned back yard brawls in the Miami area. All the fight footage can be found on youtube or by googling his name. In all but one of his fights the massively big and grizzly looking Slice knocks out his opponents with due diligence.His one loss is a 10 minute epic war in which he succumbs to a Boston policeman.
In short, Slice is a modern day big and black version of Lionheart who has been harnessed by the internet and in particular youtube. Oh and by the way Slice also moonlights as a body guard for a handful of internet porn sites under the Reality Kings brand.
As interest snowballed into the giant, an effort to take the Kimbo to the mainstream was unfolded. A couple months back Kimbo took on ex heavy weight boxing champ, Ray Mercer in both of their first sanctioned MMA fight. In reality this was a pushover opponent as Mercer was just picking up a paycheck and had enough star power to warrant the purchase of the Pay Per View.
Next on tap was Tank Abbot, a former UFC champion, well past his glory days. I didn’t circle the date on my calendar as I am not a MMA enthusiast by any stretch of the imagination. However flipping through the channels 2 nights back, I was surprised to find that this highly anticipated fight was actually on my normal package of channels which includes Showtime.
Slice destroyed Abbot and was unveiled to his largest audience yet. The room lit up for his fight and chants of Kimbo could be heard before, during, and after the fight.
So what’s next? Both Kimbo and his handlers probably know, he is not an elite fighter and one capable of sustaining a successful career in MMA. However every fight he wins, adds to his appeal regardless of his opponent. People like Kimbo’s story of a mysterious behemoth man who made his name on the streets, without the pedigree and tuteledge of most MMA fighters.
My best guess is that Kimbo will continue fighting a mix of guys who have name appeal but are either too old, too small, too weak, or too apathetic to put up a fight. Kimbo’s legend will continue to grow until one day Kimbo falls short of victory to a seasoned fighter who is not in their forties.
Until then look for him on ESPN doing interviews, his BET reality show, or on Yahoo Sports features.
