KIMBO DEBUTS IN MMA AGAINST MERCER
Posted on | April 6, 2007 | 1 Comment
Backyard Brawler Kimbo Slice vs. Boxer “Merciless” Ray Mercer Headlines CFFC 5
For generations the world heavyweight boxing champion has been called “The Baddest Man on the Planet.” No longer – on June 16th at CFFC 5 in Atlantic City, the baddest man on the planet will be crowned, when ‘Merciless’ Ray Mercer steps in the cage and fights Kimbo Slice.
Mercer, the US Olympic Gold medalist in 1988 and former WBO World Heavyweight Champion is coming off a four-win streak to step up to the CFFC Cage as the greatest boxer ever to enter MMA.
Kimbo is an equally formidable, even ominous figure, whose renown is a product of the Internet Age. In a series of videos that countless hundreds of thousands have downloaded online, Kimbo is shown in action straight from the pen of a Hollywood scriptwriter, except this could not be more real. In one fight after another Kimbo rains catastrophe on a series of contenders in bareknuckle bouts with thousands in cash on the line. The weaker ones are lucky – they go out early. The tougher they are, the deeper the damage. The truly tough go to the hospital, and stay.
Says CFFC Matchmaker Gary Marino: “I’ve been working on trying to get Kimbo a fight for the last year. Ray Mercer showed up at CFFC 3 and indicated he wanted to enter MMA. To anyone who doubts that this fight will be history in the making, I have two words, ‘google Kimbo.'”
Partisans on both sides are claiming their champion will dominate. It is true that the sport of Mixed Martial Arts has never seen striking at the level of Ray Mercer’s. And it is true that Kimbo is nightmarishly skilled and athletic. Too Kimbo has been training tirelessly at Miami’s famed Freestyle Fighting Academy. But Mercer has a background in wrestling. The only sure bet is that the winner will be the fans.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was created to determine the superior form of fighting, in front of the eyes of the world. It has since evolved into a hybrid sport, with only subtle differences in style. In a throwback to the Golden Age of MMA, this epic contest is the street versus the ring, in a cage, answering who wins, the street fighter or the prizefighter? You would have to go back to the 19th Century, to The Great John L.Sullivan, the founding figure of boxing in the USA, to find a real fight of this stature.
The card will also feature two title bouts, and six other exciting matchups. If you love fighting, and want to be a part of history, be there on June 16 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey as the referee says “You ready? You ready? LET’S RUN THIS!”
KEY LINKS:
RAY MERCER:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Mercer
http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php/Boxer:Ray_Mercer:001620
KIMBO SLICE:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimbo_Slice
http://www.touchgloves.com/news/2007/03/kimbo_slice_interview_with_tou.html