Here's video of Kimbo Slice's pro boxing debut last night in Miami, Oklahoma, where he knocks out James Wade in just a few seconds:
I will avoid criticizing Kimbo's..."technique," but I will say two things:
- I have no doubt that this fight was on the up-and-up. Some people assume it was rigged or whatever, but I don't see it. I just don't. There would be no reason to stage a fight with James Wade (0-2, 39 years old, cruiserweight).
- Kimbo Slice has about a 0.07% chance of ever being a legitimate heavyweight boxer of any worth.
Jared Shaw says that Kimbo's next fight will be on October 15. I don't really care, because right down to the core of this whole thing, it's pure business. Shaw is truly promoting Slice, I'll give him that, and it's because he has to. Everyone knows there's no great upside here. Kimbo is old, his knees are shot, and he's not going to be a real factor. But there is that chance that they can turn him into something of a circus act (I don't mean that quite as badly as it sounds, because it's been done a million times) who can make some bank in one big fight at some point. I don't think there's a great chance of it happening, but it could happen. If they stick Kimbo in with even a low-end type of halfway credible heavyweight, I think he'll absolutely lose. I just don't think he's good enough. But he's marketable, and they're starting him off right. If they can let him fight eight bums and land him a big fight, that would be perfect for everyone involved.