Tyson fight or no, Kimbo is no freakshow

Slice shares the same intimidating look and powerful punching, but his vehicle to stardom was the Internet video-sharing site, YouTube.

And while Slice struggles to be taken seriously as a mixed martial artist, calls are increasing for the pulverizing punchers of past and present to meet in a cage. Slices promoter, Gary Shaw, said hes not encouraging such talk, given that Tyson is retired and hasnt fought in three years.

But Shaw said he owes it to Slice to consider the bout if Tyson, who appears to weigh nearly 300 pounds and hasnt had a win in more than five years, would agree to it.

Call it a freak show or a circus or whatever you want, but it would be the most-watched pay-per-view event ever, Shaw said.

Theres little doubt of Slices importance to Elite XC, the mixed martial arts promotional company that Shaw runs.

On the most important card in mixed martial arts history, its almost irrelevant what middleweight champion Robbie Lawler does. Or his challenger, Scott Smith. Or what all but one of the other athletes who will compete in the Elite XC show on May 31 at the Prudential Center may do.

The success or failure of that show, and, perhaps with it, the company, will depend upon the performance of Slice. He is in the main event of the live first MMA show to be broadcast on network television for a reason.

Hes there, fighting James Thompson, because of the 2,065,443 views the nine-minute video, The Best of Kimbo Slice, got on YouTube.

Hes there because of the 2,163,315 who went to the site to watch his bare knuckles street fight with a guy known only as Adryan.

Hes there because of the 2,313,241 who saw him lose his only one of these types of bouts to a Boston policeman, Sean Gannon.

If only those people who have watched Slices backyard fights on the Internet tune in to watch him tear apart Thompson on CBS on May 31, it will go a long way toward stabilizing Elite XC and establishing it as a viable alternative to the UFC.

Elite XC has been bleeding money and conceded in a recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission that it has lost in excess of $27 million in little more than a year. It may not, it admits in the filing, have the money to make it through the year.

Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, is the one person who can reverse that. If he brings the more than 10 million sets of eyeballs who viewed his street fights on YouTube to CBS, it could change the landscape on the MMA scene.

Both Slice and Elite XC are in awkward positions, though. Hes an extraordinarily powerful puncher, but he is only in the infancy of his days as a mixed martial artist. It takes years to become a competent and well-rounded mixed martial artist and Slice still has much work to do.

Thats why hes been fed a series of tomato cans since turning professional. In his first bout with Elite XC, he fought Bo Cantrell, who was so intimidated he was tapping, it seemed, when Slice gave him a dirty look. He was then matched with early UFC brawling legend Tank Abbott, who had won exactly one fight in 10 years and had been routinely knocked out early.

Most matchmakers have the luxury of developing their quality prospects slowly and exposing them to a variety of styles. But Slice was a headliner from his first day in MMA, which changes the way he has to be matched.

There is an it factor that some guys have and some dont, and Kimbo has it, promoter Gary Shaw said. Oscar De La Hoya has it. He is still a superstar, even though he doesnt have superstar skills any more. Tyson has it. When Tyson walks into an arena, the place still erupts. Ive been to a high-class steakhouse with Kimbo and Ive seen it.

People, not just the young kids, all stand up and say, Kimbo! Hey, theres Kimbo!

You could take most of the best fighters in the world and have them walk into a place like that and the maître d would say, OK, well have a table for you in 40 minutes. Kimbo is a superstar right now, and hes only going to get bigger.

The problem is that Slice is being treated like a curiosity more than a developing athlete. Shaw spent much of the last few days answering questions about whether hed pair Slice with Tyson and Eric Butterbean Esch, a 400-pounder whose shtick was being billed as The King of the Four-Rounders, rather than about whether hed pair him with a competent and trained MMA fighter.

Tyson has never trained in MMA, hasnt boxed since June 22, 2005, and hasnt won a fight in more than five years. He looks like he weighs close to 300 pounds and only recently got out of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.

Asking a promoter if hed want his fighter to face Tyson is like asking a 20-something male if hed like to date Scarlett Johansson. Well, duh!

A fight with Tyson would mean huge money, but it would be more carnival act than serious competition.

And Elite XC needs to steer Slice away from the carnival act side of the business and convince a skeptical public that hes a real fighter.

His highly regarded trainer, former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten, believes that he is. Rutten said he hopes Thompson can push Slice in the May 31 bout so he can gauge where he is.

But Rutten said he believes Slice could be ready for top 10-type fighters as soon as perhaps two or three more bouts.

Were building a fighter here, and were building a fighter who is going to be very formidable before not too long, Rutten said. Hes worked extremely hard. He was a hard puncher when I first saw him, but hes improved his striking greatly. His footwork, his reach and his torque are all greatly improved.

Hes working on his submissions. Thats the area hes most green, but hes learning. People said I was just a striker, but more than half of my wins were by submission. It can be learned. Hes already very good with his takedown defenses and his escapes and reversals are surprisingly good.

There are critics, to be sure. UFC president Dana White bemoaned the fact that Slice will headline on CBS during a conference call on Thursday. White said he wanted to make certain that when MMA first appeared on network television, it was with fighters who upheld the sports image and traditions.

He said his worst fears are being imagined as Elite XC parades Slice out front and center.

To have CBS, a big network like that, move forward with a guy like Kimbo Slice headlining it, theres no secret thats what I tried to stay away from, White said. Kimbo Slice isnt a mixed martial artist. This guy was fighting in your backyard three months ago and now hes going to be headlining on CBS. Personally, I think it sucks.

Slice eschews the notion he doesnt belong in the national spotlight. Hes been cast in some corners as a hoodlum, but shrugs off the portrayals as inaccurate.

He is, he insists, serious about becoming a complete MMA fighter and not just a guy who can capitalize on a gangster image.

I dont live a thug life, Slice told the Ventura County Star. We go to church on Sundays spend family time together. I dont portray a thug image.

And he shouldnt be portrayed as a sideshow fighter, which is how fights with men such as Tyson and Butterbean, would cast him.

Hell have a short shelf life if thats how hes matched. The hard-core fans will always be captivated, but the general public who, as Rutten says, have no idea who Fedor Emelianenko is, will soon move to other things.

But if Rutten is correct and Slice can become one of the worlds elite heavyweights, hell not only save Elite XC, but he also can play a pivotal role in legitimizing MMA to the masses.

Matchmaking for Slice is critical.

We dont want him to be treated like a circus act, because hes not, Rutten said. Hes a legitimate fighter who is working extremely hard I mean as hard as anyone Ive ever seen and who is getting better so quickly. Kimbo is a nice, respectful person to everyone he meets and hes taking the sport super seriously. He deserves that same kind of respect in return.