Report: Slice-Thompson Set for CBS

Another action packed match-up for EliteXC. As much as people talk about Kimbo needing a good test, I for one think that Gary Shaw and company are playing this perfectly. I mean this is Kimbo’s 3rd professional fight after all. I’m a die-hard MMA fan, and I’m definitely a Kimbo fan. Should make for a great 1st CBS main event.

Ssshhhhh, I think I just heard glass shattering.  Oh wait, that’s just James Thompson’s chin shattering.  Must have been shaving.

I agree that a fighter with just 2 sanctioned fights should be allowed to be built up. But the problem lies in EliteXC shoving the guy down our throats. How many times during the Shamrock-Le event did I have to hear how Kimbo was an absolute superstar? They are the ones making him out to be unbeatable. So its only natural that fans want to see him against better competition. If you’re constantly being told what a superstar you are watching, you want to see him prove it.

I like Kimbo and still think he has a good future. But like many, as long as EliteXC continues to push him as this unbeatable monster, I want to see him prove it against better fighters.  Ron Waterman would have been a better choice.  A journeyman heavyweight, he has good ground skills and would give a test to Kimbo if the fight ever hit the ground with Waterman conscious!

This fight with the glass chinned Thompson will likely be over in less than a minute.  That’s not a main event.  Make it the co-main event and put Lawler-Smith as the main event.  That’s going to be a slugfest as well.

Lol, poor Thompson.

I love the fact though that they are billing him as an unbeatable monster, it’s pulling in tons of new fans. I think at this stage of MMA’s development, any exposure is good exposure especially now that MMA is as regulated as it is. Not a whole lot different than the early days of PRIDE. Granted I wasn’t in Japan to see exactly how they marketed it, but we all know how huge MMA is there today. Many of those guys weren’t much different than Kimbo coming straight out of pro-wrestling and into the fight game, perceived by many as larger-than-life warriors.

I agree though, being a bit more loyal to the sport of MMA would be nice too and making the Lawler/Smith fight the main event would do just that. Unfortunately Joe Schmoe has no clue who they are, and I’m sure EliteXC would like to stick around CBS for years to come. At this point, I’m willing to accept it any way they can get it done, and Shaw seems to be pulling all the right cards so far.