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Former WWE wrestler Bobby Lashley and MMA legend Ken Shamrock

March Badness – pro boxing/MMA PPV March 21^st in Pensacola, Florida.

This past weekend – March 21^st former WWE pro wrestler Bobby Lashley was scheduled to face MMA legend Ken Shamrock, a fight with huge crossover appeal for fans of both mixed martial and professional wrestling. Shamrock the aging MMA competitor had bulked up in weight to fight Lashley in the MMA headline heavyweight clash. What made this event even more important is the idea of combining bouts of MMA alongside boxing. This was no small time card – Eight-time world boxing champion Roy Jones Jr was right at the top of the bill against 4-time world title challenger Omar Sheika for this mammoth boxing and MMA event.

Bobby Lashley had an opponent all ready to face him on March 21^st - Ken Shamrock but it wasn’t to be. Seeing as the legendary fighter had managed to gain such a large amount of muscle mass it was no little surprise at his age Shamrock would fail a test for performance enhancement drug Steroids. Shamrock is known as a light heavyweight competitor and needed to gain a lot of muscle in stepping up against huge heavyweight Lashley. This incident has got to taint the future of Shamrock’s career inside the cage or ring of MMA competition. Shamrock is clearly past his prime but the fact is he still has the pulling power to sell tickets and PPV buys. Ken is a recognised icon of the sport having been a part of the first UFC shows. He seriously ought to reconsider what his future is in MMA but you cannot blame him continuing to fight when he is able to earn big bucks plus he each time he is helping get over his opponent and make a name for the promotion that books him.

Back to March Badness and the search was on for Shamrock’s replacement. So who would replace Shamrock? The replacement was Jason Guida, brother of popular UFC contracted fighter Clay Guida. Not an MMA fighter with Shamrock’s star status but a good mixed martial artist by all accounts to face 3-time NCAA champion Bobby Lashley.

With a relatively short build up to their fight things got heated between the pairing in the press conference promoting the show. Guida took a verbal pop shot at Lashley dissing his credentials as a real fighter being known as a former WWE pro wrestler. What he seemed to be forgetting is like the other MMA monster and former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar, Lashley boasts a successful amateur wrestling background as 4-time All-America wrestler at Missouri Valley College and was a 2-time Armed Forces Champion and 2002 Military Games Championship silver medalist. This man is THE REAL DEAL! Don’t be fooled into believing he is a black Hulk Hogan, Lashley is the black Brock Lesnar!

Having just one round of MMA experience Lashley gained himself 3 more rounds of experience winning the fight on a unanimous decision from the judges. Tough veteran Jason Guida nearly snatched victory in the third round sinching in a guillotine choke but it wasn’t Guida’s night as the much stronger and bigger Bobby Lashley powered out of the hold.

So second MMA fight for Lashley and another victory in the bag. It will be interesting to see who he fights next as his MMA career gains momentum, I just hope we have the opportunity to see it on telly in the UK next time.

Here are all the results:

MMA

-Jeff Monson def. Roy Nelson by Unanimous Decision

-Bobby Lashley def. Jason Guida by Unanimous Decision

-Dennis Hallman def. Danny Ruiz by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:50, R1

-James Freeman def. John Mowry by KO (Punch) at 2:38, R1

-Din Thomas def. Gabe Lemley by TKO (Knee) at 4:13, R1

BOXING

-Roy Jones Jr. def. Omar Sheika by TKO at 1:45, R5

(Jones wins vacant NABO light heavyweight title)

-B.J. Flores def. Jose Luis Herrera by Unanimous Decision

(Flores wins vacant NABO junior heavyweight title)

-Kelvin Price def. Kevin Howard by Majority Decision

-Richmond Dalphone def. Eric Clinton by Unanimous Decision

-Kieyon Bussey def. Robert DaLuz by Majority Decision