It’s been years since the “World’s Most Dangerous Man” competed in a WWE ring, but Ken Shamrock recently made it known that he wouldn’t mind stepping foot into that ring one more time.
What makes it more surprising is who he would like to face.
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Shamrock recently spoke to Wrestling Inc. about his career and made it known that a return match in WWE is something that he has been seeking by planting seeds along the way.
“I have tried to toss that little seed out there for a while [a match between him and Angle]. Kurt has always been that guy to have wanted to create the opportunity when he was wrestling, but for whatever reason it never happened,” Shamrock said. “A guy who actually brought it in versus a guy who brought it in and thought he made it better, so we can find out who the real submission artist is.”
Shamrock became one of the most successful crossover stars to professional wrestling in the 1990s when the WWE brought him from the UFC as a special enforcer for the Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin submission match at WrestleMania 13, a match which many believe to be the greatest WrestleMania contest of all time.
It has to be noted just how big of a star Shamrock was in those days. When it comes to early MMA in the United States, Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Royce Gracie were the big names. Severn also later joined the WWE.
Following WrestleMania 13, Shamrock continued training for a pro wrestling career (notably with the help of Bret Hart) and entered the ring shortly thereafter. By the summer of 1997, Shamrock became a mainstay in a WWE ring. He went on to become Intercontinental Champion, a Tag Team Champion, and he also won the 1998 King of the Ring tournament.
Shamrock left the WWE in late 1999, less than three years after his career there had began. He was written off television after a feud with Jericho and never returned. It was at that time that he went on to resume his MMA career, notably with Pride and eventually once again with the UFC.
As far as professional wrestling goes, Shamrock did wrestle for TNA Impact Wrestling during the company’s early days in 2002 and 2004, even winning the world title there, while also working a couple matches for NJPW in 2003. Since that time, he has made a few spot appearances for a couple independent wrestling promotions but has not returned to the ring since a match with Jimmy Jacobs at an independent show in 2009.
[H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the interview]
