JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On the latest episode of Going Ringside we talk to legendary fighter Ken Shamrock. Shamrock has started the fighting promotion Valor B.K. (Bare Knuckle). The fights focus on bare knuckle fighting as opposed to UFC which uses gloves.
Valor B.K. is hosting its first fight since before the pandemic at the University of North Florida on Oct. 27. Tickets are still available.
“It’s true bare knuckle,” said Shamrock. “I went back in the earlier days and thought the gloves they put on protects the fighters. That’s actually not true. It’s actually more dangerous to put a glove on somebody and hit them a hundred more times. You have to be more accurate so you don’t damage your hands.”
Shamrock said much of the fighting he did in the late 1980′s and 1990′s was bare knuckle and no rules in early UFC where he became one of the first big stars.
Shamrock said many of the fighters at the event are local and the rest are from around Florida. He said fans will be able to be up close to the fight unlike modern-day UFC where there’s separation between the actual fight and fans.
Shamrock attempted to start Valor B.K. a few years ago and hosted a fight in South Dakota, then the pandemic happened. That delayed the roll out of Valor and he had to re-assess what his business options were. So as the pandemic wore on Shamrock started looking at Jacksonville and eventually decided Northeast Florida was the best option to re-start Valor.
During the interview Shamrock also talks pro wrestling where he also gained a lot of notoriety in the 1990′s. You’ll want to hear what he has to say on stars like Shawn Michaels, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and even Mike Tyson.
At the end of the episode we speak with an independent filmmaker from Texas who now has gotten into the business of creating wrestling promo videos for independent wrestlers. He’s worked with wrestlers like Lance Archer and describes what it takes to put together a good promo for a new wrestler.