Ken Shamrock says he’s not trying to adapt to today’s style of wrestling, he wants to change the sport the same way he did when he first broke in with WWE.
Shamrock recently spoke with Wrestlezone’s Bill Pritchard ahead of IMPACT Wrestling’s TV tapings in New York City and was asked if he is looking to change up his skill set to adapt to today’s ever-changing style of wrestling. Shamrock spoke to the contrary and said he was looking to make everyone adapt to him just like he did when first transitioning from MMA to WWF more than 20 years ago. Shamrock says he helped usher in the era of tap outs and more submissions in wrestling and he wants to help do the same thing in a new era with IMPACT.
“I’ve always blazed my own trail, changed wrestling, changed MMA. You think about when I went into WWF, there were no tap outs, no one locking in submission holds. I brought that in. I didn’t have to adjust to them, they adjusted to me. It was really a style that I basically created. I have the opportunity now to do the same thing with IMPACT. I have a certain type of style,” Shamrock said, “and I believe that it will go with the type of things they’re doing today. I will use counters and submission skills I’ve learned over my lifetime to counter pro-wrestling moves. That’s what I did in WWF and it got over. You see wrestling now, it’s changed because I was there. I changed the way people look at submissions and look at tap outs. I have the opportunity to do the same thing at IMPACT, use the moves I’ve learned over the years to adapt it into IMPACT Wrestling.”
The past few years have seen an increase in more UWFi and Pancrase style matches and events like Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport. Shamrock says he’s looking to bring that same style to IMPACT Wrestling and says he’s ready to put the professional wrestling world on notice.
“That’s something that I will be doing. I will be doing that kind of wrestling in IMPACT. With Moose I did some things there because I was getting back on TV, getting in front of people. I wanted to be able to make a statement that I feel great, but I can’t do the things I used to do,” Shamrock said. “I wanted to make a statement that when I came back and I felt good, I’m here to put the wrestling world on notice and I’m coming for the belt. I wanted people to know that I’m not a half-speed or three-quarters speed. I’m at full speed, and I’m not just saying that I’m doing it.”
When asked why he thinks there’s more crossover and why so many MMA fighters are interested in wrestling now, Shamrock said he thinks it’s all about staying competitive. He said pro wrestling gives MMA fighters another avenue for success and a career, and they can take all the things they learned in the MMA world and apply them in the wrestling ring.
