If there’s someone CM Punk should pay attention to, it’s Ken Shamrock.
When Shamrock was at the height of his WWE career; feuding with the likes of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, he’d already been a UFC Superfight champion (first one ever),and boasted a mixed martial arts record of 28-15.
With rumors of CM Punk’s first UFC fight to take place sometime in 2015 in the air, Shamrock offered Punk some advice during his appearance on the Wrestling News podcast:
“Well, first of all I would tell him to have fun. Don’t let the pressure of everybody saying you’ve got to produce. This is your first fight and I think they’re doing him right. I don’t think they’re going to do to him what they did to Brock and just throw him right into the top and have him fight for his life. I believe they’re going to give him someone the caliber of where he is right now and give him a chance to grow. I think it’s tremendous what he’s doing, my hat’s off to him… I think there shouldn’t be so much pressure on people who want to step out and try something because they come from somewhere else like pro wrestling. He built a huge name for himself, he’s a superstar and he’s taking all that he built and putting it on the line by jumping into the cage and to me that takes balls and my hat’s off to him. And anybody who says well that’s not really a smart business move, listen, you live one time. If there’s things you want to do in life, live your life man.”
Surprisingly to me, Shamrock would also go on to say how much more physically demanding pro wrestling was than actually fighting:
“There’s no question in my mind that my stint in the World Wrestling Federation was a lot tougher on me than my stint in MMA. That’s not to say that going into a fight is not tough on you because it is. But I was good. I mean I felt at home in that ring. I didn’t sustain too many damages when I was actually fighting. Most of them came in training. I really believed with my experience that it was a lot tougher on me having to get up day to day and go out there and take 10, 15, 20 bumps seven, eight or ten days in a row. It was tough.”
Interesting. I would’ve definetly believed the UFC was more taxing on the body. But, when you think about the many stunts and dangerous falls WWE athletes undertake; it does make sense.
The interview in it’s enteriety can be found below:
[h/t USA Today, Wrestlezone]