[Brutenx]

March 20, 2007
MERCER VS. KIMBO

Former Heavyweight Boxing Champ to Take on Kimbo Slice
By Jim Genia



Kimbo Slice - Photo courtesy of Joe Cavallaro

Kimbo
(March 30th, New York City ) “Merciless” Ray Mercer, a former WBO heavyweight boxing champ and gold medalist in the 1988 Olympics, will take on bare-knuckle boxing and Internet legend Kimbo Slice in a three-round exhibition bout utilizing professional MMA rules at the Ca ge Fury Fighting Championship 5 show, said matchmaker Gary Marino today. Dubbed “Brawl at the Hall”, CFFC 5 will take place on June 16th at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey .

“I’m very, very excited,” said Marino. “I’ve been working on trying to get Kimbo a fight for the last year. He’s a great draw, and he’s got a huge following for his fights.” Marino added: “Ray Mercer was at the Ca ge Fury Fighting Championship 3 show and speculated that he’d like to try [MMA], and he called me a couple weeks ago asking me to get him a fight. It’s perfect for both guys, for their style and who they are. Kimbo’s a big banger and so is Mercer.”

Known for their heavy-hands and raw power, this will be the first time either man has fought under full MMA rules – though Slice purportedly has been training in the sport for some time now at Miami ’s Freestyle Fighting Academy . However, the former boxing champ, who lost his WBO belt to Wladimir Klitschko in 2002 before stepping into the ring for Japan’s K-1 promotion in 2004 and 2005, will likely enter the cage ready to defend the takedown should the need arise. Said Marino: “Ray Mercer told me he has a bit of a wrestling background, and he’s aware Kimbo has been training down in Florida . He’s been talking about MMA for a while now… so he’ll be prepared.”

With this bout, Mercer will become the highest-profile boxer to have taken the MMA plunge. “It’s very, very intriguing. I think it’s a fantastic fight,” said Marino. “Ray Mercer is definitely going to be the hardest hitter Kimbo has ever faced… I think if they both stand in front of each other, someone is definitely going to get knocked out.”





http://www.fcfighter.com/news

[Brutenx]

Go Merciless! and KO Kimbo in 1, this is a must watch fight!!

[Kolchak]

I feel bad that Ray felt he has had to go into in kickboxing and now MMA when he is and will always be a boxer.

[Kid McCoy]

A cousin of Professional Emmanuel Augustus, Kimbo is obviously familiar with Boxing, and I’ve read where they have been trying to get him to focus on a career in the pros but that he won’t commit.
In order to do that, however, Kimbo would have to improve that cardio of his quite a bit.

We’ve all (most of us, anyway) seen his fights, and the two things that stand out are A) He boxers when he fights, and nothing else, and that B) the quality of his opponents has been absolutely rock bottom, as in, so far below the level of the lowest licensed boxers it can hardly be put to words.
Byrd Watkins, Afro Puff, Big Mac, Adryan, The Bouncer, Rasta, and even Sean Gannon, who beat Kimbo, would have difficulty getting licensed.

And speaking of getting licensed…….
At 46, “Mercy-on-Me” Ray Mercer has very little left in terms of fighting prowess.
He was already an ‘old man’ by the time he went to the Olympics way, way back in 1988….twenty years ago.
That was a long time ago, and today, in his mid forties and suffering from what has been described as degenerative liver decease, Mercer has not shown anything even close to old form since being effortlessly blasted out by Wladamir Klitschko a whopping 5 years ago, during which time he’s gone just 4-2, not counting his outrageously half hearted forays into K-1 against superstars Musashi and Bonjaski.


So….We know that Kimbo’s got next to nothing compared to a full-time, real pro, and we have to suspect that Mercer at this point might be in the same boat, which I guess is something that we’ll find out about.

So…..We’d just be looking for big shots, and It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top, in a sick sort of way.

Never thought I’d say it, but I’m rooting for Mercer, in the name of professionalism.

Hey….That’s how a *****’ eat.

[US Tomato Can]

It's official: Ray Mercer is now a bottom feeder.

[Shizzy]

Originally Posted by US Tomato Can

It's official: Ray Mercer is now a bottom feeder.

Ray "Catfish" Mercer???

[MainstreamIdiot]

This is probably not happening as I posted Mercer vs Rahman is back on for the same week. Also Kimbo is not a cousin of Augustus.

[USMCGixxer6]

if it happens I hope kimbo gets ktfo

[Thaiboxer18]

This has "huge black eye for all combat sports" written all over it...

Street fighter fights boxing 46 year old former boxing champion under mma rules...oy vey.

[MAN_IM_AWESOME]

Originally Posted by Thaiboxer18

This has "huge black eye for all combat sports" written all over it...

Street fighter fights boxing 46 year old former boxing champion under mma rules...oy vey.

You're telling me you wouldn't enjoy that fight? It will be a slugfest for the 20 seconds it will last.