Kimbo Boxes Himself In

Having established his name in both street fighting and mixed martial arts, Kimbo Slice appears to be heading to the third act of an unlikely athletic career: boxing. The 36-year-old has signed a promotional contract with former EliteXC head Gary Shaw and will probably be blanketed with the same care that marked his brief stay as the star of that promotion. Peter McNeeley might be getting a phone call soon.

Slice was barely a fighter in 5-ounce gloves, with the smashing of a cooked “Tank” Abbott and the twisting of Ray Mercer being his sole career “highlights.” Club boxing would seem to be a better fit for him, with less of a demand on his cardiovascular system and the potential to put up a string of haymaker victories en route to a money fight with someone like Roy Jones, who does not seem to be above a little circus action at this stage in his game. It probably also appeals to Slice’s notoriously shaky work ethic: A couple hours of boxing is better than several hours of MMA.

Shaw, while hardly a great mind outside of boxing, at least recognizes that Kimbo is an attraction, not a contender, and books him accordingly. That kind of pampering isn’t possible in the UFC. They’re a perfect pair.