By Keith Idec
Promoter Gary Shaw admits he isn’t sure what to expect from Kimbo Slice when he makes his pro boxing debut Saturday night in Miami, Okla.
Slice, who turned to boxing once his much-maligned mixed martial arts career ended, will face James Wade (0-1), of Springfield, Mo., in a four-round heavyweight main event at Buffalo Run Casino. None of the fights on the card will be televised.
“We’re going to see what he does,” Shaw said. “He’s an ultimate athlete and this time he trained. We still have to step up his training, but this is just his first fight. He’s not going to be in with King Kong. We’ll see how comfortable he feels. If he feels comfortable, we’ll go forward. If not, we’ll all hug, we’re friends and that’s it.”
If all goes well against Wade, Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, will likely return to the ring Oct. 15, on another non-televised card at an undetermined location.
Randy Khatami has been training Slice near Los Angeles for his boxing debut. Shaw said another veteran boxing trainer could be added to Slice’s team if he wins Saturday night.
“Randy Khatami is actually an MMA trainer,” Shaw said. “So we’re going to make some changes moving forward.”
Slice, 37, is a former University of Miami football player who became famous by winning numerous unsanctioned backyard brawls that were posted on the Internet. He eventually became the flagship fighter for Showtime’s defunct mixed martial arts company, Elite Xtreme Combat, which essentially folded following Slice’s upset knockout defeat to late replacement Seth Petruzelli in a main event CBS televised from Sunrise, Fla., in October 2008.
Wade is 39, but has boxed just once as a pro.
Carlos Torres (2-0, 2 KOs) knocked out Wade in the third round of Wade’s pro debut Jan. 13 in Oklahoma City. That fight was contested at cruiserweight.
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, NJ., and BoxingScene.com.
