Kimbo in Limbo

By Lee Russakoff
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:16:19 GMT

Were you shocked by Seth Petruzelli's 14-second knockout of Kimbo Slice last weekend? Maybe you had a right to be...

ESPN.com is reporting that the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation has opened a preliminary investigation into whether there is any evidence that ProElite tried to influence the fight.

The controversy took shape in a Monday interview on "The Monsters of Orlando" show. Petruzelli told the show, "The promoters kind of hinted to me and they gave me the money to stand and trade with him. "They didn't want me to take him down, let's just put it that way. It was worth my while to try to stand up and punch with him."

Petruzelli later claimed his statement was "misconstrued."

Jeremy Lappen, head of fight operations for ProElite subsidiary EliteXC, isn't concerned about the investigation. He insists there was no attempt to influence the fight in any way.

"We had a main event that fell out three hours before the fight was scheduled to start," Lappen told ESPN.com. "We had to scramble. And rather than call off the event, which is what most promoters would do, we put together something for the fans -- and tried to put on the best fight possible.

"We offered Seth Petruzelli a knockout bonus, a submission bonus and "fight of the night" bonus. If we were trying to influence the fight, why would we do that?

"We were not trying to protect Kimbo. He had been training to fight a guy in Shamrock who has a better ground game than Seth. If we were trying to protect Kimbo we would have sent him home. We put him in a dangerous fight."

Did ProElite try to protect Kimbo? Does it matter since Petruzelli knocked him out? Sound off here.

Message Edited by Lee_Russakoff on 10-10-2008 01:18 AM

Kimbo needs to stick to what made him famous. It is a little different to be a bare knuckler fighter than to think you can jump in and trade with people who have been trainning most of their life. If Kimbo fell this quick to a relatively unknown fighter, what would he do with a top ranked fighter.... 5 seconds maybe?

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:28:30 GMT | bigdaddyrn

I believe this whole fight was a setup to get more people to fight kimbo if you watch all his other fights (ALL) on utube or past fights in the ring hes never been took down in less then a minute. And this includes a match he faught with 2 people one after the other within 10-15 minutes both his size or bigger and he knocked them both out. Why did the ref stop the fight I've seen plenty of guys in the ring with way bigger cuts on there eye. Reminds me of the (Cough cough) Mike Tyson era lol. Atleast no ears were missing. Like I said this fight was just a setup to get more people to fight him. So far it seems everyone is scared to fight him well the big shots anyway. So instead of ripping people off by throwing a 2 minute publicity stunt and not to mention stealing money from paying customers. Who knows how many people attended that night and were suckered out of there money. I've watched kimbo since he started and theres noway that guy knocked him out. All about the money for the companies kimbo and the other guy. Not for us that pay to see it. Kimbo go get em man. I support you all the way. Dont fall for the bs either about shamrock someone got scared. Thats all. And shamrock go home man you getting a little old for this stuff anyway.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:03:52 GMT | liltate

It would be nice if they would put him with a top guy then he wouldnt have to hold back nothing.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:08:43 GMT | liltate

Just look at who he's "fought" so far.... 3 nobody's and 1 has-been. Shamrock would have destroyed him within the first round. Sure, he knows how to fight when it comes to brawls, I'll give him credit there. He's going to have to work hard on his submissions, his wrestling technique. But most importantly, he needs to brush those teeth.... Jeeeeesus!!!

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:09:38 GMT | LoadedGun

Kimbo Your a tough guy show us with your hands what you can do and stop crying! Let that fight make you stronger not weaker!! You win some you lose some now get back in and fight or get the hell out and go back to the streets where you came from.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:21:32 GMT | KidCanvas

Kimbo Slice has stepped in to a place that he really knows nothing about. Now, liltate, they di not ask Kimbo to "hold back" what is being said is that they asked Seth to go easy on Kimbo to try and make the fight last a bit.

Even if it had been Shamrock, Kimbo would have still lost, Kens skills in this are FAR greater than Kimbo will ever want to know. Kimbo is liked for what? Beating up has beens? Guys that are in even worse shape than he is? Fighters that were at their peak 20 years ago?

Come on, they Tried to protect Kimbo HOPING beyond hope that he may become a good fighter - they truly know now that they are wrong.

His name, his look, and his hype made him - now his name, his look (while fighting), and the failed hype have shown everyone this guy does not belong in this type of fighting.

So, liltate - they were protecting Kimbo not Seth. They knew Seth was to much for Kimbo, but Seth was the only fighter they found (after asking a lot of them) that did not reply "Your joking right? Why waste my time."

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:57:14 GMT | nomansland

The moment i saw it you could tell it was fixed,there is no way this seth clown beat kimbo.He was a scared lil puppydog and doesnt even deserve his 15 minutes of shame.i bet theres never a rematch because seth doesnt want any part of kimbo.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:14:16 GMT | gweedofirehawk

sorry, i'm not really going to comment on the fight because i didn't see it however i am interested that this investigation is taking place because some of the strange occurances have been happening in the sports world in the last few years, and the flood gates of sports betting were opened by the Tim Donneghy scandel. It wouldn't suprise me if mma fights were fixed especially because they get payed way less then boxers do to fight. Your mma heavyweight champ will get six figures maybe seven if he is a fan favorite, meanwhile the boxing heavyweight champ will get atleast 10 million just to show up to his fight.
I would have to call into question the cubs rescent flop in the playoffs this year, how does a team who was so good with the best record in the national league, play so poorly. in game one a pitcher who only lost three games at wrigley all year walks seven batters in 4 2/3 innings of work including getting 2 outs in the 5th and then walking three straight batters and then gives up a grand slam. In game two making 4 infield errors 3 in the same inning, none of the players looked truley disapointed. later in that game the 3rd baseman makes an error off of an easy play and then ACTED like he was upset. they didn't get beat by a better team, they just played very poorly, and none of the players acted with any frustration, or a sense of urgency. it was very uncharacteristic.
The next point I would make was in the 2007 A.L.C.S. between Cleveland and Boston, in which it seemed that the Indians could not get a break from the umps. The Cleveland pitchers had to throw the pitch directly down the middle of the plate in order for them to get a strike call in games 1,2, 6, and 7. And just hours before game 7 off that series information was leaked out by an "unknown" source which implicated that cleveland's pitcher Paul Byrd was on the list of HGH users in the mitchell report. BTW, Mitchell works in the Red Sox Front office. Cleveland loses the series that night. And so you know I'm a White Sox fan who was born to hate the Indians, and I think they got messed up by shady umpiring. I definetely think those two series should be invstigated as well as this fight you speak of

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:43:44 GMT | ddcw

If Seth were a black man, would everyone chill out?
SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIT. Kimbo is told to lay down early, and he does.
Why are you hating on a guy named Seth that we never of?
I am detecting the race card here. Yep, smells like it too me.
Sincerely, Class 5 Felon

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:23:38 GMT | DjXristos

This is an easy one. You guys are feeding the machine. The promoters have won this contest!

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:21:55 GMT | 2_Sense

All I have to say is that was a bunk **bleep** fight... Race ain't got nothing to do with it, it was just bunk and I don't even watch this stuff.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:38:28 GMT | cici007

i dont think that all the heat needs to fall on Kimbo. I have seen Refs make alot of questionalble calls as well. Look at the Mir Vs Lesnar fight. How can we expect these guys to leave it all out there if they have to worry the ref might make a bad call. It takes all the heart out of the game.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:53:42 GMT | havoknkaos

I think that the fighting organization Kimbo is in rigged the fight so that Kimbo would be seen as unfit for its league. Kimbo was supposed to fight the older Shamrock who as of late does not live up to his reputation. Kimbo did not know he was going to fight this Seth guy. Any boxer or fighter trains for an opponent that they know that they are fighting, they put a game plan together based on that fighters tendacies. In this case Kimbo did not know that he was fighting Seth and Seth knew he was fighting Kimbo, as a result Kimbo was knocked out. I think the commisioner should be investigated.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:16:22 GMT | LehighVILLIAN

Please everyone, take a closer look at the fight. Kimbo never took a punch. It is Kimbo who got paid to take a dive. I am very disapointed in how he covered up after a slight skirmish. The investigation is on going with the wrong guy. I believe that they are trying to throw everyone off of the real issue. Look at the fight again!!!!

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:19:59 GMT | mitzisman

I think this whole Kimbo thing is a crock. I watched the so called fight with my two kids and they were saying that this kimbo guy is unreal. I agree the fight was not real. It was a joke!!!!! A sham of a sham , a mockery of a sham. I saw the replay in which Kimbo got popped on the first shot, then every other punch was pulled ,or outright missed. The cameras show this if you watch the replay. I really don't think boxing has much to worry about. Can you spell FRAUD!!!!!

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:27:49 GMT | SGins

Im sure this Kimbo dude is the same cat who appears in all those HOT HOT InTheVIP.com vids...anyone?

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:32:49 GMT | AlohaKid

It's all about the money, and I've seen Kimbo fight.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:38:20 GMT | ongoing

Most of you are smoking crack. Seth P. dropped Kimbo PERIOD!!! Was everyone surprised by it, yes. Did Seth get lucky, yes, but it was legit. Kimbo didn't know where he was after he got decked. He was trying to take down the ref after he came to and was asking him what happened. Kimbo got caught, just like any other fighter who goes in there looking to aggressively take someone out with his hands. Chuck Liddell hasn't lost his last couple fights because the fix was on. If you watch the fights he won during his championship reign, he won because people were coming after him and he is great at counter punching but leaves himself wide open (as most do) when he chases people. Quit complaining about fixes and the race card and deal with it.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:41:46 GMT | BigDenGuy

Sorry, should have put this in my first comment but for those of you who said Kimbo didn't get hit, look closer. Seth P threw a front kick and when Kimbo leaned in Seth hit him with a short right hand right on his chin. That stunned him and then the punches after Kimbo hit the deck finished him.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:45:15 GMT | BigDenGuy