Issue 145
September 2016
Kimbo Slice was so much more than just a fighting man and anybody who met him would say the same
It’s still a little haunting when I look in my diary entry for June 8th 2016. It reads: “1:30 – lunch. Kimbo Slice.” That was Wednesday. In London. He died on the Monday, of heart failure, in Florida.
I’d like to share some details of an amazing day I spent with Kevin Ferguson just over a year ago in Hollywood ahead of his contest with Ken Shamrock at Bellator 138.
We spent the afternoon at The W Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. It was one of the most fascinating interviews I’ve ever been involved in. We got into some deep stuff. For a start, Kimbo had no idea of how scary-looking he was; he believed in reincarnation; and he spoke with a very sweet love of his family. He was utterly disarming.
Kimbo was one of 10 and the oldest of the five boys fathered by Clarence Ferguson. He had six children himself, and, as we know, 21-year-old ‘Baby Slice’, Kevin Ferguson Jr, has already begun to make his mark in MMA.
That day in LA there was a genuine air of contentedness about Kimbo. He made sense. ‘Respect’ was a huge thing for him. He talked about the nature of his street-fighting, of being a street-fighter, and the way he fought being all about a level of respect.
He explained: “Keep that in mind. If I’m fighting a guy and I’m beating a guy, if I knock him down and the fight’s over, yes, I’m going to help him out. It follows into sparring. If I’m sparring you we can teach each other a lot. But if you go in for the kill, I’m going in for the kill.”
He had that killer instinct. But also so much more. He believed controlled fighting was so good for so many ills in America. How the gym could be the savior for so many.
“This is more power than having a gun or selling drugs or using drugs. This is more power than literally robbing someone else. If those kids would come into a gym it would humble the hell out of them. It would teach them patience, give them a talent and give them an opportunity to really feel and believe in themselves. Depending on who the coach is, they could even take it to the next level.
“It’s an opportunity. They become young opportunists. They won’t look down on anybody now. When you go into a gym and finally get put on your ass, you can’t look down on anybody. Anybody can do it to you.”
Aged 13, Kimbo’s heroes were Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Incredible Hulk, Sylvester Stallone and Lee Haney – the eight-time Mr. Olympia. They inspired Kimbo to train. And Mike Tyson, who had just become world heavyweight champion.
“I knew you had to train hard and run and drink raw eggs and stuff like that to become a champion. They laid down a blueprint to follow. I’m going to be the next heavyweight champion of the world. I can’t sweep the floor, I can’t be doing this.”
Kimbo was hugely popular, with millions of followers. Because he dared to be different, and dared to be himself. “It’s really not about popularity,” he said. It remains his legacy.
“It’s in my DNA to use my tools,” he added, “my God-given talent. If we were back in the day when there were warriors and gladiators, I would still go at it. I would have a few dead bodies under my belt. I would fight to the end. In this sport there is no end. The end is when you end it.”
Rarely do I meet someone and leave as a converted fan. But I have to admit I felt that with Kimbo. I will always treasure that day. It would appear in the first chapter of any book I would write on meetings with remarkable men. RIP Kimbo Slice. Until the next time.
Baby Slice
Like father, like son
Kevin Ferguson Jr got his amateur MMA career off to a winning start in April, winning his debut by decision.
