10 Times Wrestling And MMA Were A Bad Mix
3. Vernon White Vs. Shamrock
Ken Shamrock signed with the World Wrestling Federation in February 1997. Two months later he made his in-ring debut. Instead of the company going the usual route by giving him a regular old jobber to squash, he fought in a “no holds barred exhibition match" against Vernon White, a guy who had never showed up in the WWF before.
The match was booked to look like a shoot fight, with the two exchanging submission attempts and hard hitting strikes. However, it was most definitely a work. Probably the safe way to go, as it would have been pretty terrible for Ken if he lost to the relative no-namer.
It was a bizarre match, as obviously nothing else on the show looked anything like it. The company went out of its way to present the fight as legit, which was a bit of a lost cause, since it went on right after The Headbangers.