Ken Shamrock is a WWE pioneer as he was one of the very first shoot fighters that the company presented as part of their main roster. The World's Most Dangerous Man was the biggest name in MMA in the mid-90s and, despite having trained as a pro-wrestler before making his name in the UFC and Japan, his signing with WWE was big news. It also asked big questions regarding his chances for success in making the transition. Some of those questions were answered immediately upon his debut when he was positioned in a very high profile spot, guest refereeing the WrestleMania 13 Submission Match between Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Following his post-match altercation with The Hitman and the way the company booked Shamrock throughout the Summer and Fall of 1997, it seemed like the sky was the limit for him. Unfortunately, Shamrock would never reach the main event heights that he seemed to be so destined for early in his WWE career. By all accounts, the man caught on to the WWE style rather quickly and, unlike fellow UFC alumni Dan Severn (who would enter the company a year later), Shamrock "got it". His successful crossover from the UFC paved the way for future athletes of other non-traditional sports and genres to make a successful run in the world of sports-entertainment. Despite his legitimate status as a pioneer and the impact he had on paving the way for future stars like Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and others, Shamrock remains relatively overlooked by WWE today. Whether there is some sort of tension between Shamrock and the company isn't quite clear, but the former Intercontinental Champion deserves more recognition than he has received up to this point.
A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling,
technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible.
Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard.
As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.
