Ken Shamrock Talks Not Being On Speaking Terms With WWE, CM Punk Fighting, Brock Lesnar, More

UFC Legend and former WWE Superstar took part recently in an interview with the WNS Podcast to discuss a number of topics including his upcoming fight against Kimbo Slice, thoughts on CM Punk in UFC and his current relationship with WWE. You can download the interview by clicking here, or check it out on Stitcher or iTunes. They sent us these highlights:

Changing his training for his upcoming fight with Kimbo Slice:

It's been a while since I've gone onto this type of training. What I needed to do because of my knowledge of my body. I needed more time to prepare. It's just going to be a six month preparation for me going into this fight. I have to make sure that I've got my body into shape to where I could actually start training so there's three phases here. 1) Get my body into shape to where I could enter crossfit training into the sparring in preparation for the fight. So what I do for that is I go in the gym and hit the weights, strengthen the muscles. I stretch them and make sure I'm conditioned to be able to do the crossfit stuff which will be the ropes, the hammers, the core strength stuff with the two rings and from that being able to move into the actual sparring with kickboxing and also the take downs and the grappling. Each one of these things takes about six weeks for me to get to the next step

CM Punk fighting in the UFC:

Well, first of all I would tell him to have fun. Don't let the pressure of everybody saying you've got to produce. This is your first fight and I think they're doing him right. I don't think they're going to do to him what they did to Brock and just throw him right into the top and have him fight for his life. I believe they're going to give him someone the caliber of where he is right now and give him a chance to grow. I think it's tremendous what he's doing, my hat's off to him.. I think there shouldn't be so much pressure on people who want to step out and try something because they come from somewhere else like pro wrestling. He vbuilt a huge name for himself, he's a superstar and he's taking all that he built and putting it on the line by jumping into the cage and to me that takes balls and my hat's off to him. And anybody who says well that's not really a smart business move, listen, you live one time. If there's things you want to do in life, live your life man. Don't let people make you afraid of taking chances in life. And if you fail, it's no big deal. Get back up and fight through it and be successful again. If you did it once, you can do it again. So, my hat's off to him. I support him.

If he prefers MMA or pro wrestling:

I really enjoy both of them professionally. They really made me who I am today. I'm not Ken Shamrock the MMA World Champion No Holds Barred fighter. I'm Ken Shamrock, The World's Most Dangerous Man. Professional wrestling and MMA champion.

Which is more physically demanding, MMA or pro wrestling:

There's no question in my mind that my stint in the World Wrestling Federation was a lot tougher on me than my stint in MMA. That's not to say that going i to a fight is not tough on you because it is. But I was good. I mean I felt at home in that ring. I didn't sustain too many damages when I was actually fighting. Most of mone came in training. I really believed with my experience that it was a lot tougher on me having to get up day to day and go out there and take 10, 15, 20 bumps seven, eight or ten days in a row. It was tough. And the having to get on a plane and travel to the next town. So, it was a lot more grueling than I think most people realize.

Bonds that were made backstage during his WWE run:

I actually traveled a lot with Steve Blackman. Traveled a lot woth Road Dogg and Billy Gunn. Really I think I got along with everybody pretty much. There were a few that we just didn't quite mesh but the majority of them I got along with everybody

His relationship with WWE:

We're not on speaking terms because I've reached out several times and never got a response. At one time, it went to Shane McMahon a few years back to kind of find out where I stood but never got a response back. Shane said they're not really there yet with using me I don't know why. I'm sure he got something but it was something he didn't want to tell me. So I didn't want to pressure him. I didn't want to put him in the middle of it. I've seen some guys go back who have done some pretty horroble things like leave WWF and go to WCW and they atill came back. The fact is some of them are probably running the company and they jumped to WCW. So, I'm not sure what I did but no one's told me. I think a majority of the fans want to see me back and if that's the case then why ain't I coming back

Biggest influences in his fighting career:

My dad was a huge influence on changing my life on getting me going in the right direction. Also being a christian, the Lord Jesus Christ really helped me become a better person. So those are the things that really stand out to me as mentors or live changing situations that really helped me be the man I am today. There's a lot of good people out there, alot of people that helped influence my lofe alpng the way that really encouraged me to be strong and to stay in and take all these little things and not let them get in the way and focus on what youre trying to accomplish. But like I said, most of these things that I did, zi'm the one that started them. I was one of the guys out there doing it first so it's not like I could learn from anybody. Pro wrestling was different. A lot of guys that I worked with that took me under their wing and help me understand the psychology of pro wrestling so that's definitely a lot of giys in the locker room who were supportive of me being there. It was really a good thing and I really appreciate that. You talk about Pancrase or UFC. You talk about what I'm doing right now. A lot of these things I did first

Where he sees Brock Lesnar ending up:

I think Brock Lesnar is a tremendous talent in MMA and UFC and pro wrestling. He's tremendous, he's a big personality. I hope he gets what he wants and I hope he does what makes him happy

His legacy:

I want people to look at me as a human being. Who do people say I am. A loving father, a loving husband, a good friend, a good person? These are things that are important to me.