Ken Shamrock discusses his relationship with WWE.
Despite WWE always looking to bring back nostalgia acts, one name that hasn't popped up during reunion shows or celebrations is Ken Shamrock. The former Intercontinental Champion was a popular superstar during the Attitude Era and helped elevate The Rock to the next level.
“Right now I’m also being left out of any of the conversation with the Attitude Era when they bring back people for the Attitude Era,” Shamrock told the New York Post. “When they have a reunion, I’m not there. When they talk about the ankle lock, they put Kurt Angle in there as the great submission holds and the ankle lock at No. 2 and Kurt Angle [is] doing it. So it just seems like it’s being done on purpose for whatever reason and maybe that’s why I never got shot at the title because there is a problem somewhere I don’t know about.”
While a WWE return doesn't appear to be in the cards, Shamrock has found a home in IMPACT Wrestling. The former UFC star competed at IMPACT Bound For Glory, losing to Moose, and is currently feuding with Joey Ryan on television. And Shamrock believes the freedom given to him and others in IMPACT is a huge benefit in the industry.
"I think companies like Impact are creating an opportunity for people to work, be on TV and at the same time they have freedom to work other places if they want. I think all the other companies, except for WWF [WWE], is doing the same thing. “I think if that doesn’t change, WWF [WWE] will be in the past because people, at least in my opinion, the future isn’t about wrestlers being locked into one company. They want to be able to have creative freedom to have an opportunity to wrestle overseas or wrestle other places without somebody telling them they can’t," he said.
Shamrock picked up a victory over Ryan on the Nov. 5 episode of IMPACT, forcing Ryan to tap out to the ankle lock. You can find Fightful's full report on the show by clicking here.
