Ken Shamrock Kenneth Wayne Shamrock ( born Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick ; February 11 , 1964 ) is a retired American mixed martial artist , UFC Hall of Famer , professional wrestler , and bodyguard for 50 Cent . Shamrock emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of mixed martial arts , headlining over 15 main events and co - main events in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships during the course of his career and set numerous pay - per - view records with his drawing power . Shamrock is widely considered to be a legendary figure and icon in the sport of mixed martial arts . Shamrock was named The World ' s Most Dangerous Man by ABC News in a special entitled " The World ' s Most Dangerous Things " in the early part of his UFC career , a moniker which has become synonymous as his nickname . Shamrock became known early on in the UFC for his rivalry with Royce Gracie . After fighting to a draw with Gracie in the inaugural Superfight , he became the first UFC Superfight Champion after defeating Dan Severn at UFC 6 ; the title was eventually renamed the UFC Heavyweight Championship when weight categories were introduced to the UFC . He was also the first foreign MMA Champion in Japan , winning the title of King of Pancrase . During his reign as the UFC Superfight Champion , he was widely considered the # 1 mixed martial artist in the world . Shamrock was also ranked by Inside MMA as one of the top 10 greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time . Shamrock is the founder of the Lion ' s Den mixed martial arts training camp . The Lion ' s Den became one of the most successful camps in mixed martial arts history and was famous dominating the early scene of mixed martial arts . He is also the older adopted brother of former UFC Middleweight Champion Frank Shamrock . Along with his mixed martial arts career , Shamrock enjoyed considerable success in professional wrestling , achieving championship success during his tenures with the World Wrestling Federation and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . Among other accolades , he is a one - time NWA World Heavyweight Champion , one - time WWF Intercontinental Champion , one - time WWF Tag Team Champion , and the 1998 WWF King of the Ring . World Wrestling Entertainment — formerly the World Wrestling Federation — has credited Shamrock for popularizing the ankle lock ( later used by fellow professional wrestling world champions Kurt Angle and Jack Swagger ) , which was named by the organization as one of the top five submission holds in history . On January 9 , 2014 , wrestlinginc . com revealed that Shamrock is now working as part of the security team of 50 Cent . Early life . Shamrock experienced hardships as a child . A " military brat , " Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick was born at the Robins Air Force Base , in Warner Robins , Georgia , where he would then live for the first four years of his life . His father , Richard Kilpatrick , was a United States Air Force enlistee and his mother was Diane Kilpatrick , who worked as a waitress and a dancer , had her first son when she was only 15 years old . Shamrock had three brothers and came from a broken family in a predominantly African - American neighborhood of Atlanta , Georgia . He was often left to fend for himself , getting into many fights without the supervision or guidance of his parents . Shamrock ' s father abandoned his family and when Shamrock was five years old , his mother , divorced from Richard Kilpatrick , remarried an Army aviator named Bob Nance . The newly formed family moved to Napa , California , Nance ' s hometown . The Shamrock boys were outsiders in this community , coming from a poor background and speaking in a Southern accent , they continued to cause trouble and get into fights but also began experimenting with drugs . Nance , who ' d fought in the Vietnam War , became a member of the local fire department and also found work in roofing and upholstery . Nance was a driven and determined man , but like his wife Diane , he knew very little on how to raise children well , often using corporal punishment as a way to try and discipline the kids . Shamrock became involved and excelled in sports at a young age , playing in Little League baseball and Pop Warner football . Nance remembers a veteran coach telling him that he had never seen a player with as much heart and tenacity as the young Shamrock . Shamrock was not as involved with drugs as his brothers , such as his brother Richie , who enjoyed smoking marijuana , but who also played football . At age 10 , Shamrock was stabbed several times during a robbery and then placed in a juvenile hall . Shamrock , at the age of 13 , was then kicked out of his home by his stepfather , and each of the brothers went their separate ways . Shamrock lived in cars as a result before being placed in a foster home . He bounced around between several group homes before being placed in Bob Shamrock ' s Boys ' Home at age 14 , in Susanville , California where he turned his life around . Bob Shamrock legally adopted Ken as his son , and Ken changed his last name from Kilpatrick to Shamrock in Bob ' s honor . At Lassen High School , Shamrock ( known there as Kenny Nance ) excelled in both football and wrestling . As a senior , Shamrock qualified for the state championships in wrestling , but broke his neck in practice days before the competition and underwent neck surgery . Shamrock did not receive scholarship offers from big league colleges , and doctors told him his sports career was likely over . Against doctors orders , Shamrock joined the Shasta College football team , where he was voted team captain in his final season . The San Diego Chargers of the National Football League later offered Shamrock a tryout , but Shamrock declined in order to pursue a career in professional wrestling , where he debuted in 1989 in the South Atlantic Pro Wrestling promotion . Shamrock ' s professional wrestling career eventually brought him to Japan , where he met professional wrestlers and future Pancrase co - founders , Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki , which set the stage for his mixed martial arts career to begin . Professional wrestling career . Early career . In 1988 , Shamrock trained as a professional wrestler under Bob Sawyer , Buzz Sawyer and Nelson Royal . He debuted in 1990 in Royal ' s North Carolina - based Atlantic Coast Wrestling promotion under the ring name Wayne Shamrock . After ACW folded , he moved on to the George Scott / Paul Jones - run company South Atlantic Pro Wrestling ( which initially promoted under the banner of the North American Wrestling Association ) , and changed his ring name to Vince Torelli . He eventually turned heel , adopting the nickname " Mr . Wrestling . " In 1990 , Shamrock traveled to Japan , where he competed in the Universal Wrestling Federation and its successor promotion , Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi . His first taste of mixed martial arts came following the exodus of his mentors Minoru Suzuki and Masakatsu Funaki from Fujiwara ' s promotion to found one of the formative Japanese mixed martial arts associations , Pancrase . Later , he returned to America to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Shamrock would split time between the two organizations until 1996 , whereupon he returned to professional wrestling , signing a contract with the World Wrestling Federation . World Wrestling Federation ( 1997 – 1999 ) . Shamrock made his WWF debut on the February 24 , 1997 episode of " Monday Night Raw " . On March 23 , 1997 , Shamrock , identified as Ken Shamrock and billed as " The World ' s Most Dangerous Man " — a name given to him by ABC News — refereed a submission match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 . Shamrock returned to the ring following WrestleMania , squashing Vernon White ( one of his Lion ' s Den students ) in his debut WWF match . He went on to feud with Vader , Bret Hart and The Hart Foundation throughout 1997 , culminating in a bout between Shamrock and The British Bulldog at SummerSlam 1997 which Shamrock lost after refusing to relinquish a chokehold , following Shamrock going on a rampage after being slapped across the face by The British Bulldog with a handful of dog - food . Shamrock was considered a candidate to win the WWF Championship from the departing Bret Hart , before the Montreal Screwjob occurred . Shamrock went on to challenge Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship at in December , defeating Michaels by disqualification after Triple H and Chyna interfered in the match . Throughout early 1998 , Shamrock feuded with WWF Intercontinental Champion Rocky Maivia . He lost to Maivia via disqualification at the 1998 Royal Rumble and a victory over Maivia at WrestleMania XIV was reversed after Shamrock continued to apply his ankle lock after Maivia had submitted . In June 1998 , Shamrock won the 1998 King of the Ring tournament , defeating Jeff Jarrett in the semi - finals and Maivia in the finals . Following the King of the Ring , Shamrock feuded with Owen Hart , with Hart defeating Shamrock in a " Hart Family Dungeon match " at Fully Loaded and Shamrock defeating Hart in a " Lion ' s Den match " at SummerSlam . In September , he formed a short - lived stable with Mankind and The Rock . Shamrock turned heel in October 1998 and won the vacant Intercontinental Championship on October 12 , defeating X - Pac in the finals of an eight - man tournament . In November , Shamrock consolidated his heel status by joining Mr . McMahon ' s Corporation . On December 14 , Shamrock and fellow Corporation member The Big Boss Man defeated the New Age Outlaws for the WWF Tag Team Championship , making Shamrock a dual champion . The duo held the titles until January 25 , 1999 , when they lost to Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart . In January 1999 , Shamrock began feuding with Billy Gunn , Goldust and Val Venis , all of whom had made overtures to his sister , Ryan . He lost the Intercontinental Championship to Venis on February 14 when Gunn , the guest referee , delivered a fast count . Shamrock took part in a four way bout for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania XV . The reigning champion Road Dogg , was able to retain his title by pinning Goldust after Shamrock and Venis were counted out while brawling outside the ring . In mid - 1999 , the Corporation began feuding with The Undertaker and his Ministry of Darkness , with The Undertaker ' s minions repeatedly ambushing Shamrock and kidnapping Ryan , sacrificing her on the Undertaker ' s symbol . After breaking away from the Corporation , thus turning face once more , Shamrock went on to feud with The Undertaker at Backlash and lost . In May , Shamrock , The Big Show , Mankind and Test formed The Union , a stable of wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry . The Union dissolved soon after defeating the Corporate Ministry at Over the Edge in May . Shamrock briefly feuded with Jeff Jarrett before beginning a rivalry with martial artist Steve Blackman that saw he and Blackman fight one another in a series of unorthodox matches . The feud ended at SummerSlam 1999 , where Shamrock defeated Blackman in a " Lion ' s Den weapons match " . He went on to feud with the newly debuted Chris Jericho until departing the WWF in late 1999 in order to resume his mixed martial arts career . His departure was attributed to an injury inflicted by Jericho ' s bodyguard , Mr . Hughes . Ring of Honor ( 2002 ) . Shamrock returned to professional wrestling in March 2002 after being billed as The World ' s Most Dangerous Man , refereeing a Ring of Honor match between Bryan Danielson and Low Ki . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( 2002 , 2004 ) . In May 2002 , Shamrock signed a one - year deal with the newly formed Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion . On the inaugural TNA pay - per - view on June 19 , Shamrock won the vacant NWA World Heavyweight Championship in a Gauntlet for the Gold match , and is recognized as TNA ' s first ever World Champion . After feuding with Malice for several weeks , Shamrock left TNA shortly after losing the title to Ron Killings on August 7 . He briefly returned to TNA in June 2004 as an ally of Jeff Jarrett before leaving the company and the sport once more . Juggalo Championship Wrestling ( 2009 ) . Shamrock made an appearance in the independent Wrestling company Juggalo Championship Wrestling , owned by Psychopathic Records , during their flagship annual event , Bloodymania III . Return to Pro Wrestling ( 2013 ) . Shamrock made a return to Pro Wrestling in December 2013 at " Amo del Hexagono " in Costa Rica . He made his return by attacking Carlito and challenging him to a match .