t age 18, was adopted by Robert Shamrock. Ken dreamt of becoming a professional football player, but broke his neck in his senior year of high school. At the time of his injury he had become an accomplished wrestler and had qualified for the state championship ... that cost him potential college scholarships in wrestling and football. It was a crushing setback because Shamrock considered these scholarships an opportunity to make something of his life. He underwent surgery to have a bone chip removed from his hip and fused into his neck. Ken refused to listen to doctors who said his sports career was over. 

en recovered from the surgery and continued training. He begged for clearance from a doctor and went on to play college football at Shasta Junior College ... Nobody else wanted him because of his injury. Red-shirted his freshman year because he was too small. He spent the year training and eating and bulked up to 220 pounds. As a sophomore, was all-legue on defense. Shamrock couldn't get a scholarship to a four-year school and decided to play semi-pro football with the Sacramento Bulldogs. Ken competed in the Olympic Wrestling Trials in 1988 and then joined the military ... Got kicked out of the military one week before graduation because he never told his recruiter about his broken neck. "Throughout my entire life I was getting hit with these setbacks," he said "But I learned as I got older that everyone takes hits. It's what you do when you get knocked down that counts." 

en Shamrock got married and found work as a bouncer in Reno, Nevada ... His father suggested in 1990 that he become a wrestler. Ken said no at first, but then decided to give it a shot and trained with Buzz Sawyer in Sacramento. Then went to Mooresville, North Carolina, and trained with Gene Anderson and Nelson Royal ... moved his wife and new baby to North Carolina. Started out slowly in wrestling and then got a shot in Japan. Eventually Ken was invited to a tryout by the San Diego Chargers, but by that time was enjoying wrestling in Japan. Ken decided against football because he didn't want to make the sacrifices necessary to make it in the NFL.  

y this time Shamrock had bulked up to 247 pounds. Ken was too overanxious in his first matches in Japan; wanted to beat his opponents right away. He learned that pro wrestling was about patience, technique, conditioning and psychology ... Calls learning to become a wrestler one of the most challenging things he had ever done. Teamed with Dean Malenko in the Carolinas  ... Shamrock left Japan and returned to the Carolinas, where he worked with Rick Steamboat and Paul Jones. Continued teaming with Malenko, who taught him, too. Got his first start in UFC-style wrestling when he flew to Tampa, Florida, with Malenko and met Asami Saranocki, who had been training in Boris Malenko's gym. Saranocki ordered him: "Get down and do 500 hindu squats!" ... In 100-degree heat, Shamrock only managed to do 250 squats, then rested for a minute and did 250 more. Meanwhile, Saranocki was squatting alongside Shamrock, but Shamrock wouldn't let him beat him. 

hamrock went to Japan and found immediate success in UFC-style wrestling. He wrestled in Japan for six years and was the champion in 3 organizations when he heard about the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Was 1-1 in the first UFC in Denver, Colorado. Was the first Superfight champion and retained the title through five superfights. After suffering a hand injury, and with his family wishing for him to get out of the violent environment that is the UFC,  in February 1997, he signed a lucrative, multiyear deal with the World Wrestling Federation. He brought with him the title as "Master of Submission". Shamrock was trained by Tom Prichard, who taught him how to develop submission holds off his opponents offensive moves. Says he doesn't go into matches with a plan, but simply reacts to what his opponents does (of course pro wrestling is rehearsed, Shamrock is saying this for obvious reasons.) Shamrock made his first impact as a referee when he worked the Steve Austin v.s. Bret Hart submission match at Wrestlemania XIII. In May, Shamrock demonstrated Ultimate Fighting moves in a exhibition move against Vernon Smith. Got his first real WWF test on May 11th at IN Your House and defeated three-time World Championship Wrestling World Champion Big Van Vader, breaking Vader's nose in the process before forcing him to submit to a leglock. Was later a special guest referee for a match between Faarooq and Ahmed Johnson. 

efeated Jim Neidhart by submission on June 28 in Anaheim, California ... Dominated Davey Boy Smith on the WWF's tour of Texas and won by DQ ... Defeated Smith, the European champion, by DQ on July 25 in Indianapolis ... Got title shots at then-World champion Bret Hart ... Exchanged DQ wins and losses with Smith ... Lost to Owen Hart and pinned Savio Vega ... Although suffering from a lung infection, Shamrock battled and nearly beat Vader in a FWM cage match on September 28 in Kawasaki, Japan. In less then a year, Shamrock has made a major impact in the WWF and beaten some of the finest wrestlers in the federation. His belly-to-belly suplex - first popularized in the mid-1980's by Magnum T.A. -- is one of the effective finishing maneuvers in the sport. Shamrock already way up in the WWF ratings, is on the rise. He has overcome a difficult childhood and become an accomplished adult. So what's next for Ken Shamrock? Well keep an eye on him, history is writing itself.