11/05/24
October 10, 2008
Allegations taking a slice out of ProElite's credibility: Mixed martial arts promotion ProElite is defending itself against fixing allegations after last-minute replacement Seth Petruzelli knocked out Kimbo Slice in a highly-rated bout on national television last weekend. "The promoters kind of hinted to me and they gave me the money to stand and trade with him," Petruzelli said on "The Monsters in Orlando" show. "They didn't want me to take him down, let's just put it that way. It was worth my while to try to stand up and punch with him."
Not saying that anything actually hinky did take place in this particular fight, but there was also information that Frank Shamrock, Ken's brother, was cleared to fight in Ken's place, and either CBS or Elite XC blocked it. Maybe it was because Frank was scheduled to be in the broadcast chair for the event, but given the outcome of things, it does make one go "Hmmm".
I was in the camp that Kimbo's last fight ended under rather odd circumstances, so the mounting strange events surrounding his fights would be a good reason for the PTB to look into it.
Back to beatin' up bums in the boat yard for Kimbo.
posted by THX-1138 at 01:53 PM on October 10, 2008
Given the industry seems to follow along with the worst excesses of professional wrestling and boxing, is the fact that these carnie motherfuckers manipulated a fight really that surprising?
posted by Drood at 03:20 PM on October 10, 2008
I can't say that I agree with your opinion that MMA "follows along with the worst excesses of professional wrestling and boxing, Drood. What would those excesses be? Wrestling has it's "matches" pre-determined, but then again, they aren't trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. It's been fairly well documented in recent history by the people running pro wrestling that it's a show. Entertainment for those that are entertained by it. What is it that you can compare it to in boxing? It surely wouldn't be promotion. Boxing has failed miserably at that for over a decade (at least) while MMA has done an incredible job at getting it's sport into the mainstream. Particularly when you consider that for a long time it was seen mainly (and probably rightly so) as a vicious blood sport. Even our political leaders (John "Raisin" McCain in particular) openly and vehemently criticized the sport. It cleaned up it's rules while maintaining the action it's established fans enjoyed and has since flourished. Meanwhile boxing languishes. As for the possibility that a match could have been "pre-decided" or even thrown, look no further than baseball for a similar scandal. Look to basketball for another example of officiating having a vested interest in the outcome of it's games.
Obviously you could label me as a fan of the sport. I have no problem with anyone else not liking it or being put off by combat-type sports such as this or boxing or karate or legitimate wrestling, for that matter. I just thought your statement was a bit hyperbolic and incorrect.
posted by THX-1138 at 04:41 PM on October 10, 2008
Umm, does that technically count as a glitch? Cause I only hit the comment button once.
I wish you people would just listen so I don't have to repeat myself all the time.
posted by THX-1138 at 04:52 PM on October 10, 2008
So important you posted it twice:)
Don't get me wrong. I am an MMA fan. (Though not as much since PRIDE folded.) But the legitimacy of Boxing matches have been questioned for decades. Pro-wrestling is pre-determined. The other excesses are the way things are promoted. MMA promotes itself very much in the style of pro wrestling. Building up feuds etc... I mean earlier this year I remember hearing a UFC fighter saying he knew he was the bad guy in the build up to the fight. In wrestling terms he "broke character". In boxing not a year goes by without at least one big fight having a questionable outcome.
There have also been worked MMA fights in the past marketed as being real. (Just ask Dave Meltzer, Wade Keller etc...)
That's why this Kimbo match being fixed to some degree shouldn't come as any surprise because the industry has it's main roots in two events, one of which is scripted entertainment where events are set out for what will make the most money, the other of which has many questionable results throughout it's history and is known for it's corruption and rigging, and MMA itself has had worked results in the past. (Though mostly in Japan.)
Hence my original comment. As I said, I AM an MMA fan. I am also a pro wrestling and boxing fan, and thus incredibly jaded.
posted by Drood at 09:55 PM on October 10, 2008
All points taken, Drood. I just don't personally see anything worse in MMA than I do in any other sport. They all have their aspects that we choose to look away from.
posted by THX-1138 at 12:13 AM on October 11, 2008
Oh I'm not saying MMA is worse. It's just if there's shenanigans going on, I would be completely unsurprised. In fact I'd be surprised if there weren't, especially in a company trying to compete with the 800 pound gorilla that is UFC.
posted by Drood at 12:48 AM on October 11, 2008
It's been fairly well documented in recent history by the people running pro wrestling that it's a show. Entertainment for those that are entertained by it
Wha?!!? Wrestling is real dammit!!!
On a serious note, the outcome in wrestling may be pre-determined but these guys and gals still put their bodies thru so much pain. No matter how many times a wrestler practices a wrestling move, there is no way to train for a chair shot to the head or going thru a table after falling off a 20' ladder. Now that's what I called entertainment.
posted by BornIcon at 10:12 AM on October 13, 2008
Of that, there is no doubt, BI. Whether one likes the soap opera type storylines or the extreme risk that the participants put their bodies through, it is entertaining. I usually stop flipping through channels when I come across a show.
But I'm also a big science fiction fan, so I obviously live in a world of non-reality.
posted by THX-1138 at 11:22 AM on October 14, 2008
But I'm also a big science fiction fan, so I obviously live in a world of non-reality
I kind of figured that you were a Sci-Fi fan, THX-1138 considering that your screen name is from one of my all-time favorite, old school George Lucas Sci-Fi flicks.
posted by BornIcon at 10:22 AM on October 15, 2008
I can buy Petruzelli's partial retraction, that EliteXC, (which still sounds like a condom), has bonuses for knock out of the night, fight of the night and so on and so it would be financially rewarding for him to stand up with Slice. But it also wouldn't surprise me if Petruzelli was told "we're putting you in the main event, we expect a show."
Regardless, this doesn't change Elite's status as a joke though. They threw their whole weight behind someone - Slice - who couldn't fight and would be found out the first time he was in the ring with a decent opponent. Slice should probably have lost his Elite fight with journeyman James Thompson due to the number of undefended blows he took.
Beneath the Slice nonsense, Elite do have some marketable fighters who have actual talent. Gina Carano may have to half kill herself to get to 140 each time, but she's a good fighter and hopefully Elite can pair her with Cristiane Santos for what would be a genuine event.
Then they also have Andrei Arlovski. While Arlovski can be infuriating to watch there were suggestions that Arlovski could finally drag Fedor Emelianenko onto mainstream TV and that guy, (Fedor), is something else.
Instead, they hitched all their wagons to a paper tiger and watched their supposed marque fighter collapse inside 14 seconds, in a fight they may have tried to control rather too much.