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Media coverage of Fuji TV/PRIDE story
By Zach Arnold | June 5, 2006
Image credit: Sports Nippon
By Zach Arnold
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Update: Asahi Shimbun reports that Tokai TV (Nagoya – where Sakakibara came from) will not air the Hustle Aid show, claiming that because the show is not airing nationwide on the Fuji TV network outlets that they will not air the event.
Yomiuri Hochi reports that with Fuji TV canceling their contract with PRIDE, DSE & Nobuyuki Sakakibara are looking towards Tokai TV in Nagoya to perhaps carry the Hustle Aid 6/17 Saitama Super Arena event. Tokai TV is home territory for Sakakibara, as he came from this television background. The Yomiuri article quotes a source saying that the Fuji TV contract with PRIDE was worth several hundred million yen a year, and that foreign fighters are paid a lot of money. Without the TV money, those foreign fighters cannot be paid the same salaries, and with this problem PRIDE “disappearing” is just a matter of time. The article also states that DSE is consulting with their lawyers now about what options the company has next, and that Sakakibara will make a public statement on Wednesday (June 7th).
Nikkan Sports reports that Fuji TV notified the mass media about their cancelation of PRIDE via a FAX. The article also states that the SRS program on Fuji TV, which covered both K-1 and PRIDE, is also a likely casualty of the TV contract being canceled.
Daily Sports has an article on the situation, claiming that a source is telling them that while Fuji TV hasn’t given a public reason for the cancellation of PRIDE, the supposed reason (mentioned in the article) is that the criminal investigation (the criminal complaint that Seiya Kawamata filed with the Kanagawa Police) against PRIDE has caused problems for Fuji TV’s social responsibility. The article mentions that PRIDE started in October of 1997 with Takada vs. Rickson Gracie and that approximately 10 years later, the promotion is in “a big pinch.” Furthermore, DS mentions the boryokudan (yakuza violence group) scandal involving the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 show in regards to the participation of Emelianenko Fedor. The names of Fedor, Mirko, Silva, Yoshida, and Fujita are mentioned in regards to the high fight money they receive per fight and the question being raised is how will DSE be able to afford these salaries without Fuji TV’s money. The article closes out talking about Fuji TV’s cancelation and how it will effect the Hustle Aid 6/17 Saitama Super Arena show.
Burning Spirit has notes from Tokyo Sports about Fuji TV, speculating that with TBS wanting to air a New Year’s Eve “Kameda Matsuri (Festival)” show that the Dynamite!! K-1 show for New Year’s Eve may air on Fuji TV, thus making PRIDE’s New Year Show as something not needed.
Topics: All Topics, Japan, MMA, Media, PRIDE, Yakuza, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback | Share This
This is one time I wish I could read Japanese.
Things look really bad for Pride. They also looked pretty bad around the time of Morishita’s suicide, and the promotion pulled through. But, this time? I gotta think that the odds are against DSE.