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Media reaction to Elite XC fallout (Michael Wilbon cheers)
By Zach Arnold | October 21, 2008
Official SEC filings regarding Pro Elite Inc.
Reading the second filing… it seems like Showtime isn’t interested in purchasing the EXC assets (yet).
Lance Pugmire of The LA Times has a great article on the collapse of Elite XC. T. Jay Thompson absolutely lights up Jeremy Lappen, while Gary Shaw now denies that he was recently a consultant to Elite XC… despite the fact that he was described as such when the same newspaper quoted him on the stand-up scandal a week ago.
Another LA Times article asks about the stand-up scandal and what role it played in the collapse of Elite XC.
- New York Newsday: Company behind Kimbo Slice folds (including comments from Kimbo Slice’s management team)
- Deadspin: The fact that Kimbo Slice lost is purely coincidental
- MMA Memories: Karma’s a bitch — Elite XC closes up shop
- Tim Leidecker: Where should Elite XC’s top fighters go?
- Bloody Elbow: What’s next for Kimbo, Gina, and Shields?
- AOL Fanhouse: Michael Wilbon claims vindication after Elite XC fails — “It’s a fraud! Go home!” (audio here)
- Kevin Iole (Yahoo Sports): Kimbo Slice will likely end up in Japan (and I agree with him — we could see him at the Dynamite!! K-1 show if he wants to accept the offer)
- Total MMA: Who will watch the watchmen? (a good article that should be read)
- NBC Sports: Anatomy of a collapse – Elite XC
- The Stockton Record: Local fighters left in limbo as Elite XC submits
- Unanimous Decision: And in 14 seconds… Elite XC collapses
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro Elite, Zach Arnold | 13 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Kimbo is exactly what Japan needs right now, a big black character not unlike Bob Sapp, that captivates and polarizes and who knows maybe Kimbo can sing or something after awhile too. Wasn’t Japans best years during the whole Sapp era? Perfect match imo to reinvigorate their stagnant market, and the perfect matchup for Mirko Crocop after he comes out of retirement, to defend the japanese people against big scary black man he gobble them all up SLuurrrp
It would be best for Kimbo Slice’s career to go to Japan. After getting exposed to the mainstream, Kimbo isn’t going to be taken seriously anymore in America. He would make a decent freak show in Japan for sure.
But I don’t think he’ll replace Bob Sapp. Bob Sapp was like a big friendly teddy bear and that made him endearing as a foreign celebrity in Japan. Kimbo doesn’t have the personality to be a cross-over celebrity hit in Japan like Sapp did.
I think Kimbo will retire. The best offer he gets will be a tiny fraction of what he recieved in EXC. And if Kimbo goes to Japan, they’ll want to feed him to their own stars. I have the feeling that he’s not down with that. I think Kimbo is done fighting professional fighters, and will take his money back to Miami and not look back.
His best bet is to get as big of a payout as he can and continue to make that retirement money.
He enjoys training so he’ll probably find some place close to home but damn, his career is pretty much done with no backers since EXC is out and I doubt Affliction would want to poor money into him.
Kimbo could open a gym in Florida, sit behind a desk, shake some hands, and be set for the remainder of his life. Hell! He didn’t do bad for himself at all on the last card — and the man worked as hard as he could. Good Luck Kimbo, I hope you make it to Japan.
He fought for jack squat in back alleys in Miami. You don’t think he’d take 30K paydays to fight in Japan against like Minowaman or something? You’re crazy. He could fight Bob Sapp in a war of the scary American black men. That would be huge.
That was then. He’s made 7 figures in the last year, and he can probably make some money off his name alone. I don’t think he wants to fight for a mere 30k. If he loses, it’ll damage his reputation even more and negatively affect his ability to bring in passive income.
IceMuncher: if he loses in the US on a notable card, it’ll damage his reputation. If he loses in Japan, it would have little affect on his passive value, since few people in the US would see it or hear about it.
Yeah, Kimbo would fit right in Japan…in Hustle with Bob Sapp & Akebono.LOL I’m more interested in Gina. Read about it on GFight.TV and my blog.
http://fadedproductions.com/gfight3/?p=265
The Bob Sapp hype wagon will likely never be recreated.
Hindsight definitely paints Sapp in a different light, but he did give Nog (#1 HW in the world at the time) the fight of his life. Then he went on to beat Ernesto Hoost just months later.
Plus eventhough Kimbo has a great look, he doesn’t have a whole lot of personality and hasn’t been good on interviews. Sapp had charisma for days.
I just don’t see Kimbo being even remotely as popular as Bob Sapp was in Japan. Bob Sapp has a unique sounding voice (doesn’t matter what language he speaks). He is substantially a bigger guy then Kimbo. He also has a kind of goofy personality where he can smile and look mean in the same interview.
Kimbo on the other hand is mostly hype. As soon as he goes in front of a microphone, he is finished.
That’s not to say that he can’t get a paycheck in Japan. I just don’t think it will be anything substantial.
But Ice – do you really think that the money that Kimbo has made over the past couple of years is REALLY gonna last him a lifetime?
I mean seriously, I don’t know that much about his personal lifestyle, but I’m fairly certain that him ( & his family ) have gotten used to living a certain way in the posh spots of Miami. And even if he’s invested his earnings VERY well ( & hasn’t lost a huge chunk of it in today’s economy ), it’s NOT going to last forever.
And I don’t think that endorsements are going to net him much now, in light of those 14 seconds in the cage with Petruzelli & the subsequent scandal.
Sure, he can probably turn a quick buck locally by shilling for certain things & becoming a paid special guest at clubs for a few more years. But, even that ship won’t sail for long & won’t net the type of $$$ that fighting in Japan will bring.
Know what I mean?
I don’t think he’ll make a long career out of it, because frankly, although he’s OK dishing it out, I REALLY don’t think he likes taking any sort of punishment in return judging by his behavior during & after his last two fights.
He’s the next Rampage. He’s a crazy homeless guy who beats up people in alleys and back yards. The Japanese will eat it up.