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Let your fighters go free, Elite XC
By Zach Arnold | November 3, 2008
Update: Why in the world did Pro Elite’s stock price double today?
Does this organization think that the US Government is going to include them in a bailout package or something?
It’s sad to watch how desperate and petty things have become for Elite XC. It’s even more frustrating to watch a meathead like Seth Petruzelli, whose radio comments ended up costing fighters jobs (if you believe the multiple media reports that there was a deal on the table for CBS/Showtime to buy out Elite XC), strutting around for Halloween as Kimbo Slice. How this man has managed to not receive more bad karma yet is beyond me, but that day is coming soon enough. The Smoothie King…
Then there’s Jeremy Lappen, who unlike many of the fighters he helped sign to Elite XC, doesn’t have to worry about drawing a paycheck given his family’s financial status. How this guy, like Jerry (Gary) Millen, continues to work in the MMA business just escapes me.
Then there’s Gary Shaw, whose comments in the LA Times about seeing no ethical problem in encouraging fighters to stand-up. This man continued to receive financial payment from Elite XC as a ‘consultant’ while his son was inserted into top management. Shaw never paid a financial price. Hell, he’s living it up right now as we speak based on how well boxer Vic Darchinyan performed this weekend.
Enough is enough. You’ve heard the stories, from Scott Smith to Joey Villasenor, who will be struggling to pay the bills this Christmas while people who worked at the top level of Elite XC made good money.
As if Elite XC couldn’t possibly be a bigger stain on this business, already…
Addendum: I’m already drawing heat in the comments section, with readers accusing me of going after Seth for being a ‘whistleblower.’ Here’s the problem with this argument — Petruzelli made the comments he did during an Orlando radio interview. He then claimed that his words were being taken out of context and that he had a bad night (either wasted or didn’t get enough sleep). During the investigation involving the Florida DBPR, Petruzelli denied that anything fishy happened. So, for people to call him a ‘whistleblower’ and to put him on a moral pedastal? Not a chance.
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro Elite, Zach Arnold | 23 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
“It’s even more frustrating to watch a meathead like Seth Petruzelli, who cost fighters jobs, strutting around for Halloween as Kimbo Slice. How this man has managed to not receive more bad karma yet is beyond me, but that day is coming soon enough.”
Meathead or not, I’m appalled by any statements condemning a man who basically acted as a whistleblower to the intense corruption present in EliteXC. Don’t blame the messenger, blame the organization that stained the sport.
It’s funny, but watching Jeremy Lappen destroy multiple MMA organizations is really starting to make Dana look good by comparision. at this rate, dana will be nominated for sainthood before we see a viable competitor to the ufc.
” How this man has managed to not receive more bad karma yet is beyond me, but that day is coming soon enough.”
Really Zach, do we need to bring the criminal culture to MMA? Don’t snitch? Seth did the sport a favor, intentionally or not.
I saw that Vic Darchinyan fight this weekend and after the fight, during the Jim “forehead” Gray interview with Vic, behind Gary Shaw was Jared Shaw’s ugly mug trying to get on camera.
The guy helps ruins EliteXC and then simply shows up at one of Daddy’s other events and tries to get on camera like he’s actually worth something. Pathetic.
Not sure why, but when I saw the title of the thread I thought about DX going to Atlanta and yelling: “Let our people go!!”
Good read Zach, agree on everything you said.
Bad karma or not, Seth Petruzelli’s career is no better off than it was before his fight with Kimbo.
Seth has an unimpressive physique, fruity pink hair, and mic skills so bad he makes Diego Sanchez look like Josh Barnett.
So I wouldn’t bet the farm on his career benefiting from his ‘win’ any time soon.
But next time I’m in Florida I’ll let him whip me up a banana and strawberry protein shake.
Elite should let these fighters go from those contracts. They are not going to be putting on any more shows. It’s one thing to put a fighter on ice when a fighter is badmouthing the company i.e. Huerta/UFC. But in this situation, you have to let these fighters go so they can provide for themselves and family. Keeping them bound does NOTHING for EliteXC.
“So, for people to call him a ‘whistleblower’ and to put him on a moral pedastal? Not a chance.”
Yeah, he’s a dumbass. His actions still had the basic effect of blowing the whistle. I don’t care what reason he had for his actions; if his actions were of the basic form of blowing the whistle, you don’t condemn that.
You could have easily said “Petruzelli’s dumb ass made a mistake he tried to backtrack on, and because of that, he is out of a job.” Fair. But you placed the blame on him for “costing fighters jobs”. It was the whistleblowing comments that cost fighters jobs, not the backtracking. Dumbass or not, you don’t blame a guy for whistleblowing actions, intended or not. It was the organization that cost those fighters jobs, not Petruzelli.
Petruzelli is not a “whistleblower” and should not be put up on a moral pedastal. By all accounts from people who have no reason to lie, he was the one who took the bribe to keep the fight standing and to not throw any Muay Thai-style kicks. He’s not some kind of innocent victim. If what numerous reputable people have said is true, he took a bribe and soiled the sport. Then he accidentally blew the whistle on himself in a radio interview, then he lied about it and claimed that he didn’t say what he said or that he didn’t mean what he said. That hardly fits the definition of “whistleblower.”
Ivan: the issue is not his intentions, it is the specific action of stating that he was bribed. If you are to blame him for fighters losing their jobs, you are blaming him for making that statement, because that statement set all the wheels in motion.
Regardless of the fact that he was bribed, or that he tried to backtrack afterward, THAT STATEMENT, that he was bribed, is a straight up whistleblowing statement. While Petruzelli can be blamed for taking the bribe and for being an idiot after he announced it, the simple fact that he announced it should not be used to cast aspersions on him. EliteXC cost fighters jobs, not Petruzelli.
While I certainly understand Zach’s distaste regarding Petruzelli & his role in what was a VERY sordid business in EliteXC. I think it’s important to recognize that it was through Seth’s actions in belting out his grossly over-hyped opponent that their unscrupulous practices were brought to light.
It’s not as if Petruzelli cost himself this now infamous contest by deliberately adhering to unwritten conditions that hampered his performance in any way. In fact, he won the fight with damn near ridiculous ease. Exposing Kevin Ferguson as the inept, hopelessly limited fighter that he is.
Something that all serious fans of MMA should be thankful to Petruzelli for IMO.
Unfortunately, for his sake, his post-fight comments the following day stole the headlines & tarnished all the goodwill & positive career benefits that the victory should have garnered him. Making me feel rather bad for him actually.
Wrong again. Showtime and CBS had the wheels in motion to purchase Pro Elite before Standgate occured. They had full intentions of moving forward. Seths big mouth fucked it all up. I’ll keep it pithy for my haters.
Its pathetic to listen and feel sorry for any of the morons running Proelite. Since its inception it was dishonest. Crooked deals, scams and deceitful actions of the principles. Shaw is a total crook….look how they screwed Ismail. Good to see them (shaw & company) and anyone else involved with that organization…go down. Ridiculous to look at the comments of any of those working or had worked there and feel sorry or have any sympathy for them.
good riddens Shaw, Lappen, Proelite, EliteXC….your roosters came home to roost
I’m not casting scorn on Petruzelli for accidentally revealing that he had taken a bribe. I’m casting scorn on him for taking a bribe in the first place. He should be suspended for that and that alone.
Ivan: ok, fair enough. He definitely deserves scorn of some nature. My issue is with what scorn he receives specifically. Zach is giving him scorn for something that is a direct result of the revelation. You can\’t give him scorn for the results of a good action, regardless of intention.
To blame him for those fighters losing their jobs misses the point completely. Petruzelli is to blame for taking the bribe, and he\’s to blame for ruining his own career. But those other fighters who lost their jobs, are the fault of the bribers, not the guy who announced that it took place.
If Petruzelli had NOT taken the bribe, then not backtracked, the fighters would have lost their jobs just the same, and he would have been a whistleblower pure and simple. He\’s not to blame for the fighters losing their jobs, regardless of his intentions.
Petruzelli isn’t a whistle-blower and what he did wasn’t whistle-blowing at all, he’s a guy who made a gaff on a radio show and then tried to cover his own ass the next day. Yea it’s not his fault that ProElite was a house of cards build over a snakepit but he doesn’t deserve any kind of respect just because he gaffed on a radio show either.
The only thing that was really sad about ProElite failing was all the EliteXC workers and fighters that lost their jobs and now even from the grave ProElite is screwing with the fighters. It is hard not to think of them as scumbags at this point.
jdavis: I’m not saying Petruzelli deserves respect. I’m saying be careful what you blame him of. Theres a thin line between blaming him for his bad actions, and scapegoating him for the things that he announced ProElite was doing wrong. Zach crossed that line.
Seth P needs like the majority of MMA fighters to understand the word Kayfabe.
If he was trying to hurt a company all he did was hurt the fighters…badly.
There are time when things need to be said but this wasn’t one of them. Everyday a fighter sits on his ass unable to work is not lost wages, its lost time on a very short career. They will never get that back either.
If Elite asked Seth to stand he could have done what he wanted once it hit the ring. What could they have really done? And since he won at that, absolutley no reason to mouth off.
Just damn irresponsible.
Double R
And now to prove that ProElite is out of business……their website is gone. Check it out for yourselves. http://www.proelite.com
But seriously, EXC is proving to be a scummy promotion with this charade now. Well, I hope some of these fighters have fall back plans…
[…] Let your fighters go free, Elite XC […]
According to Sam Caplan, a filing with the SEC has ProElite selling their assets at public auction on Nov 17. I wonder if the fighter contracts will be up for sale?
This is the last nail in the coffin for EXC.
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