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Gary Shaw, the Live Events President of EliteXC, held a conference call on Tuesday. Highlights include:
• Shaw addressed recent rumblings that Pro Elite has spent much more than it could ever recoup and is in danger of going under. A publicly traded company, Pro Elite has posted losses of $31.3 million through 2007. "Are we losing money? Yes, we're losing money," Shaw said. "Are we going to be here long term? Yes, we're going to be here long term. We're the only company out there that has a Showtime-type deal and a CBS deal. Nobody else has that to offer any athlete.
• Shaw verified that fighters in EliteXC events will not be allowed to wear Affliction-branded clothing due to the clothing giant's decision to promote its own rival event on July 19. "I think they're gonna find out that they're better off in the clothing business," Shaw said. "Stick with what you know, stick with what you do best and don't try and be somewhere that maybe you shouldn't be. Maybe they'll do one or two fights. My prediction will be that they'll be back in the clothing business."
• While Affliction's July 19 event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., will tout a deep lineup of notable names in the industry, including a formidable main event between former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and UFC counterpart Tim Sylvia, Shaw remains unconvinced. "Names don't make the fights," he commented. "The fighters make the fights, not the names of the fighters."
While UFC rakes in the cash, Shaw can't lose it fast enough! He criticises Affliction for getting into MMA and not knowing MMA when he is a long-time boxing promoter. He criticises Affliction for having big-name top ranked fighters as a bad idea, while he pushes circus acts like Kimbo as his poster child.
I bet Affliction doesn't lose $31.3 million!
• Shaw addressed recent rumblings that Pro Elite has spent much more than it could ever recoup and is in danger of going under. A publicly traded company, Pro Elite has posted losses of $31.3 million through 2007. "Are we losing money? Yes, we're losing money," Shaw said. "Are we going to be here long term? Yes, we're going to be here long term. We're the only company out there that has a Showtime-type deal and a CBS deal. Nobody else has that to offer any athlete.
• Shaw verified that fighters in EliteXC events will not be allowed to wear Affliction-branded clothing due to the clothing giant's decision to promote its own rival event on July 19. "I think they're gonna find out that they're better off in the clothing business," Shaw said. "Stick with what you know, stick with what you do best and don't try and be somewhere that maybe you shouldn't be. Maybe they'll do one or two fights. My prediction will be that they'll be back in the clothing business."
• While Affliction's July 19 event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., will tout a deep lineup of notable names in the industry, including a formidable main event between former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and UFC counterpart Tim Sylvia, Shaw remains unconvinced. "Names don't make the fights," he commented. "The fighters make the fights, not the names of the fighters."
While UFC rakes in the cash, Shaw can't lose it fast enough! He criticises Affliction for getting into MMA and not knowing MMA when he is a long-time boxing promoter. He criticises Affliction for having big-name top ranked fighters as a bad idea, while he pushes circus acts like Kimbo as his poster child.
I bet Affliction doesn't lose $31.3 million!
grinning from ear 2 ear when i heard how much they were losing, who knows maybe by this time next year we'll see cung le vs franklin or silva. big foot silva vs cro cop.
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