Embarassed for PRIDE...

w0264007 · 09-09-2006, 08:35 PM

Known for their love of the side-show, PRIDE has almost become a joke in the MMA world.

If it wasn't for their top-tiered talent holding up a sinking ship, PRIDE would not even have a toe-hold in the competition amongst MMA organizations.

I can't stand to see a guy like Paulo Cesar Silva in the ring. He has always been a black-eye for PRIDE, in my eyes, and of no fault of his own has become the butt of every MMA joke not having to do with Joe Son's balls of bronze.

PRIDE's reluctance to enter any sort of deal with the UFC in their 9 year history to bring a fighter over to North America is another embarrassment for them. While Dana White has 'loaned' (I'm not sure of the exact stipulations) numerous fighters to the Far-East, none have returned to fuel a relationship between the two.

PRIDE has also recently been rocked by a large scandal involving possible ties to organized crime (the yakuza being accused of using DSE as a front) and losing their main TV contract, which is possibly connected. I don't have all the answers here, but this entire situation stinks to high-heaven.

Throughout all the negativity surrounding PRIDE, they have been able to maintain their audience in Narth America for two reasons.

1) PRIDE has argueably the best stable of fighters among all MMA organizations. They are rivalled by the UFC, but popular sentiment is that PRIDE fighters are on average better than UFC fighters. Wherein perception is reality, this is a big boost to PRIDE's popularity in North America.

2) PRIDE is a japanese organization. For this reason alone, the PRIDE brand would carry weight with North Americans. Having seen a spike in the interest of American's in Japanese culture and art/entertainment over the last decade (Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon, anyone? Hentai for ****s sake?!) it is no surprise that they would also sway towards a Japanese fight organization. Add to this that before the UFC came into being there were two veins of martial arts fans in North America. There were the Karate fans (Japanese) and there were the Kung-Fu Fans (Chinese). A lot of fans of Karate and Kung-fu movies as children grew up to participate in those arts. Not only that, most also developed a strange adherence to Japanese/Chinese cultures and philosophy.

While not damning in it's own right, these things are very curious to someone like me when you add them all together. Now we will take another step forward.

PRIDE is presumably in financial trouble and can nolonger hold out on the large MMA market in North America that the UFC has built up from bankrupcy to legitamacy. And we see PRIDE coming to the west, desperate to tap into the UFC's market share.

And what do they do? Instead of building their fighters up to the fans, instead of toughing out a grueling hit-n-miss, trial and error formula for success, they do the ridiculus.

They invite Mike Tyson to take part.

Tyson is the most dispicable character in the North American sporting world. While the UFC has fought long and hard to dispel the stigma of human cock-fighting, the PRIDEorganizers have tried to tap it once again.

Tyson's only appeal is to the blood-thirsty, side-show loving moron-mold of sporting fan. Tyson ... for ****'s sake, Tyson?!

But what else would I suspect from an organization that continues to allow Giant Silva to fight? An organization that may be run by organized crime. An organization with no honour and no foresight.

An organization doomed.

PRIDE, you should be ashamed of yourself. Such a great stable of fighters, and you want them to take a backseat to a hack like Tyson? If I was a PRIDE fighter on that card, I would be looking to get out of my contract immediately. At least the UFC builds up it's own fighters.

SeikanJudanski · 09-09-2006, 09:02 PM

I suggest you watch the PPV this weekend, and be quite. It´s not PRIDE that is bad for MMA, it´s fans like you.

Nimmy · 09-09-2006, 09:18 PM

hmm interesting, you dont really like pride much.

in my opinion i havnt seen much of pride but when i do see or hear about it, it does seem to feature some odd characters with poor ability, sayign that the UFC has its tank abbots to.

this in my opinion is A japanese culture issue other than a specific pride issue, since pride is a japanese company and broadcast more there, then there is no problem, akebono, giant silva, sapp and other weird and wonderful characters make the orgainsation fun to watch at times.

i think you really should stop watching it if you dotn like it, if nto do something about it.

when you set up your own fight promotion and have the same kind of fighters such as fedor, silva (wanderlei that is), cro cop or the Nogs then il come and see it, if not then stop trying to rain on our parade and save your energy for something productive.

Nimmy · 09-09-2006, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeikanJudanski

I suggest you watch the PPV this weekend, and be quite. It´s not PRIDE that is bad for MMA, it´s fans like you.

maybe thats a bit harsh, everyone is entitled to their opinons, how justified or unjustified.

on a side note it was a well presented post he wrote

w0264007 · 09-09-2006, 09:37 PM

Oops..that actually was a news article...the link didn't post...I'll try and find it to add it in.

I like PRIDE ok. I just don't think it is as superior as some of its fans make it out to be.

SeikanJudanski · 09-09-2006, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimmy

maybe thats a bit harsh, everyone is entitled to their opinons, how justified or unjustified.

on a side note it was a well presented post he wrote

Everybody is entitled to their opinion, yes.. but one should keep it in the realms of reality.

Anyway, he said it wasn´t his own writing, it was a news article. So my words go to whoever wrote that.

nazzyfan · 09-09-2006, 09:46 PM

1) PRIDE has argueably the best stable of fighters among all MMA organizations. They are rivalled by the UFC, but popular sentiment is that PRIDE fighters are on average better than UFC fighters. Wherein perception is reality, this is a big boost to PRIDE's popularity in North America. -- All that really needs to be said.

Although I give you credit for putting thought into your post, it wasn't much more than verbal diarrhea in my opinion. I think maybe you forget what industry they are in. This upcoming fight card has me on pins and needles in anticipation. Do you think that if they put a Giant Silva, or a Mike Tyson on that card, that it would take away from what the other fighters are doing? No Way! Maybe it is a cultural thing, but MMA is about taking human beings from all walks of life and of all disciplines and giving them a chance to prove that they can compete in battle. I personally wouldn't mind seeing what sort of punching power Tyson has with those small MMA gloves as opposed to boxing gloves. I know it's a bit of a sideshow, but it is an interesting curiosity.

My advice to you is to get final conflict absolute sunday night and ENJOY!

AikaImmortal · 09-09-2006, 09:59 PM

Nice xenophobia...

lwbfl · 09-09-2006, 10:13 PM

I like PRIDE, even with all the mis-matches in the early stages of tourneys, freaks, fireworks and light shows. There is no doubt when your watching PRIDE FC! The only thing that has bummed me out with PRIDE is the fact that Saku left, but I'm still a huge PRIDE (and UFC, KOTC, TUF, ROTR, Cage Rage etc) fan.

Bomber · 09-09-2006, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nazzyfan

Although I give you credit for putting thought into your post, it wasn't much more than verbal diarrhea in my opinion.

It wasn't his post.

Some guys should use a little more care when posting someone else's writing. This is the third time I've seen this lately. How hard is it to include a reference?

asronn · 09-10-2006, 11:21 AM

ok now that I realize they werent his words, I would like to know the point of his post????

noknockout · 09-10-2006, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asronn

ok now that I realize they werent his words, I would like to know the point of his post????

The point is the same with every post...to stir up conversation about MMA.

w0264007 · 09-10-2006, 06:58 PM

Quote:

The point is the same with every post...to stir up conversation about MMA.

Exactly. I found an interesting, well written news thread, and decided to repost it here. Some of it I agree with, while some of it seems like justification for the conclusion to me. For some reason, the link and reference didn't post with the rest of the article...Has anyone else seen this and can provide a link? I thought I pulled it off of MMA weekly, but I search the site and couldn't find a relevant link.

(oke(lassic · 09-10-2006, 09:49 PM

the op of the thread is either new to Pride or just clueless. I don't know what's the key message of his post. Firstable, be it that Pride is associated with Yakuza or not, as long as it continues to deliver good fights and entertainment it has no effect on the fans whatsoever. He reasoned that Pride is reluctant to send their fighters overseas for fear of something and I have a guess of why they are. UFC is considered inferior in terms of providing rooms for athletes in MMA to demonstrate their arts- small ass octagon, and the wired cage allows people to cheat easier, one boring fighting style for the majority(stand up punching). Besides, UFC is more steered on extracting promotion money from sponsors like Xyience. Some times when I see a short fight like Liddell vs Sobra today, I suspect the outcome is staged because they have such a strong sponsorship from Xyience which is getting stoked on Liddell. Just listen to the speech at the end of each fight in UFC, I always feel like they're turning into WWE.

AikaImmortal · 09-10-2006, 10:16 PM

Hell, corruption has always been a part of combat sports.. from Don King to Mr. Ishii of K-1 being in jail in Japan for tax evasion.. it might not be something to be proud of, but it has been part of combat sports since bare knuckle fights in ireland in the 1800s being against the law but ignored by and wagered on by the law enforcement.. everyone is blowing it out of proportion.

Grave · 09-11-2006, 01:22 AM

I'm embarrassed for Pride, for hiring Mike FRIGGIN' Tyson....and making the deal that the only matches he'll do are strictly BOXING.

Oh please. You'd NEVER see that kind B.S happening in UFC! Lame.

I wonder which MMA fighter they'll pick to FORCE into a boxing match with that goof. They'll probabley pick a fighter they know they can feed to mike for his debut, like a guy who is pretty good in all other MMA-elements, but only average when it comes to sheer-standup game.

Crashsti · 09-11-2006, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grave

I'm embarrassed for Pride, for hiring Mike FRIGGIN' Tyson....and making the deal that the only matches he'll do are strictly BOXING.

Oh please. You'd NEVER see that kind B.S happening in UFC! Lame.

I wonder which MMA fighter they'll pick to FORCE into a boxing match with that goof. They'll probabley pick a fighter they know they can feed to mike for his debut, like a guy who is pretty good in all other MMA-elements, but only average when it comes to sheer-standup game.

the UFC did'nt get Tyson, we got Sean Gannon instead. that was by far one of the lowest points in the Dana White era UFC thus far.

Flying Triangle Choke · 09-12-2006, 12:27 AM

What I want to know is how can anyone possibly "diss" Pride after they continue to put on quality event after quality event? The PPV the other night was fantastic.

Crashsti · 09-12-2006, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hughespowerslam

What I want to know is how can anyone possibly "diss" Pride after they continue to put on quality event after quality event? The PPV the other night was fantastic.

Alot of Americans have never even heard of PrideFC so when they do see an event they are often confused by the between fight entertainment. i thought my friends were going to die laughing when they saw Mr. Takada beating on those drums in his underwear. its culture shock i think. everyone likes to use Giant Silva as a black eye for Pride but they ignore that the UFC has brought in thier fair share of cans over the years as well, especially early on. its also blind UFC allegiance in some cases. Joe Rogan does always say that the UFC is the #1 MMA event in the world repeatedly.

marnold · 09-12-2006, 03:25 PM

I think this is a thought-provoking post, and we should not shoot the messenger. Final Conflict was very entertaining. Better than most UFC cards and as good as Ultimate Fight Nights. Odd, eh. Pride has quite a bit to work on, and I cannot argue with the author's stance on Mike Tyson. Why not give PRIDE to Don King while we're at it. We love PRIDE and should be able to be critical when the sport needs it; not to tear it down, but to allow it to grow and flourish.