Below is a press release issued by EliteXC on Monday....

LOS ANGELES (April 14, 2008) – Fans can continue to expect to see mixed martial arts standouts and fan favorites Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano and Robbie Lawler fighting for Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, for a long, long time.

“I am proud and very excited to announce that Kimbo, Gina and Robbie have all re-signed with us,’’ EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw said today. Terms of the long-term, multi-year agreements were not disclosed.

Kimbo, Carano and Lawler are three of EliteXC’s most popular, talented and exciting fighters and all will be featured Saturday, May 31, in the first of four prime time events on the CBS Television Network in 2008.

Kimbo (2-0) of Perrine, Fla., and Carano (5-0) of Las Vegas will face fighters to be announced while the exciting Lawler (15-4) of St. Louis will defend his EliteXC middleweight title against hard-hitting Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith (15-4) of Sacramento, Calif., in a slugfest that figures to be non-stop, toe-to-toe action.

The official lineup for the historic MMA card, the first on network television, will formally be announced in the next few days. The highly anticipated event will emanate from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

“We’re extremely happy to get these deals done with Kimbo, Gina and Robbie,’’ Shaw said. “Fighters know EliteXC is the place to be and the organization to fight for, which is why we’ve always been able to sign or re-sign almost each and every one of our fighters.

“You don’t see our guys leaving. With us, it’s family and all about the fighters. Every fighter who has fought on an EliteXC card has come away being ambassadors for EliteXC.

 “Kimbo has already become an MMA star due to his incredible popularity on YouTube. His backyard street fights are legendary. No question Kimbo has made a successful transition from Street to Elite and is on his way to becoming a superstar and world champion.

“Gina became an instant star after her first fight for EliteXC and has gone on to gain even more national prominence. She truly is the face of women’s MMA, an inspiration to many up-and-coming athletes and is a perfect illustration as to why women do indeed have a place in this sport and with EliteXC.

“Robbie’s nicknamed ‘Ruthless’ – what more you need to know? He’s tough, hard-nosed and always been highly regarded. EliteXC is extremely proud to have Robbie as its world middleweight champion. Robbie has shown time and again that he’s one of the most thrilling fighters in any weight class in MMA.

“For sheer action and power, it doesn’t get better than ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler versus Scott ‘Hands Of Steel’ Smith.’’

--

Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

This past weekend MMA journalists were subjected to another lecture regarding rankings by a promoter grandstanding for his fighters.

No, Dana White wasn't making the case for Anderson Silva as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world this past Saturday in San Jose, Calif. Instead, we had EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw stating that Jake Shields in the number one fighter in his weight class and that Cung Le is a top ten middleweight.

Shaw is entitled to his opinion but so am I. And I beg to differ on both of his assertions. Normally I wouldn't make a big stink but I hate it when a promoter tries to guilt the media into giving his fighters more props. It's self-serving and insulting in the sense that it implies we aren't knowledgeable enough to form our own opinions and we should just take their word for it -- as if they are impartial in regards to the matter of world rankings.

My issue when White made his campaign for Silva following UFC 82 wasn't the content of his message, but the context. It's hard to make a case against Silva as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Personally, I don't agree. That said, I realize I am in the minority in the belief that Georges St. Pierre is number one with Silva being ranked two. My issue was White pretty much saying that if you don't think Silva is number one that you're an idiot and or you're only withholding him as number one because you don't like Dana White.

In regards to Shaw, I had issues with both the content and context. He pretty much came out and said those who aren't ranking more of his fighters are hurting the sport. That's hardly going to warm the MMA media up to his perspective. Condescension just isn't all that tactful.

So context was an issue, but I had a bigger beef with the content. Shields number one at 170 pounds? Look, I hate having to take this position because it comes off as me denigrating Shields when that isn't the case. Save Gary Shaw, I don't know anyone who has him ranked higher than I do as the fourth best welterweight in the world. I think Shields is great and is one of the most underrated fighters in the sport. While he hasn't been presented with top fighter while with EliteXC, he was able to defeat some top guys before signing with EliteXC.

But Shields as number one? C'mon now. I haven't seen a single website, blog, magazine, or television show that has Shields ranked as number one. White at least has a ground swell of public support out there supporting his claim about Silva. But what Shaw is basically saying is that everyone is wrong about Shields.

I understand that it's the job of a promoter to sell their product and get people excited about their fighters, but I just think some of them need to improve their stumping methods. The old school style of a boxing promoter just talking a bunch of nonsense hasn't helped boxing in recent years and it's just not going to fly in MMA. If you are going to take a contrarian viewpoint, you at least have to interject some logic into your argument in order for anything you say to have any credibility. A promoter in MMA needs to hype his product but he needs to do it in a semi-realistic fashion.

With the way Shaw expressed his viewpoint Saturday night, I feel like he might actually be doing Shields a disservice because some pundits might feel that moving him up in the rankings could be construed as them bowing to Shaw's wishes. And before a reader points the finger at me -- I'll rank a fighter the way I see it without concern of how a fan, fighter, or promoter will react. My thoughts are my thoughts. People can either take them or leave them.

Shaw needs to give the people more substance when he stumps for his guys. Saying Shields is number one and everyone needs to just accept his word as gospel (not his exact words but pretty close in my opinion) just isn't going to cut it. Why not come out and say, "My personal opinion is that Shields is number one in his weight class and if the UFC gave him an opportunity to fight Georges St. Pierre or Matt Serra, he'd beat either of those fighters. I realize the UFC doesn't like the idea of co-promotions, so I'll go far as to offer to loan Shields to them without asking them to mention EliteXC. Not only that, but I will pay Shields' purse and the purse of his opponent. I just want Shields to have the opportunity to prove that he's the best."

Okay, we all know the UFC would never accept such an offer and such a public proposal would be grandstanding. However, people can at least grab onto such a concept as opposed to completely dismissing Shaw's original statement. If promoters want to campaign for their fighters they need to give us something with some teeth.

In regards to Le, Shaw made his case by saying that "Le isn't even one of my fighters." Well, that's partially true. Le is under contract to Strikeforce. However, he appeared on a SHOWTIME pay-per-view last June and his win over Tony Fryklund has been shown several times on SHOWTIME. Le's win against Frank Shamrock on Saturday was televised live on SHOWTIME. And since Shamrock's remaining fight with Strikeforce will be shown on SHOWTIME or SHOWTIME pay-per-view and a rematch with Le is likely at some point, Shaw has a financial interest in pundits helping lend credibility to Le.

Once again, I'm put in a position as coming off negative about a fighter when I respond to Shaw's statement. I think Cung Le is a very exciting fighter with top ten ability. I'm just as big of a Le fan in MMA as anyone. Having a background in traditional standup martial arts, I think I know more about him than the typical MMA fan or writer because Le was promoted as a god in traditional styles. Le might come from San Shou, but San Shou is more than a sport in my eyes than an actual style. It's essentially full contact Karate/Kung Fu with takedowns. Le was embraced by the Kung Fu and Karate community and in fact first became exposed to him through Kung Fu Magazine.

So I do believe Le will one day be a top ten middleweight. But today? No way. My belief has always been that in order to be top ten you need to beat fighters that are in the top ten. Either that or you need to pull a Ben Rothwell and fight 5-6 times a year and completely dominate everyone put in front of you. Le's win over Shamrock was huge but Shamrock isn't top ten. When he left the sport in '99, he was the pound-for-pound best. But since he's come back, Shamrock has selected his opponents based off box office potential and not world ranking. Considering Frank was short changed during the first act of his career, I have no problems with how he's guiding his own career. But a wins over Cesar Gracie and Phil Baroni and losses to Renzo Gracie (via DQ) and Cung Le aren't enough to get him back into the top ten.

But regardless of content, it all comes down to context as to whether a promoter's stance is going to get the push from the press he seeks. When a promoter comes off as desperate such as Shaw and White have when they've issued their rhetoric, the natural reaction is skepticism. Shaw, White, and any other promoter can campaign all they want for their fighter but they need to realize that whining and trying to persecute the media for their beliefs isn't going to do any favors for their fighters.

From a friend's perspective, I'd love to see these pointless debates end and just have the best of the best fight each other so we can end the inherent subjectiveness that comes with rankings. There's nothing more honest than one fighter beating another.

--

Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

A bout featuring heavyweights Mike Kyle and Wayne Cole has been scheduled to replace a postponed EliteXC welterweight title match between Jake Shields and Drew Fickett that had been planned for Saturday's co-promoted card by Strikeforce and EliteXC.

Fickett will remain on the card against an unnamed opponent. His bout has been removed from the televised portion of the show, but could still air, time permitting. It is believed that Fickett needs to win the fight in order to guarantee a future title fight against Shields.

ProElite.com's homepage initially listed the replacement bout as Cole vs. Mike Pyle, but this blog has since learned that the homepage report is not correct.

Kyle's inclusion on the card will no doubt be met with controversy. He was just recently reinstated by the California State Athletic Commission after having been suspended following his WEC 20 bout against Brian Olsen in May of 2006.

Kyle illegally kicked Olsen while he was down and then threw repeated blows after the referee attempted to stop the fight. It took a second referee, Herb Dean, to help break the action. Olsen suffered multiple fractures to his face due to the illegal strikes.

Cole went 0-2 while competing for the IFL in 2007. He suffered a second round knockout against Antoine Jaoude during the IFL's Los Angeles event last March and lost a unanimous decision to Bryan Vetell during the IFL semifinals last August in New Jersey. Currently on a two fight win streak, Cole has also competed for the Masters of the Cage, Cage Fury Fighting Championships, and Cage Combat Championships promotions.

ProElite.com has also confirmed that former UFC fighter Ryan Jensen has been signed to replace Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos in a middleweight bout vs. Joey Villasenor during Saturday's show, which will be held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Jensen was 0-2 during his brief stint in the UFC, submitting to Thales Leites in the first round at UFC 74 in August and losing again due to a first round submission against Demian Maia at UFC 77 this past October.

--

Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

If you're reading this site, chances are you resemble something closer to a hardcore MMA fan than a casual one. And as hardcore fans, so many of us live in what I call "the bubble."

When you live life in the bubble, you really on see things from the inside and don't have much perspective of what life is like from an outsider's perspective. For me, these days I rarely interact with people who aren't diehard into MMA whether it be fighters, managers, promoters, etc. These days, most of my friends have some sort of tie to the MMA industry. Even when I'm not working and interacting with my family I'm still dealing with people on the inside of the bubble since my wife is an amateur fighter and my son trains jiu-jitsu on a daily basis.

So my experience on Friday night was quite interesting because for the first time since I can really remember, I was able to watch MMA with people that knew very little about the sport.

In watching it with them I observed many telling details. On one hand I felt it was unfair to make judgments based on their perspectives considering I was only in a room with about 10 people. But then I realized, if EliteXC is going to survive long-term on network TV, these are the kinds of people that they are going to live and die with. Appealing to hardcore MMA fans only isn't going to cut it. Hell, I don't think even appealing to casual MMA fans is going to get the job done either. The CBS telecasts need to make people that aren't MMA fans into fans.

I watched ShoXC on SHOWTIME right after a fantasy baseball draft. During the draft everyone was watching CBS because it seemed like I was the only one there not involved with some sort of NCAA poll. We saw a few of the "Saturday Night Fights" commercials and I think just about everyone there knew who Kimbo Slice was. In fact, towards the later rounds, one guy even jokingly called out Kimbo's name when it was time to announce his pick.

While just about everyone knew Kimbo and knew CBS was getting into the MMA business, very few knew what EliteXC was.

The guys in the room pretty much ranged from 24 to 28 years of age. Most of them were single males who spend a lot of their time watching sports. They get together and watch sporting events at bars and at each other's houses. They are into baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. A lot of them also grew up watching professional wrestling and some of them still watch it on a regular basis. Some of them were even planning to watch Wrestlemania together next weekend. If I haven't already made it clear, I think what I just described is the typical sports fan that needs to be won over in order for MMA to have any chance to survive on network TV and grow into something bigger.

So while watching ShoXC after the draft, everyone seemed to assume that what we were watching was EliteXC. And technically that is true. But ShoXC is really a "B" brand of EliteXC. It's a proving ground for fighters to see if they can fight on the bigger show. However, I really didn't feel a need to explain that to them. Quite frankly, it's not my responsibility. I know some of the haters reading this will say, "But you work for the company." Well, I work for ProElite.com which is a separate company than EliteXC. Yes, they are both owned by the same parent company, ProElite, Inc. But I don't answer to anyone as EliteXC and the only time I interact with anyone at the promotion is if I'm trying to get information on a story.

So it's not my job to explain the brand identities of ProElite, Inc. to the casual fan. It's the responsibility of the company itself. And to be honest, I'm not sure it's doing a great job at that because let's face it, it's pretty damn confusing. ProElite? ProElite.com? EliteXC? ShoXC? It's tough for people to explain because it takes like an hour to do it. I just don't see why steps haven't been taken to simplify things. What I see happening on May 31 is a lot of people tuning in to see Kimbo Slice and not really understanding exactly what promotion he's fighting for.

I've always believed that the name "EliteXC" was a very awkward name. The people in the room I watched ShoXC grew up watching pro wrestling and boxing. They knew NWA, WCW, WWF, WWE, WBO, WBA, IBF, etc. It's all about initials with them. When UFC came up, the name rolled off their tongue. When they tried to say the name "EliteXC," they seemingly stammered because it was almost if they weren't comfortable. I just don't know why the promotion doesn't just go by the initials of E-X-C.

I also think it might be time to do away with the ShoXC name and concept. The guys watching the show that night were not impressed. To them, they had no idea that Jaime Fletcher isn't a guy who isn't going to appear on CBS' first MMA show. And I'm not trying to disrespect Jaime. He's a good guy and that was a good win for him Friday. But he's simply not on the card for 5/31.

The point I am trying to convey is that the assumption from the guys was that what they saw that night was the best the promotion had to offer. I think it's a huge hindrance to a promotion that aims to builds its brand and does so by putting less than their best foot forward.

One could argue that the UFC puts on less than its best with "The Ultimate Fighter" and that the concept of the show isn't all that different from ShoXC in that it's a group of fighters trying to earn a bigger opportunity. The thing is, the TUF concept makes it pretty clear within minutes that the fighters aren't in the UFC and are trying to gain entry into the UFC. People on the Internet mock Dana White's "Do you want to be a f----- fighter!?" speach all the time, but to the casual viewer, that sends a direct message that the fighters you are watching aren't in the UFC and have to earn the right to fight there.

You could also make an argument that TUF finales and UFC Fight Nights are "B" shows for the UFC. But when you tune in, you are getting the UFC brand name and you are getting UFC fighters. Maybe you aren't getting Chuck Liddell or Brock Lesnar, but we still saw Clay Guida vs. Roger Huerta in December and we'll be seeing Karo Parisyan, Kenny Florian, Joe Lauzon, and many other fighters who are easily identifiable with the UFC brand.

A lot of the guys watching on Friday walked away more familiar with the ShoXC named than EliteXC and I'm not really sure they realized they were one in the same. And there really wasn't any fighter on the card they walked away excited about. With the way the sport is changing, I think it might be a good idea to drop the ShoXC concept and only use the EXC name for SHOWTIME telecasts.

You'd have to think that SHOWTIME might be interested in doing away with ShoXC as well. With at four EliteXC shows possibly airing on CBS this year, much of the MMA that SHOWTIME will be televising this year will be ShoXC. From a ratings and sales perspective, you'd think they'd want to capitalize on the added attention that the CBS shows will bring the brand. Isn't a lot easier to sell a subscriber on the fact that by ordering SHOWTIME they get to see EliteXC shows that aren't scheduled for CBS as opposed to selling them on the ShoXC name?

With the name change, the promotion should also increase the profile of fighters that are fighting on the shows. Instead of putting fighters on to be evaluated, the only fighters that appear in televised fights should be actual EliteXC fighters. Again, it all goes back to putting your best foot forward and making the best impression possible -- something that's easy to lose sight of when you live in the bubble. TV time is money, so why try and sell a fighter to the public that you don't fully believe in? EliteXC has the non-televised portion of shows and also King of the Cage as proving grounds for fighters.

Beefing up all the SHOWTIME cards might not be feasible for a promotion that's still building out divisions. And if that's the case, they might want to consider running fewer shows until they are ready.

I will say this: EliteXC has the right idea with the configuration of the card they are putting together for 5/31. The matches seem like they are being put together with the intent to deliver quick knockouts. Quick knockouts is what gets non-fans watching the sport excited. They don't want to see ground fighting. They don't want to see guys standing an not engaging. They aren't able to appreciate what hardcore fans like us are able to. The guys really didn't get excited during the Fletcher vs. Aaron Rosa fight until Fletcher landed that big shot towards the end. And when Heun vs. Mathias hit the ground, they were less than enthused. Hardcore fans can preach all they want that it's the responsibility of the promotions to educate the fans about ground fighting, but how can you teach them when they all tune out once the fight slows down?

I also feel an overwhelming urge to comment on BET's Iron Ring. After reading messages about it on the UG and other forums, I was expecting something really bad. Some of the messages I read claimed the show was the worst thing to happen to MMA. After watching the show, my response is: lighten up, Francis.

Really, what's the big deal? Granted, I only watched the half-hour introductory episode last night, but what I saw isn't going to do any harm to MMA. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's going to take the sport to another level, but after seeing the show in light of the comments I read, I think it's once again a case of overly-opinionated people on the Internet being hyper-critical. Then again, isn't that what the Internet is all about?

I have to admit, I was even mildly entertained by the show. I thought the show did a good show in conveying a back story to the whole concept. In fact, I really believe the show I saw last night did a better job of getting me interested in the team concept than the early IFL shows on MyNetworkTV. The program established the identity of each owner and allowed them to sell their personality so that when their team competes you will have an understanding of what's at stake.

I don't think the show portrayed MMA in a negative light at all. In fact, I really liked when Nelly talked about how MMA differed from boxing. The show clearly wasn't geared towards hardcore fans and was intended for people who might not be as familiar with the sport. I don't feel the show really cheapened anything or mis-represented MMA. I also liked how the show tried to focus on MMA's place in an urban environment and the value of the self-defense aspect of MMA. That's a big reason why I support MMA because after studying several styles of martial arts, I can honestly say that out of all of them, MMA is the most practical to use in a self-defense situation. A lot of what you're taught in a gym can help you outside of it.

I won't be making it a point to watch Iron Ring every week, but based on what I saw last night, if I'm flipping channels and it happens to be on, I won't have a problem tuning in.

Before I get out of here I want to mention that I spent most of my Saturday in Cherry Hill, NJ at an MMA/Muay Thai smoker hosted by Brad Daddis' Philly/Jersey MMA Academies. I really enjoyed the fights and it was great seeing so many people that have taken up the sport display the courage to step through the ropes or inside the cage and compete.

Having trained in traditional martial arts, one of by biggest gripes with the way things were done was that so few people were willing to compete and try to apply their technique in real situations. How do you know your art is any good if you don't put it to the test? You can't engage in street fighting to to see if what you're learning is legit so the next closest thing is competition.

I'm not going to give a thorough review of the event because fighters competing I think smokers should be more of a private thing. Many who compete are still relatively new to MMA and are just trying things out. I don't feel it's right to put their performances under a microscope. Which brings me to my next gripe.

This was the first smoker I've been to in a while. At the gym, after the past few smokers I've heard other people ask about recent smokers they were at and the response is usually negative. They complain about the technique that they see and the quality of the fights. Well, smokers are dress rehearsals for higher-level amateur fights. They are intended for people to build up experience before they fight outside of a school. Frankly, you really aren't supposed to be overly impressed by anything you see at a smoker. If you are, then you should wonder whether it's time for a fighter to move up because the last thing you want to see is his or her opponent getting overwhelmed and getting hurt.

I have to say though that I enjoyed a lot of the matches I saw at Brad's school on Saturday. The match making was excellent with no more than a few mis-matches. In a lot of the fights, I'd see someone lose the first round only to come back and take the fight by winning the next two. I couldn't believe how many momentum changes I saw but that was a testament to the quality of match-making and making sure everyone was competing on an even playing field.

I was also surprised by the level of technique I saw from a lot of the fighters. And of the ones who didn't have the best technique, you could see with a lot of them that it's simply a matter of time until their body catches up to what their brain is trying to tell them to do. A lot of them knew when to use certain things, they just need to work on their muscle memory.

But I did see several fighters with potential on the shows who are probably pretty close to fighting on a regional amateur level. Of the ones who aren't ready, they can go back to class knowing a lot more about themselves as a fighter than they did before. And to me, that's what a smoker is all about.

--

Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

During a post-fight press conference following Cage Rage 25 last Saturday night in London, EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw revealed that an announcement concerning a change with parent company ProElite's Chief Executive Officer was about to be made by the company.

According to a recent SEC filing obtained by FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) through ProElite's corporate website, former YouBet.com CEO Charles Champion has been named ProElite's new chief executive, replacing former CEO Doug DeLuca. DeLuca has been elevated to the position of Executive Chairman of the company's Board of Directors and also its Chief Strategy Officer.

Champion, 53, began working with Youbet as its President in March of 2002 and was elevated to the position of CEO in December of that same year. He added the responsibilities of Chief Operating Officer in August of 2005. He resigned from the company on November 28, 2007.

Prior to joining Youbet, Champion's background had been in publishing, serving on the business operations side with the Chicago Sun-Times, Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News, Los Angeles Daily News, and the Orange County Register.

According to the SEC filing, Champion's agreement with ProElite is for two years at an annual salary of $240,000. He was also granted five-year options to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of the company's common stock at a purchase price of $2 per share.

The filing also states that Edward Hanson's employment as the company's Chief Financial Officer has been terminated. Hanson's severance package includes five months salary ($76,569), a one month contract to serve as a consultant to the company at a rate of $15,300, and a $25,000 bonus. He will also receive an apartment lease allowance of $8,250 and relocation expenses of $3,250. Dale Bolen, the company's Controller, has been named interim CFO, according to the filing with the SEC.

The revelation of change in ProElite's upper management comes just two weeks after it was first reported by MMAjunkie.com that the company had entered into an agreement with CBS to televise four of its Elite Xtreme Combat fight promotion's events in 2008.

ProElite officials were unavailable for comment.

--

Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

The potential card for the televised portion of SHOWTIME's telecast of EliteXC's ShoXC event scheduled for April 5 has been revealed.

According to the Table Mountain Casino website, a poster for the event indicates that a match between light heavyweights Jared Hamman vs. Poai Suganuma is slated to serve as the featured bout on the card.

The rest of the card is comprised of matches between Giva Santana vs. Matt Lucas, Fabricio Camoes vs. Joe Camacho, and Wilson Reis vs. Doug Evans.

A fifth match featuring Shayna Baszler vs. a yet to be determined opponent is also listed as well.

Five other matches during the non-televised portion of the show are also being advertised with the undercard scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. PT. SHOWTIME's telecast will begin at 11 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. local time.

--

Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

Bouts for EliteXC's first-ever telecast on CBS have yet to be formally announced yet speculation about which fighters will be involved with the card is starting to heat up. In light of the growing curiosity of the much-anticipated show, I decided to do some fantasy booking for the show in regard to what I think is the best strategic approach to take. I want to preface that the matches I will propose in this article are simply my personal ideas and are based on no inside information (unless expressly stated).

I want to start off but stating that I think EliteXC should wait to hold the show until June. As of now, late-April and early-May have been discussed by the media as the potential time-frame for the first show but I subscribe to the theory that you only get one chance to make a first impression. A lot is riding on the first show and the more time that's devoted to planning, the better. The additional time available to market the fights and the more time allotted to fighters to train for specific opponents could make a noticeable difference when it comes to the end product.

The June date is also essential if published reports that the promotion is looking to hold the show in New Jersey are true. Right now the Jersey MMA market is being flooded with shows. Regional promotions such as Ring of Combat and BattleCage Xtreme are holding cards in Atlantic City during the months of March and April while national promotions such as Bob Meyrowitz's YAMMA Pit Fighting and the IFL are scheduled to hold shows in the state in April.

Adding to the complexity of the situation is that the Prudential Center in Newark is under consideration for the first show, according to this week's print edition of the Wrestling Observer. The Prudential Center is a large arena and it might not be the best time to sell tickets to a New Jersey/Philadelphia/New York fanbase that might be lacking funds following an active two months of shows.

Here's the five-match card that I'd like to see for the CBS debut:

* Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Sean Gannon - The ideal opponent for Kimbo would have been Ken Shamrock, but that ship not only sailed this past Saturday night in London, it capsized. With only two official fights under his belt and Kimbo's strong value to the promotion as its biggest star, the perfect opponent for Slice is someone that is a recognizable name that also isn't a tremendous threat to beat him. There are many fighters that possess one of the aforementioned attributes, but few that possess both.

The reality is that being on network television means that the promotion will be introducing itself to many viewers who haven't heard of EliteXC. As such, the name recognition aspect may not be all that big of a deal because even if the guy is known to Bob Hardoce, chances are he'll still be unkown to Joe Average Fan. That being said, you still want an opponent that will at least get some people excited in hopes that some sort of buzz can be created that will get people talking. Sean Gannon is that guy.

Based on Gannon's previous win over Slice in a non-sanctioned street fight that is available on YouTube, there is a history between the two that you can sell to the audience through interviews, barker shows, and whatever other vehicles are utilized to promote the show. Kimbo's fanbase will be energized by the matchup and a strong reaction to the fight from the live audience could leave someone at home that has no idea who Slice and Gannon are with the feeling that they should know.

Gannon is going to want a lot of money for this fight and there's a strong belief that with his win over Shamrock at Cage Rage 25, Robert "Buzz" Berry is the front-runner to fight Kimbo next. I just think Gannon is the better option if he can be convinced to come down from his alleged asking price because too many critics will complain that Berry isn't a legitimate test for Kimbo. Some of those critics will say the same about Gannon but at least the promotion will be able to respond to critics who make that claim with the argument that Gannon once beat Kimbo.

There will also be those that claim that Gannon is nothing more than a glorified street fighter but the truth is that Gannon is a former law enforcement official, has trained MMA at several notable gyms in the Massachusetts area, and even has competed once in the UFC.

The final part of the Gannon equation is whether this is a fight that Slice can perform well in. While Gannon won their street fight, the result was not without controversy and the rematch would be held under MMA rules. Slice's cardio is much improved since he crossed over to MMA and some of the fundamental takedown ability he displayed in his exhibition match against Ray Mercer raises the possibility that he could implement a plan B if he found himself losing the standup exchange.

* Frank Shamrock vs. Renzo Gracie - When EliteXC debuted on SHOWTIME last February a bout featuring the first families of MMA was chosen as its go-to match. If the promotion was confident in Shamrock vs. Gracie as the main event for its first telecast on SHOWTIME, why not go back to it as the co-main event for its first telecast on CBS?

Let me state for the record that I realize the idea of having Shamrock and Kimbo on the same card in a non-PPV situation isn't feasible. Shamrock isn't cheap and his inclusion alone could put the show over budget. You throw Gracie's price tag into the mix and you pretty much walk into a situation where your first CBS show could actually be a money-loser. But it all goes back to the belief that you only get one chance to make a good first impression. There's also the fact that even though EliteXC's deal with CBS is for four fights this year, the reality is that if this doesn't perform in the ratings that there might not be a second show. If the show fails with both Kimbo and Shamrock on it, EliteXC can at least take some comfort in knowing that they left nothing on the table.

Shamrock vs. Gracie II is a way for EliteXC to get ensure that the promotion gets a second franchise player on the card in a match that can easily be sold to the general public. Many critics are going to label vs. Slice vs. Gannon as a street fight in the cage but Shamrock vs. Gracie II brings a certain legitimacy to the show. The concept of having something for everyone was a winning recipe for its successful show in Miami so why not try and use that show as a template?

Getting Renzo to sign on for this show won't be easy because he was the initial choice to face Shamrock in March. Gracie reportedly was not responsive to the idea of fighting Shamrock again and when they couldn't secure him, Cung Le was chosen as Shamrock's opponent for March. But booking Shamrock vs. Gracie II is not only a pre-emptive defense against critics, it's also a way to make sure the Prudential Center (if it's booked) looks full on TV. Gracie has a school in Manhattan and lives in North Jersey and his IFL team drew well at the Izod Center last August during the championship semifinals. My belief is that he'll draw even better if he's fighting as opposed to coaching.

* K.J. Noons vs. Yves Edwards - Noons vs. Edwards fits perfectly into the concept of something for everyone. You've got the grudge match brawl between Gannon vs. Slice, the living legends in Shamrock vs. Gracie, and then a title fight between two athletic fighters that are good on their feet. This is the fight you sell to the hardcores because Noons and Edwards match up well with each other.

You can also sell Noons and Edwards to the general public. Noons is the young guy who has been training in martial arts since a young age. That sends the message to the public that you just can't walk into a dojo one day and a few months later compete at a championship level. Noons is also a reserved guy that has manners. Normally you'd like to see fighters be more outspoken but on a card that features larger than life personalities such as Slice and Shamrock, someone like Noons brings some levity.

Edwards also has a great storyline in that he was once on top of the world but suffered a massive fall from grace. After changing camps he's undergone a resurgence and is on the verge of getting back to the top. The fact that he stayed with MMA when he was down and almost out due to his passion for the sport is definitely the type of thing that could leave a first-time viewer with a positive impression.

Most importantly, the type of fight these two are capable of is the kind of thing that could get people talking about at the water cooler at work on Monday morning.

* Gina Carano vs. Shayna Baszler - Like Gracie vs. Shamrock, EliteXC had enough faith in Carano for their first show and she delivered big-time. It's time to try and catch lightning in a bottle again and nobody is more deserving of a chance in EliteXC to fight Carano than Baszler.

Some might say that presenting female MMA to an audience that will largely be comprised of neophytes is a big risk, but I don't see it that way. Carano's star has increased since her stint during the first season of "American Gladiators" and her fights have all been entertaining. Baszler is without question one of the better female competitors in the sport and there's a chance that a match between the two could actually steal the show.

I also believe that female MMA adds a human element to the show. I can't put my finger on it but there was just something about the Carano vs. Kedzie fight that added legitimacy to the card. I've heard critics say that female fighting is more barbaric than when males fight but a lot of those critics disappeared following the display of class from both Kedzie and Carano. There's also the fact that I believe the best way to win females over as fans is for them to actually see females compete on big shows. I know several females that had negative outlooks towards MMA until they saw either Carano, Baszler, or Tara LaRosa compete.

* Eddie Alvarez vs. Paul Daley - Feasibility is an issue with Gannon and Gracie and it will be with Daley since he's publicly said that he intends to retire after his next fight on March 29. However, in meeting the guy this past January I saw a fighter that was passionate about the sport. My guess is that he's frustrated and that if the right opportunities are presented to him, he'll change his tune. So why not present him with a chance to compete in front of a national audience in the U.S. on CBS in a match to determine the number one contender for EliteXC's lightweight title?

On the flip side, if you look at fighters that have the potential to benefit the most from the additional exposure that CBS will bring, Alvarez has to be at the top of the list. His aggressive style translates well to TV and he has the aura of a star. He came off a big-time during the Jan. 25 ShoXC telecast with the hometown reaction he received in front of the crowd in Atlantic City and he'll look like a star once again if he gets a similar reaction on CBS. Basically, in Alvarez you not only have a guy who is good for TV, but he'll also generate some ticket sales as well since Newark isn't all that far from Alvarez's hometown of Philadelphia.

I also like the fact that Daley called out Alvarez following his win over Sammy Morgan on the same ShoXC card that Alvarez headlined in January. So you have a natural storyline to their fight and their aggressive styles creates the potential for a nice payoff.

The way I see it is that a match between Alvarez and Daley on national TV is a win/win because you're guaranteed that at least one fighter is going to come out of the match a bigger star than he was going into it.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

ProElite-owned Elite Xtreme Combat announced a near-complete card on Monday afternoon for its next scheduled ShoXC show set for March 21 in Santa Ynez, Calif. at the Chumash Hotel & Casino.

The event, to be televised on SHOWTIME, will feature a main event involving Muay Thai sensation Malaipet taking on King of the Cage veteran Thomas "Wildman" Denny. 

Other planned televised bouts that were announced include Shane Del Rosario (3-0) vs. Analu Brash (2-1), Brazilian Marlon Matias (5-1) vs. Conor Huen (6-2),  Mark Oshiro (9-1) vs. Chris Caraiso (6-0) , and a female MMA match pitting Brazilian Cristiane Cyborg (5-0) vs. Jen Chase (4-1).

Bouts scheduled for the non-televised portion of the card include Karen Darabedyn (2-1) vs. TBA,  Devin Howard (debut) vs. Mark Kempthorne (1-4); Amadeo Viola (0-1) vs. Jason Williams (debut), Luke Riddering (debut) vs. TBA; and Kenny Johnson (debut) vs. TBA. 

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

Thursday's announcement by ProElite that it had reached an agreement with CBS to televise four EliteXC events garnered a great deal of coverage in the mainstream press. And while we know a little more than we did when the initial report of the deal surfaced Wednesday, there still has not been a lot reported in regard to details pertaining to the deal.

On that note, I was able to speak with ProElite CEO Doug DeLuca, one of the main architects behind the deal, in an exclusive interview for ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com).

Sam Caplan: How long has this deal been in the works?

Doug DeLuca: I would say it was in the works for a couple of months, somewhere in that neighborhood. We've been talking on and off for awhile. You have to remember that CBS was the second group to invest in ProElite, almost a year and a half ago. They believed in us as they believed in MMA all the way back then. They made the investment in us and they decided to put us on their SHOWTIME networks. I think they were very smart and I think that both SHOWTIME and CBS were both very visionary in the sense they were interested in the sport, they were bullish on the sport, and they wanted to see how it would go. They liked what we had to say but we were unproven at the time but they believed enough to stick their toe in the water and invest in the company and puts us on SHOWTIME. We all know that has been a big success, and now this. I think they were very smart and calculated in their approach to it and it has worked out well.

Sam Caplan: You mentioned that these negotiations had gone on for several months. Was there a specific turning point in the negotiations that possibly made CBS even more interested in doing a deal?

Doug DeLuca: There's all kind of speculation. I would say the writers strike had a good hand in accelerating their idea to put it on the air. I think they see mixed martial arts and they get mixed martial arts. They're bullish on it. I think the opportunity arose to do the deal with us. They were talking to other people and were looking around and from what I understand were in talks with our competitor and that obviously didn't work out.

Sam Caplan: I know you can't divulge too many details because ProElite is a publicly traded company, but there are some conflicting reports I wanted to ask you about. MMAPayout.com reported that it is rumored the deal with CBS will be a time buy while Dave Meltzer reported on Yahoo! that there will be a rights fee involved. Is EliteXC getting a rights fee for the CBS telecasts?

Doug DeLuca: The latter was incorrect. This is a license-fee deal. We're getting a license-fee in order to put the show on the air. It's a typical TV license-fee deal.

Sam Caplan: Who controls the selling of the advertising and sponsorships?

Doug DeLuca: CBS ad sales will be controlling that for the most part. There is some carve out in there where we will control some of the sponsorships, but for the most part, CBS ad sales.

Sam Caplan: In December, MediaPost reported that CBS and the UFC were close to a deal. You've had an insider's perspective on these negotiations, do you feel those reports were accurate?

Doug DeLuca: Close is relative and I wasn't involved in the discussions so it's hard for me to say, but I believe they could be accurate, yes.

Sam Caplan: Some critics -- and I've been one of them -- have raised issues with EliteXC's use of a DJ, dancers, and some other aspects if the shows. Has CBS asked EliteXC to make any modifications to the product they will be presenting on network TV?

Doug DeLuca: The funny things is about this sport is that I think the critics are the five percent of the five percent people in the world. They are the hardcore MMA fans that only care about "this fighter's record" and "that fighter's record" and they've been so wrapped up in MMA that they can't see anything past it. CBS is very happy with our production, obviously -- they made a deal with us.

I think the DJ, and the dancers to some degree, and sometimes when we have popular musical artists perform in EliteXC, those are all enhancements to the live experience or to the production experience on television. It's the same thing as if the NFL has a band playing at half-time or the LA Lakers have the Laker girls come out during a commercial break. It's not a mainstay of the production. It's about the fights, the athletes, and the fighting, and that's what the fans are coming to watch but we don't think it hurts to have a little something extra there to raise the production and entertainment value.

I think that if you see anything different, it's going to be an even heightened level of the production value we already have because this is network television and we'll play in the world.

Sam Caplan: Can you give us any details in regards to who will be handling the TV production and have any decisions been made regarding announcers?

Doug DeLuca: No decision has been made as to announcers and as far as the television production goes we will hire someone who is mutually accepted and agreed upon by CBS and ProElite but there is a good chance we will be using the SHOWTIME production team to do the production.

Sam Caplan: Kevin Iole of Yahoo! reported that the first CBS show could take place in April in New Jersey and be headlined by Kimbo Slice. Is that a report that you feel is accurate?

Doug DeLuca: The first event will definitely take place in the spring sometime so late-April to May is probably accurate and we're looking at all major markets so the East Coast is definitely something we're looking at, but so is the West Coast. It's more for us about top ten media markets.

Sam Caplan: So is it premature to report that the first event will be in New Jersey?

Doug DeLuca: It's definitely premature. New Jersey is definitely something we're looking at, because counting New York, it's the number one media market in the world. But we're not locked in by any stretch of the imagination (and) we're still going through details and logistics.

Sam Caplan: Has Kimbo Slice been signed to a contract extension?

Doug DeLuca: To my knowledge we still have fights with him left on our contract and we have not signed a renewal but we're in the process.

Sam Caplan: Going into the negotiations with CBS, would you have described the prospective deal as a make of break for the company?

Doug DeLuca: No, I never would have considered it a "break" for us at all. We have a very methodical, slow and steady build to our brand and our league... We have a very global strategy. All of our brands are growing and moving forward. Between King of the Cage and ICON here in the States, and obviously EliteXC on SHOWTIME with ShoXC in there as well along with Cage Rage in London and Spirit MC and the other promotions we're going to create in various International markets, we have a very slow and steady build and business plan but a very strong and methodical one.

So CBS was not break, but certainly could be make depending on how it is received. We're going from an audience of SHOWTIME, which has a universe of between 15 and 20 million households and now you're jumping into a world where there is 100 million households. That's pretty amazing. That's a pretty far reach. It's a great day for MMA and its athletes and its fans.

Sam Caplan: The announcement itself has already brought the sport mainstream attention with extensive coverage on ESPN. I know you've been busy doing interviews all day. What other mainstream media outlets have contacted ProElite?

Doug DeLuca: Variety, Hollywood Reporter, LA Times, Reuters and Gary Shaw has been doing interviews all day. People are pretty excited about it.

Sam Caplan: What do you think this announcement mean for the sport?

Doug DeLuca: It means so much for our sport. It means so many things. Just to name a few, it means exposure for the sport and the athletes to a universally larger audience. Like I said, 100 million households on terrestrial, free television means anyone with a television of any kind can access this. So just from an exposure standpoint it means a lot for the sport. From a sponsorship and advertising standpoint, this will certainly put the sport in a much better light with sponsors and advertisers now that CBS, a major mainstream network, is behind this. It's going to break the dam wide open for sponsorship. As far as the fighters go, it's going to enable the fighters to get themselves more sponsorship and exposure and grow their brand.

I could keep going and extolling all the benefits to the sport but it's going to give us a chance to reach the mainstream and educate them more about the sport. Like the NFL did, they did an amazing job of teaching people how to watch football. We're going to do an amazing job with CBS of teaching people of how to watch mixed martial arts. That's just going to grow an amazing fanbase. It should do a phenomenal amount for the sport.

Sam Caplan: You mentioned the dam breaking for sponsors. Do you think the dam has also broken for other networks to get involved with other MMA promotions as well?

Doug DeLuca: It would certainly stand to reason, wouldn't it? I was just not out talking to CBS. I was out talking with our partner, Mark Burnett, at all the networks. We met with all the networks. I think all the networks had interest. All the networks could not deny the impact of mixed martial arts at this point in time. I just don't think any of the networks had the same vision or the same guts, if you will, to pull the trigger at this time. So again, I think SHOWTIME and CBS were visionary and they really took the lead here.

Sam Caplan: What's your reaction to the UFC's announcement that they've entered into a three-year sponsorship agreement with Anheuser-Busch?

Doug DeLuca: I love it. It's great. Again, it's great for the sport and it's great for us. It just opens up a whole new realm so I think it's fantastic.

Sam Caplan: I asked you off the record about what this kind of mainstream exposure could do for Kimbo. Outside of Kimbo, who are some other fighters on the EliteXC roster that you believe could flourish on network TV?

Doug DeLuca: I think a lot of the fighters we have already are high-profile fighters in the eyes of MMA fans. What I said was, this is going to build their stars far beyond the MMA world and into the mainstream fan world. This is going to do wonders for the likes of whoever we put on CBS. It's going to do wonders for Frank Shamrock, K.J. Noons, Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, Antonio Silva, Gina Carano, and you name it. Name any of our top fighters. And I'm leaving people out.

We may actually have deeper roster than the UFC does when it comes to the shear number of fighters that we have under contract. Remember, we have six brands around the world right now. It's going to really pay dividends for them in a big way.

Sam Caplan: You mentioned the six brands under the ProElite label and some of those brands are International in nature. How does the CBS deal affect International brands such as Cage Rage and Spirit MC?

Doug DeLuca: The CBS deal is going to impact MMA globally, period. You're seeing the pick up it is getting now just here in the States and that is going to spill over to all International markets. It's really going to raise people's awareness between print publications and TV and radio covering this story and then covering the events on CBS. It's just going to raise the awareness of MMA throughout the world. And the fact that it is EliteXC that is putting on those events, it's going to raise the awareness for EliteXC and its parent company ProElite around the world. What that means for us and all of our other brands is that there's going to be a residual effect for all of our other brands from King of the Cage, to ICON, to Cage Rage, and Spirit MC, it really puts all of our brands and our global vision on a different platform to show the world what we have and what we're going to do and how we're going to shape the future of mixed martial arts. It's an exciting thing.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com