Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Good Take

"Every MMA site went out of their way to cover the DREAM 6 event as if it was a big deal, and yet when the bad TV ratings predictably were released, none of these sites are talking about the fallout. I am curious as to why…"

- Zach Arnold FightOpinion.com post is here

While I didn't spend to much time discussing the fights, the exception being the Cro Cop match, I think people have a desire to know what is going on in Japanese MMA, because PRIDE threw some awesome shows and a few solid stars have stuck around to fight in WVR and DREAM. Secondly, they can do a lot of things in Japanese MMA that they can't do in the U.S. i.e. hold tournaments as well as utilize foot stomps and soccer kicks. Third, I think the Japanese ref their fights well, forcing the action, unlike in the U.S. where fights get dull from time to time if the fighters aren't very good. Plus, the ring provides better viewing for both the audience in house and at home. Will Japan ever have a PRIDE type organization again? No, the viewing audience doesn't have the appetite to support it, as the poor ratings show. I think the fad has worn itself out. Pro Wrestling, K1 etc seem to be much more entrenched as far as support from Japanese fight fans. Plus, I think the biggest stars in the sport have gravitated back to the U.S. and it is probably a lot harder to sell a Cro Cop fight when you know, as a Japanese fan, that he left the UFC because he felt he needed to get better.

Luke Thomas from Bloodyelbow.com shares his thoughts here

No comments: