Philly Inquirer: "'Iron Ring' More Circus Than Serious"

by Luke Thomas on May 14, 2008 4:16 PM EDT in MMA News

My 17-year-old brother loves it for the hip-hop representation and all the gab that comes with the fighters' bravado. I'm a hardcore fan and I just rattle off five or six opponents who could destroy the opponents he's rooting for. He doesn't recognize the names. It dawns on me, though, that his demographic is the viewership for this show. These are his great fighters.

Iron Ring has been rated in the top 25 prime-time cable shows watched by African Americans, according to Nielsen. Not surprisingly, 50 percent of the Iron Ring audience is female compared with about 30 percent for most top cable sports shows, according to BET, and the it averages 813,000 viewers per week. It is among BET's top programs this year, according to the network.

There's no question that as the audience for fighting and combat shows increases, so will the fan's understanding of this fighting art. The show needs to be seen by all fight fans, and that will be part of the effort to bring Iron Ring into overall acceptance as legitimate MMA programming.

Part of the charm was chuckling at the ignorance of coaches and owners wanting to see bloodsport. They mean well, but there simply weren't enough people with MMA experience involved in the show to gain the loyalty of hardcore fans seeking good mixed martial arts fighting. But we can't help but watch a fight.

I still haven't seen a single minute of the show, which is telling in and of itself given that I watch hours and hours of MMA every week.

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Re: Philly Inquirer: "'Iron Ring' More Ci

"I still haven't seen a single minute of the show, which is telling in and of itself given that I watch hours and hours of MMA every week."

This surprises me. Not even to see what it's all about? Not even to form an opinion about it? Not even to see your boy, Mike Easton? Not even to laugh at the spectacle of rappers trying to talk about MMA like they know what they're doing?

This show is bad. Not because of the fighters, but because the production makes it hard to watch. It jumps around so much it make me want to read a book and I am a man that hates reading books. They don't explain anything and it doesn't seem apparent that they have a goal. There is always talk of them picking teams, but I have seen a few episodes and I don't think they have an end game.

by szucconi on May 14, 2008 6:16 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Philly Inquirer: "'Iron Ring' More Ci

BINGO!!

As well as the lack of respect most of the people (not the fighters) give the sport of mma. They should have just done a toughman show featuring haymakers only.

by BJJDenver on May 14, 2008 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: "Iron Ring" Opens 7th Seal,

This is unfortunate because you're the only blogger whose opinion about this interests me. You have an uncanny ability to break down every aspect of this game from multiple perspectives which I would love to hear in regards to this show.

But clearly you hate the blacks ;)

by asa on May 14, 2008 6:52 PM EDT reply actions

Re: "Iron Ring" Opens 7th Seal,

That actually made me laugh out loud.

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on May 14, 2008 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: "Iron Ring" Opens 7th Seal,

Same here. Well done.

But why don't I watch? I honestly don't know. It's not as if any desire to watch or not watch has been a conscious decision. It just never ever registers in my mind to watch the show.

by Luke Thomas on May 14, 2008 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions