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Rumor: Josh Barnett Turned CBS Fight Down; UPDATE: Barnett Says He Did Not Turn Down Fight

Sources indicate to BloodyElbow.com that the original idea was to do Josh Barnett vs. Andrei Arlovski on October 4 on CBS, but Josh Barnett turned down the opportunity because he would have had to take a pay cut to fight. I haven't been able to completely confirm this yet so I'll call it a rumor for now.  

Despite initial denials, Affliction is most certainly trying to renegotiate its obligations.

Over at USA Today, the COO of Affliction Michael Cohen told Sergio Non that the January 24 Affliction event will be a co-promotion with Affliction and Golden Boy:

EliteXC and Affliction will also co-promote Affliction's next event with Golden Boy Promotions, now scheduled for Jan. 24, Cohen said. That fight will air either on CBS or Showtime, he said.

"We truly believe this co-promote will help the sport to become more mainstream," Cohen told me on Wednesday. "Fans should certainly look forward to seeing more fights on primetime television and Showtime." 

This is potentially a very big deal. It's possible we could see Fedor Emelianenko on CBS as soon as January of next year. However, the deal for EliteXC on CBS is currently on very shaky ground, and this co-promotion assumes that the deal will still be viable by January. A lot rides on Kimbo vs. Shamrock and the number it does.

UPDATE [from Luke Thomas]: Remember, Mike only said it was a rumor and Barnett weighs in by saying he did not turn down the fight on his personal MySpace page:

I read somewhere that I had declined the fight because I would have had to take a pay cut. I suppose others may also formulate some story about me declining the fight for other reasons.

I never decelned to take this fight. I was never told that I would have any part of my pay reduced since working with Affliction. To my knowledge, no one has been asked to take a pay cut that fights for Affliction.

I did not turn down this fight.

Josh

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The sponsorship money could have made up the difference in the pay cut. Why turn down a huge payday like this especially when your next fight is not set in stone yet and still possibly months away.

by steveoc24 on Sep 24, 2008 8:04 PM EDT   0 recs

If its true its possible they were demanding he sign a new contract that would be a permanent pay cut.

by Michael Rome on Sep 24, 2008 8:11 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

How can Affliction demand he sign a new contract if he is STILL under contract? Did he sign a 1 fight deal with Affliction on the last show? I thought it was a three or four fight deal.

by steveoc24 on Sep 24, 2008 8:18 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Anyone can ask to renegotiate a contract at any time, but of course the parties involved would have to agree to it.

by LiuLang on Sep 24, 2008 8:23 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I understand that both parties can ask to renegotiate a new contract at any time. But there is a big difference between “asking” and “demanding”.

by steveoc24 on Sep 24, 2008 8:26 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

If they say, “take this paycut or you can’t fight on the CBS card.” they’ll say they asked, Barnett will say they demanded.

by Phildo on Sep 24, 2008 8:46 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

He’s saying he was never offered anything. Read his blog entry at the bottom.

by Beer Monster on Sep 24, 2008 9:35 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Another thing with the sponsors, this is only 10 days away. Who knows when they started negotiations, but it couldn’t have been that long ago.

It would take time or Barnett to renogotiate whatever sponsorship deals he had before to make sure he got the full value for being on Elite.

Add in the fact that he probably doesn’t have much set up in terms of a shirt to wear into the ring/after the the match since he wore an Affliction shirt last time he fought here.

by Phildo on Sep 24, 2008 8:53 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Speaking of the event being only 10 days away, I still have seen next to nothing for this event advertising wise on t.v.

by steveoc24 on Sep 24, 2008 8:56 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Could be...

That they don’t have any money to spend on tv spots..Or CBS wants the low ratings. (or they’re counting on kimbo to pull in everyone like magic)

by IHateMMA on Sep 24, 2008 9:18 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I’ve seen multiple during NFL games aired on CBS. Maybe they’re blowing their load on that. Other than NFL and occasinally 60 Minutes I really have no reason to watch CBS so I don’t know if they are running ads at other times.

"Well if it's gonna be that kinda party, I'm gonna stick my dick in the mashed potatoes."

by monkeyfightclub! on Sep 24, 2008 10:57 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Didn’t Barnett a month ago specifically say they hadn’t asked him to renegotiate, and people used that to argue that Affliction wasn’t trying to renegotiate with anybody?

There goes that argument.

by Michaelthebox on Sep 24, 2008 8:21 PM EDT   0 recs

Meltzer was right about that all along

by Michael Rome on Sep 24, 2008 8:25 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I think this would be under the co-promotion, not necessarily with Affliction.
This is a special circumstance.

by MMASuPreMaCy on Sep 24, 2008 8:39 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Doesn’t change the fact that Affliction wants him to take a fight at less than they signed him for.

by Michaelthebox on Sep 24, 2008 8:40 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

A special circumstance that benefits both promotions involved and only hurts the fighter?

by steveoc24 on Sep 24, 2008 8:43 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, if you call national recognition “hurting” the fighter.

by MMASuPreMaCy on Sep 24, 2008 9:34 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Really?

Maybe if your name is Kimbo. The national recognition doesn’t seem to be helping out Noons too much according to his recent statements.

by steveoc24 on Sep 24, 2008 9:38 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

That’s because Noons didn’t take the high exposure fight. :)

by asa on Sep 25, 2008 12:07 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Could it be possible he refuses to make less than Kimbo or Kimbo headlining the fight and not him?

by steveoc24 on Sep 24, 2008 8:29 PM EDT   0 recs

ive read that barnett will be fighting in novemeber on the next wvr sengoku event. no opponent had been named.

by bdw on Sep 24, 2008 9:05 PM EDT   0 recs

i believe this will open up a whole new level of competition,and maybe we might see the demise of kimbo’s streak in the near future>>kimbo Vs. arlovski!

by DeMo Spinning back fist on Sep 24, 2008 9:23 PM EDT   0 recs

If Kimbo stays on a winning streak, we might be able to see Kimbo/AA or Kimbo/Barnett in 2020.

by steveoc24 on Sep 24, 2008 9:25 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Now those would be incredibly pointless fights.

by Richard on Sep 24, 2008 11:32 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I read somewhere that I had declined the fight because I would have had to take a pay cut. I suppose others may also formulate some story about me declining the fight for other reasons.

I never decelned to take this fight. I was never told that I would have any part of my pay reduced since working with Affliction. To my knowledge, no one has been asked to take a pay cut that fights for Affliction.

I did not turn down this fight.

Josh

by Beer Monster on Sep 24, 2008 9:27 PM EDT   0 recs

His myspace blog post. Josh works fast.

by Beer Monster on Sep 24, 2008 9:28 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

These people make my damn head hurt...

Everything that Affliction does is covered in bullshit. Straight from MMARated’s interview with Atencio:

“It was going to be Arlovski versus (Josh) Barnett,” Atencio said. “But what happened was we couldn’t finalize a deal with Barnett and he went to sign with Sengoku.”

So Barnett says he never declined a fight and Atencio says he couldn’t finalize a deal. Does that mean Barnett’s management never presented it to him? So does that mean there was still a pay cut involved? Who knows at this point.

by LiuLang on Sep 24, 2008 10:02 PM EDT   0 recs

Let's be careful with rumor and innuendo ...

I am not sure who Michael’s sources are, but Barnett issues a pretty clear denial.

by thetakeover on Sep 25, 2008 12:33 AM EDT   0 recs

But Attencio is also on record (elsewhere) saying, “It was going to be Arlovski versus (Josh) Barnett, but what happened was we couldn’t finalize a deal with Barnett and he went to sign with Sengoku.”

Who knows what to believe with these people.

by Phildo on Sep 25, 2008 10:51 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Its a fact affliction were and are asking fighters to take a pay cut…

Not a pay cut on their contract… but to sign a new contract for lower pay and fight on that new contract.

It’s all semantics.

by mmalogic on Sep 25, 2008 3:09 AM EDT   0 recs

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