Sengoku's New Year's Eve Plans Scrapped, Possible Co-Promotion with FEG in the Works
by Chris Nelson on Nov 12, 2009 10:00 AM EST
in MMA News
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[UPDATE] FEG held a press conference this afternoon to announce Masato's opponent (Andy Souwer) and the official addition of Minowa vs. Sokoudjou, but CEO Tanigawa repeatedly skirted questions about the FEG-WVR merger for New Year's Eve.
Late Tuesday night, multiple sources informed BloodyElbow.com that World Victory Road has decided to cancel its New Year's Eve "Sengoku Raiden Championship" show at Tokyo's Ariake Coliseum.
The news comes after rumors of the card being in serious peril began to mount this week, when WVR called off a press conference related to the event and had not yet released details for its television broadcast. The show's headliner - the only bout to be made official by the promotion - would have seen Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii in his MMA debut against fellow judoka Hidehiko Yoshida.
As Sherdog's Jordan Breen discussed on his show yesterday and Sports Illustrated's Josh Gross now reports, WVR may now be looking to team with rival Japanese promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group for FEG's "Dynamite!!" show:
Also, just got wind that Dream and Sengoku will likely join forces for one NYE card. So, no competing MMA cards Dec. 31 in Japan.
The only bouts officially announced for this year's iteration of the annual K-1/MMA marathon are the 2009 K-1 Koshien (Under 18) tournament finals and kickboxer Masato's retirement bout against an as-yet-unnamed opponent Andy Souwer. It's expected that the final match in DREAM's "Super Hulk Tournament" - Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Sokoudjou - and a lightweight title bout will also find their way onto the slate.
With a five-hour slot on the Tokyo Broadcast System already in place and solid ratings needed, the extra juice that a match like Ishii-Yoshida could bring to the table may be too tempting for FEG to resist.
Stay tuned as we await official word from both promotions in the coming days.
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Is it possible that they do it, but not for just one show, but like... Forever??
Haha. Wouldn’t it be great that they have 1 super promotion in place in Japan again?
People have been debating which promotion will save Japanese MMA, but what if they’d team up and both do it? :)
by Anton Tabuena on Nov 11, 2009 11:15 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Wouldn’t it be great that they have 1 super promotion in place in Japan again?
You don’t like competition?
WVR and DREAM have plenty of competition in the UFC, and the fanbase isn’t large enough in Japan to foster competition between 2 orgs. They need one, because right now it’s the sport that needs rebuilding in Japan more than a particular organization.
this.
they’re “competition” is different, compared to lets say UFC and Strikeforce..
WVR and DREAM are like crabs pulling each other down the barrel instead of helping each other get out.
by Anton Tabuena on Nov 12, 2009 1:29 AM EST up reply actions
What made PRIDE huge was the competitions FEG and K-1 was giving them.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Nov 11, 2009 11:57 PM EST up reply actions
and now, they have two promotions barely surviving, but still kicking each other while both are down.
that’s not good for the sport you know.. it’s different from wanting the UFC, (who’s already successful) to not have competition.
by Anton Tabuena on Nov 12, 2009 1:27 AM EST up reply actions
Pride was owned by FEG
I hate spinach, and I’m glad that I do
because if I didn’t I’d eat them, and I just hate them.
after Pride folded the people from DSE made FEG
I hate spinach, and I’m glad that I do
because if I didn’t I’d eat them, and I just hate them.
Isn’t FEG a subsidiary of Sony (that’s where K-1 gets all the scratch from)? I think they’ve been around for just as long as DSE has been, given the NYE competitions over the years.
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
Word on the street
is that Sengoku is dead. There are plenty of reports about the TV deal not working out for Sengoku, so I’m pretty positive this rumor is simply a firesale by WVR to get some money for the contracts they hold to break even.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 12, 2009 10:05 AM EST up reply actions
I don’t think Sengoku is dead just yet but the truth is that they have some serious trouble in finding ways to get profit (they can’t sell out even 1/2 in most of the arenas they book, they don’t have a TV deal for airing their events and they are paying TV Tokyo for the slot for SRC Damashii!!) and Don Quijote and other sponsors even though they have money won’t burn them on a company which has nothing to do with the business they are primarily running in the first place (and Sengoku lost 1.5 bilion Yen in two years of their existence).
I’m just saying… that’s what I’ve heard. I’ve heard a couple of different theories, which makes me think that it isn’t decided among actual WVR people, but I’ve heard nothing but bad things about how WVR is folding.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 12, 2009 11:03 AM EST up reply actions
I know. Their situation isn’t looking good no matter how you look at it and some of the problems I’ve already listed myself. Though I would think there is a better way to get out of this situation for both sides. They should merge (though it won’t be easy what people in both managements should have the most important roles in a new one) and unite all of their sponsors (this way even if some of them aren’t eager to give that much money for mma as they used to the new org would have good financial baking for obvious reasons). With the new roster they would probably be forced to hold more events per year but it shouldn’t be that big of a problem if they go low on production and book many up and coming guys (as many Sengoku events were booked) to utilize as much talent as they are able to. TV deal for more shows would probably be hard to get but who knows if TBS wouldn’t put them on some night time slots with small funding (and it’s not like Sengoku wasn’t used to hold events without any help from a TV station) and you always have ppv (as bad as it is in Japan would generate a small income nevertheless). As for the big shows, with the production value of RE, advertising from FEG and TBS and combined roster they for sure would be able to get better ratings and so it would be a win-win situation for company, sponsors and TBS. Wishfull thinking I guess but if the heads would be eager to co-operate and sort things out something like this could come to live.
Merging won’t do much because DREAM will drop most of the fighters that Sengoku has. They just don’t have the same philosophy. DREAM is working off the old PRIDE model, and it’s working despite having some pretty terrible fights for hardcore fans. Ishii vs. Yoshida is definitely the fight DREAM wants though.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 12, 2009 11:56 AM EST up reply actions
Seriously..
Sengoku couldn’t get the proper funding and television coverage for two national hero judokas on New Year’s Eve. Super Hulk outdraws everything that isn’t Masato for FEG.
DREAM, which has the more popular product has had trouble with a national network, TBS, giving them a fair timeslot. New Year’s Eve in Japan is a huge television event, the fact Sengoku got brushed off for this is bad. Ishii/Yoshida would be a great fight to help bolster ratings for the FEG card which will already be stacked.
Roster? Do you really think FEG wants a guy like Omigawa who has a great attitude and works his ass off to prove himself? In Sengoku he was a star, he was main eventing for them because he is exactly what MMA should be about; the scrappy underdog who makes heroic comebacks and criticizes himself. FEG would just have Joachim Hansen roll over him or make him fight Choi. Anybody not a champion or top contender FEG won’t care about, as if they need to fill out a card they’ll just dip into the DEEP roster for pennies on a dollar.
It is unreal to me that we have a major promotion pimping the shit out of DEEP and using their talent as “elite.” A few years ago if you were watching DEEP or knew who any DEEP fighters were you were considered the most hardcore of the hardcore MMA fans. Now? Well, you must watch DREAM!
Head Kick Legend
Twitter @HeadKickLegend
Story is coming...
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 12, 2009 3:48 PM EST up reply actions
I’m very much looking forward to that fight.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
by Blackout612 on Nov 12, 2009 12:25 AM EST up reply actions
This must have made his face red.
I still look forward to Minowaman even if he is fighting a 80 year old woman because I know he will bust out the heel hooks and show that bitch no mercy.
HEY
That’s my grandma you’re talking about.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
Wow this would be amazing if the execs from both organizations came to terms about merging permanently. Imagine the dream fights that could be put together with fighters from WVR, Dream, and Strikeforce. So many intriguing match ups come to mind its not even funny. Someone needs to really push for this to happen and encourage other promotions to do. Bellator, MFC, & Shooto would also be great organizations to push for co-promotion.
More importantly than all that
Where the fuck can I get a Crusher shirt? I’ve looked everywhere!
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
by Blackout612 on Nov 12, 2009 12:27 AM EST up reply actions
Thanks
I’ve been checking Sherdog periodically because I was told they’d be getting them.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
Thanks, I saw that on the DREAM site this morning and totally forgot to add it.
by Chris Nelson on Nov 12, 2009 10:37 AM EST up reply actions
Head Kick Legend is saying that Sengoku is completely dead
That this is not just a merger on NYE but there will be a flat out merger between the 2 orgs
I think that's conjecture on their part.
Even the sources who gave me the tip on the cancellation don’t know what’s up with the future of SRC right now.
by Chris Nelson on Nov 12, 2009 1:19 PM EST up reply actions
Thats what I was hoping. Signs do point to trouble for SRC/WVR but flat out failure? Part of me hopes that a merger will happen and an MMA resurgence comes because of it. But then part of me wants to see Sengoku go on as their own org.
I'd wait for proof...
Them just speculating on what is going on doesn’t carry much weight. Wait for N.O.B. to announce something instead of someone’s opinion, that’s where they get their news from anyway.
It would be a shame if Sengoku just got folded into DREAM, but not at all surprising. As much as I love the DREAM aesthetic, I think I would have preferred it the other way around.
You assume a lot. Omigawa is “scrappy underdog who makes heroic comebacks” ? More like the recipient of the worst decisions in Japanese MMA of late. You are familiar with weight classes? Omigawa isn’t a LW since getting the boot from the UFC, while Hansen is.
Have you watched a DREAM event? Assuming that they don’t care about non-champions or top competitors is ridiculous. If you’re going to complain about DREAM taking from DEEP, how about SRC farming Pancrase and Shooto?
Here is the thing...
Sengoku has always had a ton of funding, but lost a ton of money in the beginning. It was OKAY since DonQ was backing them up. In 2008-2009, the recession took a HUGE toll on DonQ, so now they may not be as willing to keep backing up Sengoku and losing money if they don’t see any returns on their investment any time soon.
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