Couple of news items crossed my path this morning. First off, Dave Meltzer reports in the Wrestling Observer:
It’s an expensive commercial for Affliction because they are paying for the fight and Arlovski will be earning in the range of seven figures if he wins.
This means Affliction was just desperate to keep their relationship with Andrei Arlovski in good shape. They'd promised him a pay day in October and now he'll get one. And it won't be as hard-earned a pay day either because they "couldn't reach Josh Barnett" he'll get to fight IFL vet Roy Nelson instead.
Not only that, but Josh Barnett's manager is throwing cold water on rumors that Barnett will fight Fedor Emelianenko on a January Affliction/Golden Boy card.
...no fights have been confirmed for the January show, Tom Atencio, vice president for Affliction, told me this week. And in an e-mail message, Barnett's representative, Shannon Hooper, cast doubt on his prospects of fighting Emelianenko in the near future: "It is unlikely that Josh and Fedor will fight within the next few months."
I have to hand it to Affliction, they do get out there and take chances, they are willing to work with other organizations, but they still have that stench of being a sucker with too much money.
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