Robert Joyner reports at MMA Payout that CBS made an attempt to add Gina Carano to their July card, but her camp nixed the idea:
Sources indicate to MMAPayout.com that there was significant internal pressure by the network to have Gina Carano appear on the July 26th card with just over a month's notice. The second CBS card was thought to be lacking in star power, with CBS seeking to bolster the card with Carano's presence.
It sounds like someone at CBS realized that they need stars to draw for MMA, but they realized it a bit too late. It is also very interesting that they went to Carano, rather than Slice. Slice still has to be considered the face of the promotion, but Carano emerged from the May show as Pro Elite's biggest star. She looked tremendous and had an exciting fight, the vast majority of casual fans were not wrapped up in the weight issue the way hardcore fans were, and she came across as a major star. If they built this entire show around her, it would probably do a big rating, because she was a big draw last time and all the hype was focused on Kimbo Slice.
Of course, it's a month out, and given Gina's problems making weight, the only way she'd take a fight is at a higher weight, for a lot more money, and against an opponent whose ass she'd probably kick. In other words, she's not going to fight Shayna Bazler on a month's notice. Still, if they are as dedicated to the success of this project as they seem to be, they should be able to offer Gina enough to come in and beat up a can.
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