The New Pro-Wrestling

Yesterday, Randy Couture and Dana White had dueling pressers. Randy had his press conference covered by HDNet and ProElite.com while Dana had his phone conference held on Yahoo. While I heard about how it wasn't about the money for Randy, it was about respect and then spout off figures or read about how Dana was drooling over Brock Lesnar's "tremendous wrestling ability" from second hand sources, I had this question wiggling around the back of my head.

Where's the coverage from ESPN? ESPN 2? The Ocho?

Was there any coverage from anywhere but niche media on these two events?

There's nothing. Not even anything on ESPN's MMA section. Then again, it's run by Sherdog and we all know how Dana like to play Jerry Millen with that connection.

The only big source that did actual coverage was Yahoo and right now they're not looking too good. If you take Dave Meltzer out of the section, it pretty much resembles an Apter Mag circa 1993. Kevin Iole is UFC's own Vince Russo...or Mean Gene Okerland. Depending on how you take your "insider information". Wait...I take that back. yeah, Kevin Iole is Bill Apter. No way is he on the UFC payroll....yet.

So what does this mean?

Welcome to the new pro-wrestling.

Now before anyone jumps on me, I'm not saying that MMA is fake and/or predetermined. What I am saying is that the Sports jurnos are giving MMA the same "Who gives a fuck" attitude that they give pro wrestlers.

"But we got coverage on ESPN"

News. ESPN News. And on the day before a fight. And then maybe fifteen seconds on the Sporstcenter loop at night.

You can state till your face turns blue that MMA has coverage on TV, it's still being held back by the Kornhiesers and Mariatis of the network. Why? Because to them, stick and ball sports have more integrity. To them, Randy Couture vs. Dana White is just another Vince vs. Steve Austin.

So they laugh that horrid laugh and act like they're cool, but the end of the day they rather smoke crack then watch MMA. "Who wants to watch a bunch of lunkheads in a cage" they think.

You want it changed, send letters and more letters. Get major coverage and demand it from real jurnos and not office temps they send when they don't want to do it.

Stick and ball media are spoiled brats. Order them to do better.

Dana's a shameless loser.

Soooo let me get this straight. Dana White closed down PRIDE because "the Japanese won't work with them" even though the only work we've seen Dana do was fly one of his lawyer friends to and from Japan. It's DSE's fault that the lease was a mess. You couldn't get Fedor so it's the fault of the "nutty Russians" and now when Randy quits because the funding you're giving him isn't proper, he's a "bitch in a beauty salon" who has a "scumbag" Hollywood agent who he seemed to "bitch slap" last month.

Hey. Dana. I know you don't take to advise nicely, so just to piss you off I'm going to give you some anyway. Calm the fuck down and take some of the blame.

Yes, the Japanese are hard to work with, but you didn't try. Now you've got a big ass hole in Japan that you made in the scene over there. You've forgotten a huge amount of talent which you probably don't care for anyways and you've pretty much shown Japan how immature and gaijin you are. Now, with this rambling fanboy rant your on, not only are you in danger of losing the intrest of a high quality fighter, you're also tiptoeing on the edge of losing your head referee and ring announcer since that said "scumbag" agent also own both their hides as well.

Have you at least for once, think about saying "well, could it be me making shit decisions." Have you looked back once and possibly...y'know try to change up your negotiation skills some? Maybe even thing about what you did wrong and try to improve upon it? You'd think that would make for better relations and possibly, better brand security. But Nah. You're Dana White! Mr. UFC. Mr. Do You Want To Be A Fucking Fighter. Everyone should be kissing your fucking ring. You're the big man right!?

You know how people make the analogy that you're the new Vince MacMahon and like a fucking dick, you take it as a compliment. It's not a compliment. Keep in mind, it was pro wrestling fans who were disillusioned by that prick that made The Ultimate Fighter big in the first place. And it's the pro wrestling community that is making the slow exodus into MMA. With these dick moves you're making right now, they can have reason to destroy you just by turning you off. Now you can say that you don't act like pro-wrestling and you might also bring out that tired excuse that "you're like NASCAR.". NASCAR is just a better sponsored pro-wrestling with vehicles. Keep going the route your going. Slamming fighters and other people will not only keep quality fighters away, it'll chase the fanbase away as well.

And tell Kevin Iole he needs to do a better job covering up the spin lines you gave him. I saw that shit a mile away. Tell him he needs a napkin while you're at it.