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06-23-2009, 11:19 PM
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Billionaire Telecom Magnet, Casino Mogul Set to Take Over World of MMA
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New Tap Out Promotions partner Carlos Slim appears at a recent charity event with Columbian superstar Shakira and Howard Buffet, son of billionaire financier William Buffet.
July 1, 1997
by Willie Makit
Las Vegas, NV --The sport of Mixed Martial Arts was turned upside down this week as several of the world’s largest fight promotions were acquired by Las Vegas, NV-based Tap Out Promotions. Alpha-1, of Japan and GAMMA,of Las Vegas were amongst the biggest names in this sweeping move by the newest player on the international MMA scene.
Tap Out Promotions is a jointly owned partnership between casino mogul Steve Wynn, and Carlos Slim---the billionaire Mexican telecom magnet. Slim, unknown by many to be a self proclaimed ‘huge’ fan of MMA is said to have approached Wynn about joining forces---with Wynn leading the way to arrange venues for future contests in Las Vegas and Slim heading up the multi media efforts.
The first clues as to what this powerful partnership might be up to came to the surface only recently, when rumors began to spread about a financially limitless organization that was seeking to make a splash in the MMA world. MMA has long been cast in America as a niche, almost novelty sport—and no threat to enter the mainstream conscious as apart of the ‘big 3 sports’ of professional football, basketball, and baseball. In Japan, however, the sport has become wildly popular with fights often organized in stadiums of 30,000 and more. Though efforts to bring MMA to the American masses over the last decade have had a moderate level of success; attempts to bridge the gap to the sporting mainstream have failed. While reasons vary, the general consensus amongst sports fans is that it is simply too expensive to be a fan. A typical MMA pay per view event runs $50.00, and shows are often criticized as under-produced and badly organized. The newly formed Tap Out League, or TOL, plans to bypass this past criticism by featuring only the best fighters in the world (gleaned from the ranks of Alpha-1, GAMMA, and SIGMA to name a few) in a format that promises important matches every week, and on the best format for mass consumption---cable television. A television deal with the USA Network has rumored to have already been signed for the new league. The same effort is also under way in Mexico, Japan, and Europe with Slim using his vast connections and wealth to likely spearhead the operation.
In a short press release today, Tap Out explains further the difference between the proposed Tap Out League, and the MMA-industry standard:
“The Tap Out League consists of just one weight class—heavyweight fighters ranging from 186 pounds and up. While other weight classes could be introduced in the future, there are no immediate plans to do so. The TOL will be a season-based MMA league. Fighters will be challenged throughout a series of fights, including two season-ending tournaments in which a champion will be crowned. This means that every fight counts. There will be no endless strings of contender vs. can fights that have been so rampant in the industry. No more will you have a 20-0 fighter who built that record on the backs of inferior opponents. In the TOL, you earn your record---and a shot at a title-- against the best fighters in the world.”
Certainly, the collection of talent this new organization has at its disposal is staggering to anyone familiar with MMA. Hassan Fezzik, the undisputed best fighter in MMA history is onboard along with familiar names like Yamada, Napier, Foster, and Hughes. In all, the top 10 pound for pound fighters in the world are all accounted for. “What they have accomplished is really remarkable. By acquiring these promotions, they control the current contracts, and likely the future contracts of the biggest stars in MMA. This means they can essentially set up any dream matchup you can think of---Fezzik vs. Oktay, for instance.” remarks Ned Charles, host of the weekly MMA radio program the ‘Big Cat Show’. He continues: “ The biggest thing they have done here, aside from capturing all of the talent—is to find a network willing to put them on the air week in and week out. Plus, they have resources that most promotions could only dream of---the idea of an MMA-season has been thought up before but no one had the money to gather that much talent or pay for that many fights in so short a time. This is a first.”
It is expected that a large raise in pay for all the fighters, and even a collective bargaining agreement (a definite first for the sport) are in the works to ensure that the best talent flocks to the new league.
What is unknown is if a change in format, and the impressive collection of talent, will be enough to change the minds of the American public---but for MMA fans, this promises to be a great ride. The TOL's inaugural season is set to begin next January.
Billionaire Telecom Magnet, Casino Mogul Set to Take Over World of MMA
<a href="http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i2/sigep690/?action=view¤t=18suitslarge1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i2/sigep690/18suitslarge1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
New Tap Out Promotions partner Carlos Slim appears at a recent charity event with Columbian superstar Shakira and Howard Buffet, son of billionaire financier William Buffet.
July 1, 1997
by Willie Makit
Las Vegas, NV --The sport of Mixed Martial Arts was turned upside down this week as several of the world’s largest fight promotions were acquired by Las Vegas, NV-based Tap Out Promotions. Alpha-1, of Japan and GAMMA,of Las Vegas were amongst the biggest names in this sweeping move by the newest player on the international MMA scene.
Tap Out Promotions is a jointly owned partnership between casino mogul Steve Wynn, and Carlos Slim---the billionaire Mexican telecom magnet. Slim, unknown by many to be a self proclaimed ‘huge’ fan of MMA is said to have approached Wynn about joining forces---with Wynn leading the way to arrange venues for future contests in Las Vegas and Slim heading up the multi media efforts.
The first clues as to what this powerful partnership might be up to came to the surface only recently, when rumors began to spread about a financially limitless organization that was seeking to make a splash in the MMA world. MMA has long been cast in America as a niche, almost novelty sport—and no threat to enter the mainstream conscious as apart of the ‘big 3 sports’ of professional football, basketball, and baseball. In Japan, however, the sport has become wildly popular with fights often organized in stadiums of 30,000 and more. Though efforts to bring MMA to the American masses over the last decade have had a moderate level of success; attempts to bridge the gap to the sporting mainstream have failed. While reasons vary, the general consensus amongst sports fans is that it is simply too expensive to be a fan. A typical MMA pay per view event runs $50.00, and shows are often criticized as under-produced and badly organized. The newly formed Tap Out League, or TOL, plans to bypass this past criticism by featuring only the best fighters in the world (gleaned from the ranks of Alpha-1, GAMMA, and SIGMA to name a few) in a format that promises important matches every week, and on the best format for mass consumption---cable television. A television deal with the USA Network has rumored to have already been signed for the new league. The same effort is also under way in Mexico, Japan, and Europe with Slim using his vast connections and wealth to likely spearhead the operation.
In a short press release today, Tap Out explains further the difference between the proposed Tap Out League, and the MMA-industry standard:
“The Tap Out League consists of just one weight class—heavyweight fighters ranging from 186 pounds and up. While other weight classes could be introduced in the future, there are no immediate plans to do so. The TOL will be a season-based MMA league. Fighters will be challenged throughout a series of fights, including two season-ending tournaments in which a champion will be crowned. This means that every fight counts. There will be no endless strings of contender vs. can fights that have been so rampant in the industry. No more will you have a 20-0 fighter who built that record on the backs of inferior opponents. In the TOL, you earn your record---and a shot at a title-- against the best fighters in the world.”
Certainly, the collection of talent this new organization has at its disposal is staggering to anyone familiar with MMA. Hassan Fezzik, the undisputed best fighter in MMA history is onboard along with familiar names like Yamada, Napier, Foster, and Hughes. In all, the top 10 pound for pound fighters in the world are all accounted for. “What they have accomplished is really remarkable. By acquiring these promotions, they control the current contracts, and likely the future contracts of the biggest stars in MMA. This means they can essentially set up any dream matchup you can think of---Fezzik vs. Oktay, for instance.” remarks Ned Charles, host of the weekly MMA radio program the ‘Big Cat Show’. He continues: “ The biggest thing they have done here, aside from capturing all of the talent—is to find a network willing to put them on the air week in and week out. Plus, they have resources that most promotions could only dream of---the idea of an MMA-season has been thought up before but no one had the money to gather that much talent or pay for that many fights in so short a time. This is a first.”
It is expected that a large raise in pay for all the fighters, and even a collective bargaining agreement (a definite first for the sport) are in the works to ensure that the best talent flocks to the new league.
What is unknown is if a change in format, and the impressive collection of talent, will be enough to change the minds of the American public---but for MMA fans, this promises to be a great ride. The TOL's inaugural season is set to begin next January.