(‘So how about if, like, at first I’ll let you beat me up some, then I start to come back, but I go for an elbow off the top rope and miss, right? And then at the end, well, I haven’t decided who should win yet, but we’ll figure it out. Just saying though, it’d be more of a shock if it was me.’)
Affliction COO Michael Cohen contacted Fanhouse’s Ariel Helwani (and you know the situation is dire when people are actually calling Ariel rather than the other way around) to let us all know that there is absolutely no truth to the persistent rumor that Affliction III will be the organization’s last MMA event. The fact that they’ve named it “Trilogy”? Nah son, you shouldn’t read too much into that, says Cohen: “Trilogy just means that this is the third. This is the third of the series.”
Yeah, that’s the standard use of the word ‘trilogy.’ It refers to the third installment in a long and profitable series that continues to pump out new editions several times a year. Like the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “The Godfather” trilogy. Oh, wait.
I’m not sure what would be worse, if Affliction didn’t realize the implication inherent in naming their event “Trilogy,” or if they did understand yet have enough faith in the idiocy of the American public to think they can just keep saying there will be more events to come even as they’re packing up their ring and locking it away in the same storage facility where they keep their failed line of Kimo Leopoldo t-shirts.
When Helwani asks Cohen point blank if there will be a fourth event in 2009, his response, “Most probably,” is very telling. In a situation like this that basically means, ‘Shit, I hope so.’ If there is a fourth event we can only assume it will be entitled “Tetralogy.”
Cohen also says the third event will “absolutely” be profitable, and will also see a diminished payroll, though that seems somewhat hard to fathom with Josh Barnett and Fedor Emelianenko as the main event. It’s possible that they may get some of the fighters to take less money than in previous installments, but many of them are said to be on graduating pay scales. Barnett is in his third fight with Affliction, and we know how he feels about taking a pay cut. Looks like it’s down to you to make up the difference with your salary, Tim Sylvia. Don’t act like you didn’t know this day was coming.
BTW, if you’re trying to decide how seriously to take Cohen’s comments, consider that he also made this pretty suspect claim about ticket sales for the first two Affliction shows: “If you look historically, the last two events were sell-outs of over 16,000 fans for each of the events.” Which is, strictly speaking, not at all true.
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Comments
Fri, 05/29/09 - 03:26
I can't wait for the next Affliction fight titled "This is Our Last Fight, We Are Broke and Out of Money". No, that will not be their last fight either. Where would you get an idea like that...?
Fri, 05/29/09 - 03:28
Affliction has lots more fights left in their stable! Who wouldn't want to see Barnett vs Yvell 2? Or hell, I'm pretty sure Jose Canseco would fight Fedor for a syringe full of Androlone. Why call it quits now with the public begging for more Affliction!
Fri, 05/29/09 - 04:30
my dishonesty sense is tingling
Fri, 05/29/09 - 04:39
i don't care if they're lying, i don't care if they're profitable, i just wanna see those two badasses fight.
Fri, 05/29/09 - 05:04
Maybe Showtime and Strikeforce can pick the bones clean on this carcuss. I liked the first two cards, but you could hear Affliction's death rattle when the ppv buy numbers came out. It would be cool if Showtime could acquire these contracts if it does fail. I won't hold out hope for the UFC signing Fedor. I would like to see Vitor back in the UFC though.
Fri, 05/29/09 - 05:39
Affliction will fail, but not because they didn't put on quality shows. I love the fighters and the matchmaking. The problem is, they have top-level talent, but it's a small, fledgling business organization. Of course the UFC will run circles around them in marketing, branding, production. But at the end of the day, what matters to me is the fights. And Affliction puts on great fights. The business side is just not big and strong enough, with enough reserves, to compete head to head with the UFC, ESPECIALLY in this economy. I mean fuck, the best corporations in the world aren't making a profit in this economy - you expect Tom Atencio and a douchebag based t-shirt company to crack the riddle? Affliction should merge with Dream. Fedor, Barnett, ARlovski, little Nog, Werdum, Vitor, Babalu, plus some freak fights, and Dream's lower weight class talent. Damn. That's a pretty beautiful idea, a yin to the UFC's yang, an eccentric Japanese CEO against the blunt arrogance of Dana White, the mysterious Feder contrasted with the penis-chested, moose hunting justification for bifurcated heavy weight classes, Lesner. Can we start a petition?
Fri, 05/29/09 - 07:10
Only one word can describe this article: pwned!
Fri, 05/29/09 - 08:17
I didn't have access to pay-per-view for the first Affliction event. I purchased the second. I will purchase the third. Fedor is the baddest man on the planet!
Fri, 05/29/09 - 09:07
Heh... Barnett is fucked.
Sat, 05/30/09 - 12:23
die already assliction!
Sun, 05/31/09 - 10:42
Affliction has only one thing going for it , and that is fedor... Barnett is fucked then affliction will die , and the UFC will bring in fedor to crush that Penis tattooed chest lesnar (lesnar is a tough SOB though), then once Fedor is the UFC HW Champ all other promotions will fail.
Mon, 06/01/09 - 04:55
I hate affliction. They have some good fighters but everyone on their ppv that isn't paid to fight ruins the entire experience. I'm talking to you guys Tito, Ferrel, and Zito. It's hard to enjoy good fights when your constantly being distracted by those idiots sucking at their job.
Tue, 12/13/11 - 05:39
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