Pro wrestling fans will feel right at home
According to a report on OnlyUFC.com, Tito Ortiz told an interviewer that his upcoming boxing sparring match against UFC president Dana White (a pro-wrestling style P.R. stunt if there ever was one) will be released on DVD and sold through websites. OnlyUFC.com seems to be puzzled by this:
del.icio.us tags: tito, ortiz, dana, white, mma, ufc, business_model, whaledog
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Previously, most had been of the impression that the match would be kept from the public. Since White routinely got the upper hand in their past sparring contests, and thus is considered a favorite, the assumption was that UFC would not want fans learning that a businessman, albeit a trained boxer, was able to outspar a Champion-level UFC fighter.That assumption would have been correct if the UFC was interested in promoting its fighters. But, since the UFC is mostly interested in promoting its brand and president, this makes perfect sense.
del.icio.us tags: tito, ortiz, dana, white, mma, ufc, business_model, whaledog
There is precedence for such an encounter.
At WrestleMania 2 in 1986, Vince McMahon had three shows in one night (Uniondale, NY. - Nassau Coliseum, Chicago, IL. - Rosemont Horizon, and Los Angeles - LA Sports Arena). The main event of the Nassau Coliseum show was Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. Mr. T in a gimmicked boxing match (with Piper having Lou Duva in his corner and Mr. T having Smokin' Joe Frazier in his corner). They did an angle in Phoenix to set up that fight.
Anyhow, the point being that there was a screwjob finish in the Piper/Mr. T fight and it was every bit the circus that you would expect it to be. I see zero difference with Tito vs. Dana in a boxing match in 2006. It would be funnier to put it on PPV or closed circuit (to recapture nostalgia) than DVD.
Posted by Zach Arnold | 7/08/2006 12:04 AM