Does Much of the MMA Media Treat Fedor Emelianenko's management at M-1 Like a Group of Russian Heels?
by Bix on Mar 2, 2010 3:30 PM EST
in MMA
10 comments
Ah, the Cold War. In pro wrestling, it gave us a zillion "Russian" bad guys who were never portrayed by actual Russians, and got their Russianhood via shaving their heads, growing some facial hair, and doing a bad accent. As far as anyone can tell, legitimate Russians first entered wrestling through Japan in the late '80s. Around the time of the USSR's fall, the Russians either became good guys, stuck around on the independent circuit, or changed gimmicks, while other countries were for evil foreigners such as Ludvig Borga, the evil Finnish environmentalist (Yes.). Portrayals of Russians in other genres of fiction changed, and in the real world, the general public started to embrace them over the next several years.
In the aughts, perception of Russia and other former Soviet nations changed for the worse. Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned with dioxin and the election was riddled with fraud allegations. Meanwhile, to a generation of internet users, Russian businesses became synonymous with sketchiness thanks to websites like AllOfMP3, an online music store known for its low prices and flexibility in file quality/formats, was theoretically only legal in Russia but accessible worldwide. Its existence became a major world news story when the World Trade Organization refused to allow Russia to join if they didn't shut the site down.
Fedor Emelianenko became in MMA star in this climate. When Pride went under, the negotiations of M-1 Global (his promotional organization) became legendary. M-1 head Vadim Finkelstein was portrayed by some in the MMA media as a carnvial barker/ringmaster turned svengali, and some people laughed at him just because they thought he had a funny name. Regardless of how much money was thrown at him, Fedor would only fight for companies that would allow M-1 to participate as equal co-promoters, keeping him out of the UFC; leading to deals with Bodog, Affliction, and now Strike Force. Allegations of mob ties were thrown around, often without anything resembling proof other than suspicions becqause they're both Russian and shady. There are legitimate criticisms of M-1, which Leland Rolling is covering at Bloody Elbow, but too much of the time it seems like Finkelstein is being treated like a real life Boris Malenko, the sneaky, evil Russian manager who wears bad suits, and I don't know how widespread it would be if we were talking about an American-born fighter and his management, especially if the management didn't have a name that a lot of people seem to find wacky.
That said, who's to say it's not at least partially by design? Fedor is the star, and his reputation has to be protected. Finkelstein gets to play bad cop and takes the heat himself. In terms of a wrestling analogy it's like:
- John Laurinaiitis firing talent so Vince McMahon doesn't have to be the bad guy.
- Motoko Baba making the unpopular decisions in All Japan so her husband Shohei "Giant" Baba would retain his perception as an honest man who was too good for wrestling.
0 recs |
10 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
I’d add that much of the MMA media are willing patsies for our All American hero Dana White, so it’s no surprise Fedor’s management is treated like stereotypical Russian heels. I mean didn’t almost everyone fall for Dana’s Dr Evil-esque claim that Fedor would be paid $5 million per fight plus a cut of the PPV revenue?
Aha
You really have not followed the situation at all if you think this is all the MMA Media’s doing.
M-1 acts shady, very often. Vadim personally gets a million everytime Fedor fights, M-1 gets 1.2 million, Fedor gets 300,000. If that’s not exploitation then I don’t know what is.
It was accepted knowledge for months that Fedor would fight on the April Strikeforce card, but apparently M-1 didn’t feel their name got dropped enough during the last broadcast, so they wish to renegotiate the deal.
M-1’s shenanigans have nothing to do with making M-1 look like heels, they just are pretty flagrant with their douchebaggery quite often. When the MMA Media sides WITH Dana White, then you know you’re dealing with some clowns, as typically Dana is considering the bad guy (mostly for helping speed the downfall of PRIDE).
The hatred of M-1 Global is magnified in great part due to the fact that people feel that they are exploiting a magnificent champion, and bleeding him dry for every dollar they can get out of him.
by Patrick John McGreevy on Mar 4, 2010 6:58 AM EST reply actions
Huh
dunno why “personally” is slashed through, woops I guess.
by Patrick John McGreevy on Mar 4, 2010 6:59 AM EST up reply actions
I wasn’t saying that they never deserve it, just that they don’t always deserve it. They were getting shit before anything about their financial arrangement was rumored/leaked/whatever, and it was all “OH HO HO VADIM IS BEING WACKY!”
Also, you’re forgetting that Fedor is an M-1 shareholder.
No
I’m not forgetting it whatsoever. Being a %20 shareholder in M-1 Global does not account for the difference of (allegedly of course) in pay. %20 of 1.3 million is 260,000, leaving 1,040,000 for M-1 Global. Fedor has a guarantee of 300,000, plus, if we’re translating the pay take like that although it’d be more like equity in the company doubt he gets straight cash from whatever they take, the 260,000, that leaves Fedor essentially walking away with 560,000 This leaves 1,040,000 for M-1 and 1,000,000 for Vadim. 2,040,000 to 560,000, I smell shenanigans.
M-1 Global has shown that it wants to try and be a big promotion, and take the big paydays, their finances have been iffy on transparency (possible Russian mob ties nothing confirmed of course or there’d be a massive scandal) and act like a big promotion without doing all the work of really building a promotion. Fedor wants a part of a big company, to last his family well into his elder years. Sadly, it appears by most accounts that M-1 is bleeding the Fedortrain as dry as they possibly can with the most advantages for them, when really if Fedor walked away from them, signed a UFC contract and somehow managed to win 3-4 fights against the top tier in the UFC? He’d be set for life with the ppv bonuses he’d get. Tito made, allegedly, 4 million for his second Chuck fight, and Fedor would get a much better deal, better guarantee and a bigger pay per view cut, and with the UFC’s marketing he’d be a GOD if he managed to beat BROCKLESNAR. A filthy rich God at that.
M-1 Global is and has been portrayed as crooks and bad guys, because if it wasn’t for M-1 Global, any and all questions about who the best Heavyweight was would be answered. Fedor was offered the best deal ever (the possible G.O.A.T. deserves it and Dana/Fertitas knew it) and gave concessions that most other fighters wouldn’t even have a chance of getting, allowed to compete in Sambo whenever, allowed to wear M-1 Global gear, no champion’s clause (forget if this was confirmed), no other fighter could have gotten such a deal, and if it wasn’t for the existence and actions of M-1 Global, the fans would have had some of the greatest, and biggest fights of all time, the beloved champio;n Fedor would have his retirement account stuffed, and the UFC would be an even bigger organization.
You’re free to take any stance you please, but frankly, defending M-1 Global on the idea that they’re simply being made to look like vintage wrestling heels is kinda foolish, no offense. Before all the shit fell apart with the UFC, most Fedor nuthuggers thought that M-1 could do no wrong, that all was just and right with the UFC, but when their stalling greatly contributed to killing Affliction, when their absolute refusal to budge on co-promotion killed any hopes of Fedor/Brock happening, when they made Dana freaking White look like a Knight in shining armor? Yeah most MMA fans have come to realize Vadim Finkelstein is one hell of a shady, annoying man.
by Patrick John McGreevy on Mar 4, 2010 2:51 PM EST up reply actions
Not disagreeing with much of that (and the point of the M-1 ownership was that regardless of how much it was, it still made Fedor’s payoff higher than you said), but Vadim Finkelstein was vilified and made fun of before all of that came out, all because he talked big and had what some people thought was a funny name. That always stuck with me.
by Bix on Mar 4, 2010 3:24 PM EST up reply actions
And I don’t think and American-born fighter/manager pairing would be reported on the same way if everything else was the same. Vadim Finkelstein wouldn’t be portrayed as an evil svengali, at least.
by Bix on Mar 4, 2010 3:26 PM EST up reply actions
I think the same thing would happen, but no American manager has tried to pull the things that M-1 Global has. No manager has tried to get half of the profits of an event and have their name slapped in front of the UFC name before.
You’re really reaching for strings if you think the whole reason (part?) of the reason that Vadim is vilified is for his name. I’m sure plenty of people have had a snicker when they first saw the name, as it’s a bit odd. I know I got a little chuckle but that’s it. MMA fans are not walking around going “Wow haha what a funny name dis man have he must be the bad guys!”, No. Educated fans hear Vadim Finkelstein and they’re not chuckling at his name, they’re probably muttering swears under their breath instead.
Personally? My initial beef with him is as you said, he came around talking big, high and mighty. He speaks about M-1 Global like it is some big, glorious organization that is on the same level as the UFC. It is not, it is a world apart. One fighter does not a promotion make. I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for a while, but at this point it’s just like, ugh.
Note, I do not think Dana White is a saint of some kind, or a genius businessman. He’s a great promoter and he keeps the trains running on time as they say. I mean, he made me think that Thales Leites vs. Anderson Silva was going to be a competitive match, he’s got some voodoo talent.
by Patrick John McGreevy on Mar 4, 2010 6:28 PM EST up reply actions
I really don’t get why M-1 Global deserve to be portrayed as “crooks and bad guys” for not signing with UFC. M-1 Global had certain demands, UFC refused to grant all of those demands, so M-1 Global didn’t sign with them. Strikeforce gave M-1 Global everything they were looking for, so they signed with them. That’s business. M-1 Global owes the fans nothing. If they aren’t offered the right deal to decide who the best heavyweight ever is, then they shouldn’t take it. They’ve played their cards very well so far. Fedor is still unbeaten, the UFC money is still on the table. Taking easier fights for guaranteed million dollar payoffs is smart business.
by kjh on Mar 4, 2010 5:21 PM EST up reply actions
Yes
For M-1 Global, not necessarily for Fedor, and no one says the UFC money is perpetually on the table. Fedor loses? The numbers he’d get in the future drop significantly.
And M-1 Global’s demands were copromotion. 50/50 copromotion. They wanted half of the profits of the biggest MMA organization in the world for 1 fighter on the card.
Staying unbeaten is not hard if you fight lesser competition (that is not to say Fedor is necessarily doing that right now, Werdum is stellar)
by Patrick John McGreevy on Mar 4, 2010 6:20 PM EST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
