Why did Pride go under?

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Crayo

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Was watching an Ariel Helwani interview (love this guy) with Rampage, and Rampage didn't even know why Pride went under but Ariel couldn't explain on air or something. I'm interested because MMA interest in Japan has dropped exponentially apparently, and this probably has a big impact, so why did it go under?
 

Dolph'sZiggler

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Pride was basically run by the Yakuza. They were poorly run financially. They overpaid alllllllll of their fighters. They were never all that profitable despite their popularity, attendance, ect... then they lost a TV Deal with a japanese television company and it was all but over. Dana White bought it promising to keep them open, but that obviously didn't happen. \\

Also Japan has a huge love for K1 (kickboxing) and Pride had a deal with them, but then they broke it, tried to go head to head and got crushed.

The org. also had problems with PEDs (like as in... every fighter was on them), fixed fights and freakshow fights (AKA like Del Rio getting head kicked to hell by Cro Cop)

but yea, the main reason is that once the general public was aware that the Yakuza were more or less running the org, they lost the TV deal, and it was all downhill from there
 
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Dolph'sZiggler

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Here is an excerpt from a book that talks about the extortion that eventually led to the suicide of the original owner

http://www.scribd.com/doc/46533478/Miro-Mijatovic-v-Pride-FC-Nobuyuki-Sakakibara-Yamaguchi-Gumi
 
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Dolph'sZiggler

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Chael was just shit talking when he talked about fixed fights... yea, they happened, but rest assured they've happened in the UFC as well. Zuffa (The company that owns the UFC) is run by the Italian mob, so they aren't so innocent themselves.

Chael made it sound like Pride built stars through a series of fixed fights in an attempt to discredit Wanderlei, which is just preposterous.
 

Bort

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Hey, he wrestles for New Japan right now, therefore he's passable. Therefore I borderline like him. But he's a painfully average pro-wrestler.
 

Dolph'sZiggler

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Most MMA guys are pretty meh as pro wrestlers that I can think of off the top of my head. Shamrock was OK I guess lol

Sak was an awesome fighter to watch though. He is one of my most respected mixed martial artists
 

Bort

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Nah, the Man Mountain Sexyama. Mirko, Minotaur and Fedor make my Top 5, I guess. HMs: Nobuhiko Takada and Josh F'N Barnett.

Have you ever seen Takada outside of legit fighting?
 

Dolph'sZiggler

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No.

Sexyama is a nice shout. I think he has the longest losing streak in UFC history. Most guys get cut after 3 losses
 

Bort

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You should watch his trilogy with Vader. You should watch UWFi in general, because that fed was awesome in presenting wrestling as real. Some of the stiffest matches ever happened over there. The presentation was legit. Notice it was the 90s, so imagine the awe.