Will KJ Noons deliver the knockout blow to EliteXC?
After a tumultuous week, that saw Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva test positive for Boldenone, the cancellation of it September 20 event, and the soap opera that has starred Mark Dion. You wouldn’t think that things could get worse for EliteXC.
In fact, it seemed things were picking up. Yesterday’s announcement of an Oct 4 main event pitting Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson versus Ken Shamrock and a possible early 2009 pay-per-view, definitely seemed to shine a light on XC’s proverbial rain cloud.
Then, today we hear from EliteXC’s public enemy number 1, KJ Noons. MMA Rated spoke to Noons today about his contract status and stated that he would be holding a press conference this week to “tell his side of the story.” He assured them that everyone would understand why he is declining to fight.
He also stated that “legal reasons” are preventing him from speaking out at this time, but Noons did have this to say when asked if he was ducking Nick Diaz. “It has nothing to do with Diaz, trust me. I'm not ducking or dodging anybody."
With everyone confused , as to what is going on. MMA Rated contacted Jared Shaw to see if he had any idea as to why Noons is so upset with ElteXC.
Shaw stated ,that when Noons signed on with EliteXC, he also signed on with Gary Shaw Productions. It was a separate deal from his mixed martial arts contract, but the two contracts were still somewhat connected.
Noons felt that Gary Shaw hasn’t done enough to promote his boxing career.
"Mark Dion called me a month ago claiming Gary was in breach of his boxing contract," Shaw's son, Jared said. "So, I spoke to Gary about it and he said, 'let them go fight somewhere else.'"
"(Dion) said that he was upset because Gary promised to build both careers. So, I said, 'if you want to sue Gary or you think he is in breach of contract let me facilitate the process. We'll still approve all future boxing fights...as long as you continue to honor your EliteXC contract."
Shaw said that Noons has since been let out of his contract with Gary Shaw Productions, but hasn’t heard from Dion in over a month.
Could this be the final straw for a struggling EliteXC Promotion? You would have to think that with the heavyweight title somewhat tainted by Bigfoot’s failed drug test, that having to strip the lightweight champion does nothing but hurt it’s credibility. I guess only time will tell.
- hardyz55's blog
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Comments
its bad for the company, but
its bad for the company, but noons isn't the company's meal ticket ... thats kimbo and gina carano and jake shields is the most talented fighter on the roster
but kj noons not fighting isnt super damaging to the promotion because the card itself, while not that appealing to fans that are more familiar with mma, is actually good in terms of the audience
more than half the people watching will be the ones that
- call mma "ultimate fighting"
- don't realize they arent watching the UFC
- think kimbo is a badass
- don't know who robert "buzz" berry is
- aren't aware that shamrock hasnt beaten anyone in like 4 years
- know gina carano for being an american gladiator
the person that delivers the nail in the coffin will be the one that embarasses kimbo or completely mauls gina carano (provided they fail to build other fighters like they SHOULD be doing)
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incidentally, noons will be on today's (27th) SDS.
if his reason for not taking the fight is strictly contractual, i think someone needs to call shenanigans on everything else he has gone on the record saying though.
specifically, why should it matter if nick diaz isnt the number one contender in his eyes if his issue is solely a contract issue and he will fight whoever they put in front of him? why should it matter that nick diaz is getting hype (there are transcripts quoting him as saying something like "stop fucking hyping nick diaz. hype me" ... seriously ... if he called it a contract issue upfront, he would totally look less like a choad
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another edit ... noons seems to have cancelled on SDS
Noons is nothing big but
Noons is nothing big but wants to be treated big time! Like Horrible said EliteXc is based around Kimbo and Gina and right now that's it. And given their bad numbers on free tv I cannot believe they are talking about PPV! I am hoping Shamrock kills Kimbo. But then I couldn't see the female fighters who are the best fighters in EliteXc.
Wardog
ok noons put out a statement
ok noons put out a statement link
here's the text:
It is not about being scared to fight Diaz, who I previously defeated, it is about the fight I am currently in with Elite XC regarding my career.
I would first like to address all the false allegations and insults from Jared Shaw, aka $kala, VP of Elite XC. You will see why I am so disgusted of how Elite XC treated me and how it applies to this proposed fight and my career.
$kala says:
Honor my contract. Elite XC wants to talk about honoring the contract. How about when Elite XC honored the contract and my pay to fight Edson Berto went down after I lost my first fight. That was not part of my contract. Or how about the contract Gary Shaw breached by not promoting my boxing career? Gary Shaw only gave me one out of four of the agreed upon fights. I have not boxed for over a year. When I signed with Elite XC, I was promised they would promote both my boxing and MMA careers. I could have signed with another MMA only company, but I wanted to box too.
Elite XC does me a favor after I lose, by putting me on the first ShoXC against Edson Berto? Berto’s father is good friends with Jared’s father, Gary Shaw who wants Berto’s brother on a boxing contract. Berto was the next guy Elite XC wanted to build. But I win that fight and now I am 1-1. Elite XC gives me an opportunity to fight Diaz. Elite XC puts me against Diaz because Elite XC’s roster was so light and there was nobody else to fight him.
Elite XC creates a new weight class for Diaz because he beat Gomi. Giving Diaz a belt and creating a weight division (160) he can make, will make your belt legit. Sorry to ruin Elite XC’s plans and beat him.
Elite XC never promoted or took care of me as their champion.
Examples:
In the Elite XC’s DVD where Diaz and I fought there are two (2) baseball cards of Diaz and Kimbo. Hello! I won the fight and Elite XC’s promoting Diaz after I beat him? Or how about the day Elite XC flew Diaz in to do a signing on the DVD where he lost. Wow, that must have been uncomfortable Nick? Signing a DVD, and it is a fight that you lost. Why wasn’t I flown in for the signing?
Elite XC has never promoted me on either of their websites, EliteXC or Pro-Elite.
Elite XC offered me a fight on the first CBS show, but only if I signed a new long-term contract. Instead of promoting their best fighters on CBS, you have to be on a long term contract for them to promote you. That was not our deal.
Consider when Elite XC gives a couple thousand tickets away at their CBS show in Stockton.
Elite XC gives me a hard time about comping me one extra ticket for my cousin that helped me train for my fight. I only get four tickets per show. I am the main event in Honolulu, my home town! I did not ask for any tickets for my family and friends and they gave me a hard time about one extra ticket!
Or how about when Elite XC brought Diaz into the ring after my last victory in Hawaii to disrespect me and my family.
Chuck Champion (President Elite XC) threatens me, my family and my manager with lawsuits and how he’s going to sue me. HAHA. Pretty hard to sue a guy who does not make jack with your company. I’m glad $kala disclosed how much I make, which breached the confidentiality clause of the contract. I will break down the real numbers for you. I am the defending world champ, I have been the main event for Elite XC three out of four times on Showtime. In almost two years I have made approximately $83,000?
After paying my trainers and managers fee, I have $50,000 thousand. After taxes, probably 30 grand. Divide that by two years for $15,000 thousand a year. Divide by 52 weeks that amounts to approximately $300 a week. I do not know anybody that can survive on that amount of money. My buddies make more money than that in a couple days being a bus boy or bar back. And yes you can argue I should fight more. Elite XC doesn’t give me fights or promote me, they ice me. Gary Shaw Productions only gave me one of the agreed upon four fights per the boxing contract.
And I do not want to ramble on about all the little small stuff that I can keep going on about. But the straw that broke the camel’s back is they want me to fight Diaz for the second time. Diaz is not the number one contender and they are paying Diaz three times more money than me. Diaz complained after the Stockton fight, he was not paid enough. How do you think that made me feel? Yes you can argue that Diaz gets more for the draw, therefore I do not deserve as much compensation. If that is the case, it is a result of Elite XC terrible job promoting me. Instead of promoting me as their champ and upcoming athlete, Elite XC has resented me for ruining their plans to make Diaz their champ. That is just total disrespect. So it comes down to money and what is fair. I am tired of being bent over by Elite XC with no Vaseline.
I am right when I say Diaz is not the number one contender. Elite XC is trying to force this fight for their ratings. Eddie Alaverez is the number one contender and anybody with half a brain knows that a fight with Eddie is a way harder fight for me than Diaz. I will fight Diaz, but Elite has to be fair. I’m not ducking Diaz, why the hell would I be scared of someone I already beat.
With that being said, I am going to focus on my boxing career. I can make more money doing 6 and 8 rounders every other month and make more than I did being the Elite XC defending world champ. At least I will be able to sleep at night and be able to look myself in the mirror everyday. That right there is worth more than $300 bucks a week or fighting a guy I cannot stand for less money than him the second time around.
Will the Diaz fight happen, yes. Will the fight happen on Elite XC on October 4, 2008, probably not. The way things are being run by Chuck Champion, a guy whose history is newspapers, not fighting, and $kala, someone who talks a lot of game, but has never put on a pair of gloves, never stepped in a ring or cage. $kala has had everything handed to him with a silver spoon from daddy. Does anyone else but me think $kala just wants to be famous and stir up all this dirty laundry? I guess any publicity is good publicity. When I think about it, it has been good promotion for their October card since nobody is talking about it until you bring up the Noons vs. Diaz match up.
Before I end, I would like to thank my team, my trainers and workout partners for helping me prepare for my fights hours every day. I would like to also thank my manager Mark Dion for standing behind my decision making. I want to be a fighter who is not doing whatever I am being told like some kind of mindless puppet.
Thanks for hearing my side.
K.J. NOONS
so he seems to try to pin
so he seems to try to pin his beef on his contract and his promoters, but again, he moans about nick diaz ... making a case for yourself shouldnt be about throwing another fighter under the bus
i like that he recognizes he doesnt have nick diaz's or kimbo's star power but he pins the blame on the promoter (never mind that you are 1-1 and you fought for a belt)