Strikeforce and Herschel Walker: A Perfect Marriage
By Curtis Clontz on Jan 30, 2010
Josh Stein put together a very though provoking piece about Strikeforce and how they are using their fighters(Strikeforce:The things that matter, and the things that don’t). It was a good article, unfortunately I didn’t agree with him.
Throughout the article he talks about how Strikeforce’s show tonight is eerily similar to some of the things the now retired Elite XC organization was doing. One of which is the use of Herschel Walker.
Josh said this about Walker and SForce…
“The fact that Herschel Walker (0-0 MMA) is being pushed by Strikeforce as a legitimate talent before he makes his debut is bothersome, and the fact that his first fight against an unknown heavyweight who may still kick his ass is on the main card of an event is something that Strikeforce shouldn’t be proud of. But it’s not going to bother them, for the same reason it didn’t bother EliteXC to put on a less than stellar show when they showed up in Miami.”
I for one have no problem with the way that they are using Walker’s fame and popularity to generate interest in their organization.
Herschel Walker is THE most popular athlete to ever compete in MMA. Sure, that is a bold statement…but it is true. He is not a Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell, or Fedor, but until Tim Tebow came a long, he was considered the best College Football player in history. Let that sink in…THE BEST EVER (purely opinion, but many others share it)!
Tonight Strikeforce will put Herchel on display. He is not the main event, he is not fighting for a title, and he is not the “biggest” MMA name on the card. He is simply a well designed addition that will make people watch. Supplement that with Bobby Lashley, Nate Diaz, Robbie Lawler, and Cyborg…And you have a fight card that people want to see.
There will be tons of people that tune into Showtime to see Herchel fight, that will see some other key fighters. This is how you get new fans, viewers, and big time ratings.
It is all a business, and Herschel is nothing more than a piece in Strikeforce’s business model.
Strikeforce is not the UFC. They do not have the best talent in their weight classes, but they are a legitimate organization. They have to rely on other tactics to get people to watch, and Herschel Walker is a perfect addition.
Not to mention he is a true athlete, and rumors are…He is pretty good at this fighting game.
Picture from MMAJunkie.com
Filed Under: MMA
Comments (5)
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You don’t debut a 47 year old running back on the main card of the U.S.’s second largest organization. It’s setting him up for embarrassment.
I have huge respect for Herschel Walker, but the guy should have a fight on an undercard before appearing on the main card. We have no idea if the guy has any skill, we’re just listening to the hype.
I’ll be rooting for Herschel, but I would’ve rather seen Riggs vs. Baroni on the main card, because those two guys have shown they can fight.
Josh I think it would be different if he were being billed as the top fighter on the card like Kimbo was. But let us face it even in the UFC they put fights with names on top vs. what would be considered sold contests. Strikeforce is trying to make money, especially since they are now rivals with the UFC like it or not, and right now they need to generate more of a buzz. Herschel is legit for every reason Curtis points out and more and I know a few people who tuned in to see him who never watched MMA.
Bill
A 47 year old that is 0-0 is not worth putting on the main card.
I would agree except how many people are talking about this? Coker needs something to put against the UFC and at least its not Kimbo.
Fair enough. It did create a buzz. I do have a problem with the washed up athletes (Canseco, Herschel etc…) thinking they can try MMA though. It seems to be an insult to the sport.