Is This the beginning of the end for Amateur MMA in NJ

[PhilDunlap]

From the Press of Atlantic City
www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/atlantic-city_pleasantville_brigantine/professional-mixed-martial-arts-event-muscles-amateur-new-breed-fighters/article_1c7ae99e-46bd-11e0-aac9-001cc4c002e0.html

Professional mixed martial arts event muscles amateur New Breed Fighters event out of Atlantic City

Posted: Friday, March 4, 2011 6:58 pm | Updated: 12:17 am, Sat Mar 5, 2011.
MICHAEL CLARK, Staff Writer pressofAtlanticCity.com
ATLANTIC CITY - Plans for an amateur mixed martial arts event at the Atlantic City Hilton were going smoothly.
Scott Morgan, the head of New Breed Fighters, managed to get approval for the April 16 event from the New Jersey Athletic Control Board. Hilton officials had thrown their weight behind the event, fliers began circulating and a large billboard promoting the fight had been erected along the Atlantic City Expressway.
Now, with just a little more than a month before the event, the billboard is gone, all promotional efforts have ceased and Morgan is losing his personal brawl with the state.
NJACB officials canceled the pre-approved amateur fight in late January after a professional mixed martial arts event requested to hold a fight on the same date at Resorts Casino Hotel. The board's policy allows it to cancel an amateur event for staffing or scheduling issues, including the ability to rescind the board's previous approval of an event if a professional event is scheduled on the same day.
"How is this fair?" asked Morgan, who says he and the Hilton stand to lose thousands in promotional costs if the show is shut down. "Borgata could invest up to $1 million bringing a headliner in. Does a state agency inform all other entertainment facilities in the entire state that they must cancel any previous commitments they have made to any bands for that date? Would that even be smart?"
The circumstances surrounding the cancellation illustrate the lack of protection amateur events have in New Jersey and, some say, contradict Gov. Chris Christie's newly announced commitment to Atlantic City in an effort to attract the most amount of visitors here.
NJACB Commissioner Aaron M. Davis argued that Christie's vision is still being upheld, noting that many professional shows, which generate more revenue for the state and arguably more attendance, have begun to insist on holding exclusive event dates in an effort to prevent splintered ticket sales.
"We're cancelling amateur events to make way for bigger, better shows," said Nicholas Lembo, a deputy attorney general. Mixed martial arts "does not attract a casual fan. It's not like bringing two comedians or two rock bands to Atlantic City. It's a cult sport. It has a small following."

[PizDoff]

I only approved your article because I remember your name.

What happened to your other username?

[Kickapoo]

While this is upsetting, I don't see how it's the 'beginning of the end'.

[PhilDunlap]

If ammy promoters can't count on the dates they recieve from the state or at the very least replace them they will eventually be unable to run their businesses.. My fear is that one of the small local pro shows will target an amatuer show and run them out of business by taking there dates.. The idea that the Athletic Commission has a rule that would let this happen is troubling to me.

[Kickapoo]

What is there to gain from running the ammy promotions out of business?

If there are no amateurs, there are no professionals. It's not like the ammy shows directly compete with the pro ones, so the notion that the pro shows are 'targeting' the ammy ones seems a bit unfounded.

[PhilDunlap]

Some of the Pro shows already have their own amateur shows and are in direct competition with the amatuer shows.

The state will allow 2 pro shows on the same night so why not a pro and an amatuer show. The state is in effect protecting pro shows from the competition of amatuer shows

[Hertzyscowicz]

If I understood the article correctly (and they weren't ill-informed themselves), the board's right to revoke their approval is based on staffing issues. Just how much staff would the board have needed to bring in for the ammy and pro shows, then, to be unable to handle both on the same night?

[PhilDunlap]

The state has the staffing to run 2 pro shows at the same time but not an ammy and pro at the same time.... Much of the staff used for pro and ammy is different anyway such as the referee.. The state in effect is saying that in return for the ticket tax revenue they offer a pro show an exclusive.. New Breed has offered to pay a ticket tax for either the 16th or a replacement date of the 30th.. New Breed has averaged better attendance then the show replacing it had last time so the revenue the state gained would be more than they are generating either way

[Lampa]

New Breed is a good ammy show. Odd presentation, but still a good show.

Pro shows in New Jersey really lack the savvy and organization for the kind of thing that you described. Even Ring of Combat lacks the resources to actually run an ammy show out of town to then try to replace it with its own pet ammy project.

Also, the staffing shortage is hardly nefarious. New Jersey is simply bearing the brunt of shows owned by New Yorkers who can't put on a show in their own state due to the current laws.

This is an unfortunate setback for New Breed. Not the beginning of a counter programming war amongst local shows that are only competing in the loosest sense of the term.

[sambosteve]

A bigger problem is that amateur promoters are also crowding each other out. I have heard promoters are getting their dates cut because there are too many shows for the commission to oversee. Essentially, NJ is becoming saturated.