Pride officially extinct
Americans slam door on any possibility of the event returning
Six months after the official announcement of Pride’s purchase by the owners of the UFC, brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, the news has seeped out that the event's offices in Japan have been officially closed. The famous organization has closed its doors six days after the 10th birthdays since it was promoted with the legendary fight between Nobuhiro Takada and the Brazilian Rickson Gracie.
According to information from the specialized Japanese press, all Pride’s employees were given notice via telephone by James Pollack (Fertitta brothers' legal representative) that all of the company’s operations have been terminated. The ex-employees complained about the way they were treated, alleging they were kicked out of the building carrying only personal belongings, and were blocked from having access to the company's computers or telephones after the sudden shut down. The event's demise has been linked to the lack of public interest in Japan now the organization is in American hands.
“It is very sad to see the way the American organizers are treating the people that helped us. We believed Lorenzo’s message, when he said he would restore Pride. We were working on that, and now this is the way we respond to our fans. Having to close the doors all of a sudden is very frustrating," declared Keiichi Sasahara, ex-public relations at Pride.
Prawie jak w polskiej polityce. W skrócie: wbrew obietnicom zarządu biura Pride zostały zamknięte, wszystkie prace przerwane a pracownicy bezpardonowo wywaleni... co było do przewidzenia. Ale może to i lepiej, że nie będzie niczego zamiast UFC Japan?
Cóż, pozostaje K-1 Heroes.
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