.jpg "Hulk Hogan")
FEDOR VS. LESNAR, HOGAN VS. WCW
Highly-regarded mixed martial artist Fedor Emilianenko didn’t sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship because they wouldn’t let him co-promote his bouts. High-priced athletes like Alex Rodriguez, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and David Beckham have demanded – and received – a lot of things. None ever got a percentage of the take.
Fedor had to know UFC boss Dana White wouldn’t budge. Is this just Fedor’s way of dodging UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar?
Sure looks that way to me. Fedor may not be scared of Lesnar in the physical sense. But Fedor likely realizes that Lesnar is the one fighter that could destroy Fedor’s air of invincibility, thus decreasing future paydays. Why battle for No. 1 when you can have two No. 1s?
That’s the same twisted logic that diluted boxing’s heavyweight division until there were a multitude of champs, just none anyone cared about. That won’t happen anytime soon in MMA, not with the stars of Lesnar and Fedor both shining so brightly. But, long term…
Fedor’s demands from UFC remind me of the contract Hulk Hogan got from WCW in 1994. Hogan got $600,000 per PPV or 25% of the gross, whichever was greater. He also got $25,000 per house show or 25% of the gross, whichever was greater. He also got $25,000 per TV.
Whenever you get paid a cut of the gross, not the net, you’ve got major star power. The net can be manipulated and minimized a million different ways. The gross is the gross. That’s REAL money.
Hogan also got a ridiculous percentage of his merchandise gross, including all nWo gear. A WCW executive once told me that by the time manufacturing, printing and Hogan’s cut were figured in, the company LOST MONEY when it sold an nWo T-shirt.
Hogan’s presence definitely helped WCW. But was Hogan worth what he was paid? Given WCW’s ultimate demise, it’s a legitimate debate.
Mark Madden can be reached at wzmarkmadden@hotmail.com.
