CBS Cancels 'CSI: Miami,' 'Rob' & 'NYC 22,' Renews 'CSI:NY'
'Community' Renewed For Season 4 On NBC
Sumner Redstone not happy with MMA on CBS
CBS Executive Chairman, Sumner Redstone, was asked on Wednesday for his thoughts on the four MMA events scheduled to air on the network as a result of their partnership with Elite Xtreme Combat. Now, if Sumner just said he's not a fan, or he didn't think it was right for the network, I could probably just agree to disagree with him. My issue with his comments, as reported by Reuters, come from the reference that airing the sport on free, broadcast TV, is not socially responsible.
Seriously? Does he watch the network? We all know what would be plugging those open holes in the lineup if it wasn't for the appearance of Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano (American Gladiators, pictured). Yes, another heaping helping of CSI:X reruns, possibly featuring psychopaths that poison/stab/shoot/strangle/etc their victims. If your argument is that airing fictional murderers committing heinous, bloody, crimes is somehow taking the moral high ground when compared to MMA, I'm really not buying it. For those of you interested in some Saturday night MMA, I've attached the press release, with the fight card, after the jump.
CBS AND ELITEXC ANNOUNCE LINEUP FOR INAUGURAL PRIMETIME
BROADCAST OF "CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS,"
MAY 31 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
Street Fighting Legend-Turned-EliteXC Heavyweight Sensation Kimbo Slice Will
Square Off Against Hard-Hitting British MMA Standout James "Colossus"
Thompson in the Main Event of a Five-Fight Broadcast
Popular Female Fighter Gina "Conviction" Carano and EliteXC Middleweight
Champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler will also Appear on the Card
LOS ANGELES, April 16 - CBS and EliteXC today announced the lineup for the first "CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS," to be broadcast live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Saturday, May 31 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
"In terms of recognition and perception, I believe May 31 is the biggest and single most important MMA fight card ever. It will forever change the landscape of the sport and how it is perceived," said Gary Shaw, EliteXC Live Events President. The following five primetime matchups are confirmed for the CBS ELITEXC
SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS on May 31.
· Kimbo Slice vs. James "Colossus" Thompson (Heavyweights)
· "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler vs. Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith (for EliteXC Middleweight title)
· Gina "Conviction" Carano vs. Kaitlin Young (140 lb. weight class)
· Phil Baroni vs. Murilo "Ninja" Rua (Middleweights)
· Brett "The Grim" Rogers vs. Jon Murphy (Heavyweights)
KIMBO SLICE vs. JAMES "COLOSSUS" THOMPSON
Heavyweight sensation Kimbo Slice will headline the first-ever CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS. From the street to EliteXC, Slice's unorthodox ascension through the world of mixed martial arts started with posting his local fights on "YouTube," a move that quickly garnered millions of downloads and made him an instant legend among fans of the sport. Kimbo, aka Kevin Ferguson, who resides in Perrine, Fla., near Miami, will be matched against James "Colossus" Thompson, a British MMA standout whose pre-fighting resume includes work as a "debt collector." Thompson is aptly nicknamed, standing at six-foot-five and weighing more than 250 pounds. He will be the first MMA fighter to possess a height advantage over the six-foot-two-inch Kimbo. This bout is scheduled for three five-minute rounds.
"RUTHLESS" ROBBIE LAWLER vs. SCOTT "HANDS OF STEEL" SMITH
Champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler of St. Louis by way of Davenport, Iowa will put his title on the line against Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith in the evening's middleweight championship fight. Lawler trains under the legendary Pat Miletich, while Smith trains in Reno, Nev. Both fighters are widely considered two of the most prolific knockout artists in the business. This championship bout is slated for five five-minute rounds.
GINA "CONVICTION" CARANO vs. KAITLIN YOUNG
In a female bout, Gina "Conviction" Carano will square off against Circle Pines, Minn. native Kaitlin Young. Carano, an undefeated Muay Thai specialist, lives and trains in Las Vegas, Nev., and is considered one of the most popular female fighters in the world of mixed martial arts. Carano recently appeared on the series "American Gladiators" where she put her skills to the test as the gladiator "Crush." Young, a well conditioned athlete who trains at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, started Olympic style taekwondo when she was 14. Her aggressive style and Muay Thai background should provide one of the most interesting matchups of the evening. This bout is scheduled for three three-minute rounds.
PHIL BARONI vs. MURILO "NINJA" RUA
Outspoken, hard-hitting, MMA bad boy, Phil Baroni, will take on former EliteXC middleweight champ Murilo "Ninja" Rua, a specialist in Muay Thai and Brazilian jiujitsu. Baroni, a fighter known for always putting on a good show, hails from Long Island, N.Y., and is currently training in Las Vegas, Nev. and San Jose, Calif. The talented Rua is currently training in his hometown of Curitiba, Brazil. This bout is scheduled for three five-minute rounds.
BRETT "THE GRIM" ROGERS vs. JON MURPHY
Brett "The Grim" Rogers brings an impressive undefeated record to the fight against fellow heavyweight contender Jon Murphy. The explosive, hard-hitting Rogers, who hails from Minneapolis, Minn., is six-foot-five and weighs over 260 pounds. Murphy, a former middle linebacker at Syracuse University who lives in Minersville, Penn, is six-foot-four and weighs over 240 pounds. This bout is scheduled for three five minute rounds.
The intense nature of the contests and the theatrical elements of its live events have made mixed martial arts one of the fastest growing spectator sports in the U.S. Over the last several years, the genre has seen tremendous growth in popularity, especially among the coveted 18-34 demographic. Mixed martial arts is a sport evolved from a number of ancient combat disciplines including judo, jiu-jitsu, karate, wrestling and kickboxing. World-class athletes engage in hand-to-hand combat in a ring-both caged and traditional-and must adapt their fighting style to fit their opponent. The wide variety of styles and techniques make every event an unpredictable spectacle. CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will be produced by SHOWTIME Sports. The executive producer is David Dinkins, Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing. For additional information and fighter profiles, visit www.proelite.com
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