(Guess who’s getting promoted to the position of Kimbo’s Official Gold Chain Holder. Photo courtesy of Esther Lin.)
When news dropped that Gary Shaw had resigned from Pro Elite just shortly after everyone within the company, including his son Jared, assured the media that things were just fine and nobody was going anywhere, we naturally assumed that Jared was on his way out too. It’s like when you’re the son of a third world dictator and you get some cushy do-nothing job. When your dad is overthrown by a power-hungry general in a bloody coup, it usually means you’re on the next flight out with a briefcase full of cash or you get killed in your sleep.
But according to new Pro Elite Chairman Charles Champion, whose name is awesome and maybe fake, Jared is going to be sticking around in some capacity:
Jared has been with the company from the beginning. Gary has often said that it was really Jared that brought Gary into it. Jared has continued to work on making matches and continue to promote ProElite and ProElite athletes. He’s continuing to work with the fight team. I haven’t talked to Jared about what he’s going to be doing ten years from now but I have talked to Jared about what he’s going to be doing for the next while with us. He’s enthusiastic and others are enthusiastic about his approach and what he’s doing now, so we think that is all going to work out well.
Seriously? So the lesson here is, nepotism works? Man, this is why I hate learning lessons.
In a different interview, Jeremy Lappen, Elite XC’s Head of Fight Operations, told AOL Fanhouse that he hopes to see Elite XC on pay-per-view eventually, and it’s only a matter of putting on pay-per-view worthy fights. The question is, what would Elite XC consider worthy of our forty dollars? Kimbo Slice? Gina Carano? Robbie Lawler?
Maybe all of the above. To hear Lappen tell it, Elite XC is chock full of number one fighters after their most recent event:
I think Robbie Lawler established himself as one of the best if not the best 185-pound fighter in the world. Nick Diaz was great. Jake Shields is arguably the best 170-pounder in the world. He dismantled Nick Thompson in a minute. A lot of good things happened from that event, and we’re getting the fighters exposure, that’s what it’s all about.
Nothing against Lawler, who is a great fighter, but how exactly does beating Scott Smith make you the best middleweight in MMA? Seems like Elite XC has decided to keep repeating these mantas over and over again in the hopes that they will become true by the power of repetition.