Exclusive: Jared Shaw Talks EliteXC Collapse for First Time
By Ariel Helwani
March 3, 2009
During EliteXC’s brief existence, the promotion’s vice president, Jared “$kala” Shaw, was as visible and vocal as any fighter. However, once the company ceased promoting fights in October 2008, Shaw chose to remain silent and not comment on the shocking collapse of what was once considered a future threat to the UFC’s stranglehold on the sport of mixed martial arts.
Now, for the first time since October, Shaw has decided to talk publicly about everything from ‘standgate’ to Strikeforce’s purchase of EliteXC’s main assests. Versus.com’s Ariel Helwani spoke exclusively to Shaw. Below is a transcript of their conversation.
Where have you been since we last heard from you in October 2008?
I just took some much needed rest and reflection on the years that we put into MMA, and I am definitely proud of what we accomplished. Other than that, I have been working on my fighters. I have plenty of great professional boxers: Gary Russell Jr., Chad Dawson, Alfredo Angullo, Chris Avalos, and a couple of other prospects I have been looking at. I have just been managing their careers, putting them in positions to win titles and be champions, and I am proud to be associated with some of the best fighters in boxing.
Looking back, how disappointed were you at the way things turned out with EliteXC?
Oh, I am extremely disappointed. First, I should say, before I am disappointed, I am grateful for an opportunity and the platform and I am thrilled to be a part of something that I think helped launch the careers of many great mixed martial arts fighters, as well as mixed martial arts, the sport, into the public’s eye. But, obviously, I feel like we were doing great things, we were really starting to climb onto the tail of the UFC, and really help launch the sport of mixed martial arts and continue to develop great talent, as well as the talent we already had. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t go on and it was almost more unfortunate that because we couldn’t go on the fighters were forced to sit.
In your opinion, was there any correlation between the demise of the promotion and the Seth Petruzelli “standgate” story following his shocking win over Kimbo Slice on October 4th?
No, absolutely not. And people want to link the demise of the company to the demise of the promotion. EliteXC was a healthy operating company. EliteXC was Pro Elite’s one golden nugget. The chest was big, and we were just one piece of it. And because EliteXC was in the public eye people think EliteXC lost 55 million dollars. EliteXC never had 55 million dollars to play with. The parent company may have.
So, at the end of the day, what exactly went wrong?
I just think there were certain figures in the parent company that may have been a bit over zealous in purchases and acquisitions that possibly at the time looked real good and looked like something we were going to build into an enormous franchise, but at the end of the day those steps turned into steps backwards. Unfortunately, EliteXC wasn’t just EliteXC. It was part of a company, and there were other assests and acquisitions that didn’t pan out the way we had hoped. Unfortunately, EliteXC was part of what had to be closed down. Whether we were doing a good job or not, I don’t think that was in question. I think everybody in that company was doing a great job especially as a startup.
Did you ever have an inkling that the end was near?
I kind of saw the writing on the wall months prior when were just going through the motions of hopefully, possibly going through a sale. We were hoping somebody would take over Pro Elite and EliteXC and continue on with the promotion and continue on with the staff that was already in place. Again, I think EliteXC was working fluid with myself, Jeremy Lappen, Richard Chou, JT Steele, JD Penn, and Erik Naranjo. So, was I blindsided? No. My father (boxing promoter and former EliteXC president of live events, Gary Shaw) always taught me that the world is small, and whoever you see going up a ladder, you are going to see going down. So, make sure you treat everybody with respect and in the right way. It was only a matter of time before everybody’s time comes. Everybody goes up and down that ladder, and at least I know I will be up again.
There has been a ton criticism thrown your way since the demise of the company. What do you think of all that has been said by former colleagues of yours?
Unfortunately, while I would like to say that I am hurt, that’s just the unfortunate reality of life. There’s haters in life, there’s jealousy in life. There’s people who are misinformed. I am used to feeling the brunt of hate or gratification - however somebody wants to treat me. To hear my coworkers come out and basically throw stones, slander me, and insinuate things that are not true, it showed that they didn’t know what was going on. I think everybody wants to be in a position of power. Look, the one job that I think is kind of like fantasy football or fantasy baseball to everybody is being a matchmaker, and not everybody can hold that position in a company because not everybody has an eye for talent and because if you got too many chiefs in the kitchen, there’s no cook. So, in that essence, some people felt like they wanted that opportunity, and I am sorry that when they made a statement it wasn’t heard or that they didn’t have a say in the company’s future. I did my job, and I got nothing bad to say about anybody because, at the end of the day, I can hold my head up high and know that I am real human being and I don’t need to take pot shots at others to make myself feel better or to make myself look better to future endeavors. I know what I brought to the table, and I think people from the inside who really understand the sport, I think they know what I brought to the table.
Have you recently contacted some of these former coworkers of yours to try and clear the air?
Not at all. I don’t have anything to say to those guys. I rarely had things to say to them when they were with the company because some of them were just not there, taking in waves of their acquisition in the sun, and others did other jobs and we weren’t really closely associated.
Did you ever think of buying EliteXC’s assests before Strikeforce eventually did?
No, I mean, did I have an opportunity to make an offer or to gain the funding to try to acquire it myself? Yes, of course. I was given an opportunity like I guess everybody in the world was given an opportunity to make a bid on the assests. At the end of the day, I just chose not to because I just thought that I love the sport of MMA and I love the fighters. And if I am not going to get the fair shake that I think I rightfully deserve, then I am not going to do an injustice to the rest of them. I am not going to do an injustice to the sport by giving it a black eye if the fans just don’t want to embrace the Shaws. The one thing is that MMA is a very hateful circle; there isn’t a lot of journalism. I speak to you because I respect you. There’s a couple of other guys covering this sport that I respect a lot. But there’s too many bloggers in this sport. There’s too many people sitting in their cubicles, not doing their job, and when they are done with Facebook and Myspace, they are blogging on their own little Internet site or on some other forum. Unfortunately, because this sport is new, television executives have to go on the Internet and rely on the information they see, and a lot of times they see information that is inaccurate.
So, that said, do you think you have been black-balled by the MMA community thus making it hard for you to ever work in this sport again?
Yeah, I believe in some way I have been singled out as the bad guy. Some people want to blame me for the demise of the company, but those that were close know the truth. I haven’t gone on the record with anybody because I don’t really have anything to say. I know what I brought to the table, and I believe in karma. I believe in what goes around comes around, and those that were responsible for the demise – and it’s not one person in general – they all know it and they’ve all felt it. I don’t need to point my finger at anyone.
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently during your time with EliteXC?
Yeah, get control of the 55 million dollars! (laughs). Obviously, I wish I wasn’t standing up when Kimbo got hit (by Seth Petruzelli on October 4th), and I wish that I didn’t have such a close, personal relationship with Kevin Ferguson (aka Kimbo Slice) that it looked like an injustice because it was never that. I am a straight shooter, I am very kosher.
Why did you react that way? Do you wish you could have controlled your emotions a little better?
Yes, I wish I could have controlled my emotions. But me standing up had nothing to do with the knockdown. There’s some people who know the story of why I was standing, and I don’t want to get into it, but it evolved into a legal issue outside of the cage. When the bell rang, I just happened to be getting to my seat. It was 12 seconds, you can’t sit down quick enough. So, yeah, I wish I could have contained my emotions so people would have a different picture painted of Jared Shaw. Unfortunately if you Google my name, you see, ‘Jared Shaw embarrasses himself again on national television.’ At the end of the day, my only regret is in that in that one instance that I know I did have control over, that I would have reacted differently because I wouldn’t ever in a million years take anything away from Seth Petruzelli. He did a fantastic job that night and he stopped the myth.
Speaking of Petruzelli, do you hold any kind of resentment towards him because it seems as though some of his post-fight comments may have led to the demise of the company?
Ariel, I am not mad at him. You want to know why? Because a) nothing happened (with regards to ‘standgate’) and he had to go back and essentially say, ‘I’m wrong. It didn’t happen.’ B) I am not mad because the guy was in his fifteen minutes of fame. He was on this roller coaster for the weekend of his lifetime. He was just riding his high. And he stepped to the plate when we needed him to, like a man, and he got in that cage and did his job. He ran his mouth when he shouldn’t have and, for that, I am sorry for himself and the company, but I will never be mad at Seth Petruzelli because if I am mad at him then everybody should be mad at me for standing up.
I am trying to read between the lines here, but are you implying that Ken Shamrock did not hold up to his end of the bargain?
I got no respect for that guy.
So, what’s the deal: did Ken cut himself before the fight? Many people think that what transpired in the hours before the fight wasn’t all that kosher.
Neither do I.
Can you elaborate on that?
I think Ken Shamrock found a way out of the fight.
Do you think he purposely cut himself because EliteXC would not give him more money?
I was never a part of any conversation for more money. If it happened it wasn’t with me involved. And it if did happen, I was never told about it.
Leading up to the fight, were you afraid he would try to pull off a stunt like this?
No, because he has been in the cage tons and tons of times. Yeah, he did theatrically wrestle for the WWE, but he knows the difference. He’s been in the cage before. He’s a warrior and a gladiator, and I thought he has a lot of respect for himself. I think every fighter has a ton of respect for himself. I would never think a fighter would want to back out of a fight.
Were you ultimately surprised to see Strikeforce purchase EliteXC’s major assets?
No, I was thrilled. Absolutely thrilled. I like (Strikeforce CEO) Scott Coker a lot. We have a strong working relationship. We did some great events together, some high-grossing gates. There’s no question in my mind that Scott Coker knows how to promote, and I just wanted my fighters to have a home. That was the first and foremost thing on my mind: give Jake Shields a home, give Robbie Lawler a home, give these champions an opportunity to continue being in the public eye. Also, give mixed martial arts, the sport, an opportunity to not be monopolized by just one company.
Has Strikeforce offered you a job working for their promotion?
Right now, there hasn’t been any discussions about me working with Strikeforce, but would I be open to having a conversation with Scott about Strikeforce? Yes. I really don’t know what my future holds. Like I said, the world is round, and you go up and down that ladder. I do love this sport and I do love the fighters.
Finally, since this is your first time talking to the media since the demise of EliteXC, is there anything you would like to get off your chest?
I thank the fans for a great ride, especially Showtime and CBS for believing in a product from scratch. My biggest thank you is to all the fighters who signed with us and the managers who gave us an opportunity to help launch their careers. And to Scott Coker and Strikeforce for making what I consider a very smart business decision, and a great decision for the sport. I want everyone to keep watching MMA because if they don’t it will just be a fad, and it deserves to be a sport. And I look forward to April 11th (the first Strikeforce telecast on Showtime), I will definitely be watching that fight.
Will you be there?
Maybe I will be there.
Maybe?
You never know.
