How Marketable Is Fedor Emelianenko In America?
by Kelvin Hunt on Nov 4, 2009 2:00 PM EST
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Heavy.com's Jonathan Snowden sums it all up in a nutshell after interviewing "The Last Emperor":
But who is he? What does he feel? What are his desires? Why does he step into the cage? What does he dream about at night? These questions have never really been answered? He is an enigma, the unanswerable. And it struck me, a fit of hubris, the thought that perhaps I could be the one to penetrate the protective shell that surrounds him. I could be the one to reveal Fedor to the world.
That did not happen.I tried everything. Flattery had no effect on the man. Shared experiences? Only stoicism. Technical questions about his mastery of a myriad of martial arts? He was not interested. More flattery? Nothing. What follows was supposed to be THE Fedor Emelianenko interview. Instead, it is A Fedor Emelianenko interview. What we know about Fedor, we will continue to learn in the ring and in the cage. That's where we'll take the measure of the man.
He's pretty much on point in that every Fedor interview is just another Fedor interview. It's as if everything is monochrome with no variation whatsoever. There's no personality, which is something that all of the biggest stars in America possess. It's more than just getting in the cage and destroying your opponent. Of course that helps, but just ask Anderson Silva how difficult it's been to break through to the next level of stardom. It's all about casual fans getting the sense of knowing Fedor Emelianenko. Unfortunately, he will not allow that to happen because he doesn't want to be a star.
SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Emelianenko vs. Rogers
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Different Cultures
Because what makes you popular in those countries doesn’t work in America….you can’t have a personality of double plastic/cardboard and expect to become a star….
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Man
Wandy has charisma ooozing out of him….from his entrance music to his stare downs…not to mention he speaks decent English now and tells the fans how much he appreciates them every chance he gets.
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There have been quite a few articles recently about his marketability and his interviews being dull, etc. It’s kinda strange people seem very frustrated by this and want to mold him into something he is not. I may be over-exaggerating there, but you know what I’m saying.
“he will not allow that to happen because he doesn’t want to be a star.”
Kelvin, I do think that’s the case. He likes to lead a simple life. That’s cool.
If the UFC signed him, Mini McMahon and Co. would market the hell outta him and it would probably be nauseating.
Were you nauseated of all the promotion they put behind Anderson Silva?
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You know the answer to that…they didn’t do anything with him. There was also no big matchup for him as there would be for Fedor.
by The Real T-Bone on Nov 4, 2009 2:48 PM EST up reply actions
lol
that’s not even fair…nobody in MMA can replicate what Brock Lesnar brings to the table in regards to viewers etc…
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pretty much
But the sport’s still relatively new…so it’s understandable.
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Does it Matter?
I think Fedor is in a lose-lose.
By being himself, he’s going to criticize for his marketability and dull interviews. If he tries to sell a fight with a fake media-ready personality like Bisping, Ortiz, Lesnar and Mayweather Jr. then he will be attacked in so many ways but he’ll sell more tickets.
Fortunately Emelianenko is just like his fellow countrymen the Klitschkos. They’re knocking their opponents out and keeping it moving.
In American culture you can be famous just because.
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Hmm
I don’t think Bisping, Ortiz, Lesnar, or PBF have manufactured personalities….Lesnar probably does to a degree with his affliliation with WWE…but he still naturally will tell you what he thinks…which draws you in…
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Bisping has said many times that he simply trying to hype and sell the fight. Tito is usually antagonistic but the real Tito (IMHO) was the guy we saw in TUF and the guy who made the emotional speech after his Machida fight.
Mayweather?!? Floyd Jr. has practically said that after he felt he wasn’t getting respect for his wins, he was going to play the heel. It was good business, particularly for the mega huge De La Hoya fight because everybody loves Oscar’s golden smile.
Lesnar is a kind of different. He pretty much doesn’t care about anything else except competition, his daughter and his wife. No internet for him. However, he knows why he is a draw and has no problem being the next BIG THING. He was trained well.
I know it draw you in but I don’t think it matters when a fighter is aloof or not particularly media saavy. Yes, it does affect their potential earnings but great performances in the ring (read: KO victories) speaks volume.
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by VeeisAnimated on Nov 5, 2009 10:15 AM EST up reply actions
I actually don’t mind if a fighter’s attitude is “Hey, I don’t care about marketability. I’m going to do my thing in the cage and win a championship.” That’s totally fine. Just don’t be surprised when you’re paycheck isn’t as high as another, more marketable champion.
by Rich Wyatt on Nov 4, 2009 2:56 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
you do remember fedor e.comparing his fighting in the ring as just a job on showtime preview.
that is what his facial expressions look like when he wins a a fight. “i did my job well” that is all you are going to get out of him.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Nov 4, 2009 3:37 PM EST up reply actions
yea
which is why I said he doesn’t want to be a star.
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