Are Herschel Walker's media returns diminishing for Strikeforce?
by Matt Bishop on Jan 27, 2011 10:02 AM EST
in Commentary
Email
PrintI'll admit, Herschel Walker fighting intrigues me on a certain level. A freak of nature and tremendous athlete, Walker dazzled crowds in football stadiums for many years and now has decided to plant his eyes on the world of mixed martial arts. But am I the only one left?
Walker signed with Strikeforce in 2009 and made his debut a little less than a year ago to some acclaim, as Strikeforce made a smart decision by having him debut the week prior to the NFL's Super Bowl in the same market the event was being held in. At the time, Walker's debut was a hit for Strikeforce and he defeated Greg Nagy by TKO in the third round.
Now, it seems as returns on Walker are quickly diminishing as Walker's sophomore effort with Strikeforce, when he faces Scott Carson at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg" on Saturday at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., has drawn little interest from the media and without that, what purpose does having Walker fight really serve?
With Strikeforce struggling for card space for its regular fighters as it is, will having Walker continue to fight justify diminishing media returns?
Walker clearly is taking fighting seriously, but how long can the soon-to-be 49-year old continue to fight? Who knows, the media interest in this fight could blow up in the next two days. We've seen it happen before, albeit not for Strikeforce shows. This entire Strikeforce card has flown so far under the radar I think a lot of people are unaware it's happening. That's a shame considering the talent on this card. Not to mention nobody is talking about the Heavyweight Grand Prix anymore despite the fact that Fedor Emelianenko is fighting in two weeks. Yes, Fedor is fighting in two weeks and nobody is talking about it. That should tell you all you need to know.
Walker is great and drew some solid curiosity as he made the media rounds for his first fight. We'll know how much curiosity he generated for this fight when the ratings come in, but as of right now, it's not looking good.
3 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Ehh
didn’t I tell yall mofo’s that SF was wasting their time with Walker?….smh…
http://www.mmaforreal.com
Follow Me On Twitter@MMA4Real
This should be his last fight
As a fighter, he’s practically an amateur, and even though Strikeforce LOVES amateurs for their undercards, they don’t necesarily belong on the main card. Walker, like him or not, is one half of a freakshow fight that is meant to pull in extra viewers. This statement is applicable to any and all fights he participates in, and even though I don’t believe that’s a problem for a few fights, it shows StrikeShow’s shallowness. It’s a grab at viewership that takes fights away from other fighters they have on contract that aren’t getting any fights. Remember Lyle Beerbohm? Yeah, Strikeforce hasn’t gotten him a fight since MAY of 2010.
With that said, I don’t believe that, if used extremely sparingly, Walker having fights is a bad thing. It brings a few extra eyes to the show, and may result in long term viewership increase.. IF they do it right. To grow an audience, you bring people in with something they want to see, and keep them by giving them something compelling to watch. He won’t be amusing for many more fights, and the same old (yet mysteriously athletic) man fighting is going to become almost as old as that kid who won’t shut up about the wolf. The sentiment will go from “wow, he’s such an amazing athlete, it’s astounding that he’s fighting!” to “yeah, he’s old, he’s athletic, we get it”.
You know what's really fun? Not being a raving lunatic. Give it a try some time, you might just like it!
Live previews and reviews of all major fights! Lights Out Radio
It brings a few extra eyes to the show, and may result in long term viewership increase.. IF they do it right.
Nope…those ‘extra’ eyes would ONLY tune in to see Walker fight…afterwards…they would care less when SF put on another show….I mean…his last fight is a prime example of what I was telling everyone last year…just a waste of time….having him fight isnt’ going to add any new fans to the core fanbase of SF….they should have been using that time and money to build younger fighters or something….but that makes too much sense for them.
http://www.mmaforreal.com
Follow Me On Twitter@MMA4Real
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on MMA For Real
Related FanShots on MMA For Real
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
