Rumour: Fight Network off the air Oct. 9th

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

*throws self on floor, kicks feet, sobs uncontrollably*

I doubt this very much. They are adding more and more content all the time. I've subscribed for about 2 years and I fucking LOVE that channel. Their HQ is about five minutes from my office, too, which allows me to go down there and masturbate on the front steps almost every day.

In fact, I just received my latest satellite bill (gulp) and there is nothing on it about the Fight Network going anywhere.

I would be disappointed but not shocked.

TFN is under considerable financial strain but I'm not sure if they are that close to being finished.  The company let all of its writers and a number of longtime staff members go in the past couple months. 

They are now using Fiveouncesofpain as their news content source and the programming is really suffering. I hope they survive but things are looking dismal. 

 never had it so this doesn't affect me much but it sucks that people lost their jobs

 I wonder if the guy on the other forum is from the UK. I heard they might be pulling the channel from over there.

The Fight Network Blows! Its a bunch of Gay wrestling and though I dont mind Honey Wrestling for the first 5-10 mins I dont consider these shows entertaining.

I dont understand that a network called Hdnet has more Real MMA fights then TFN, my free subscription is up in a few weeks and I would lose any sleep over it.

Pretty weak channel most of the time.

Hardly ever even go to the events to do fight coverage.

It had potential but almost everything is reruns now

I've heard this as well.

Wonder what Big John will do now.

Well, well, well...

Not shocked in the least bit to be honest, I used to work there as well and could give you a play-by-play history of the bullshit that went on there after my first year of employment leading up to my leaving 2 months ago.

The first year that I was there was officially the 2nd year they were in business as myself, Randy Couture, Loretta Hunt and Big John were brought in fulltime. We had a blast, flying out every month to various events, getting exclusive behind the scenes access and sit-downs with the likes of Randy, Josh Barnett, Arlovski, Big John, GSP and even Dana himself just to name a few. We'd cover the UFC, K-1, WWE, and all the major Boxing shows from California to Vegas to MSG in NYC. It was a thriving time for TFN.

I covered a small amount of Boxing with the resident Boxing insider, Jason Ableson. Great man who possesses a boatload of knowledge on the "sweet science" My main coverage was MMA, namely the UFC along with Randy, Loretta and John. We'd host Before The Bell and After The Bell, which is obviously the pre and post show series of live UFC coverage we did on TFN. We'd cover everything leading up to the event, including the pre-fight presser, weigh-in coverage and general day-to-day activities and pre fight training sessions. That would lead us into the event, where we would continue to cover everything post-fight related, breakdowns of the fights with me hosting and Randy breaking it all down in his own words.

We'd also have Randy give his picks on each of the main card fights, it was fun to bust his balls for the incorrect picks he'd make, but then I'd always pay for it at a later date, be it in the gym, or with wisecracks thrown in my direction. John would step in at the end of the show with a segment called 'Last Call' where he'd give us the full scoop on what happened during the main event from his point of view, seeing is he had thee best seat in the house. And Loretta was genius in getting great interviews set up and did on camera work as well during every show.

Now, enter 2008. New ownership, new COO's, CFO's, CEO's, ABC's and EFG's etc. Not ONE with any idea on how to properly manage a company, nor deligate authority or more importantly-responsibility.

A former Production Director took it upon himself to re-air the finish of the Couture/Sylvia finish on our post show from Columbus...without written consent from the company that was kind enough to grant us all the access we enjoyed. Zuffa was unthrilled to say the least, and rightfully so. These were the kinds of people that TFN had hired at this point in time to run things behind the camera. Said PD was fired, TFN lost ALL credentials to the UFC and that was that. Then with new management came money issues, it was insane. Money was just being flushed away with ZERO product to show for it, people were let go right, left and center (...centre for the Canadians reading this)

Loretta left, Randy had his issues with the company and it's direction, I took off, 20 others were fired, and to be honest I think they have 2 on air staff at this point in time. Mauro Ranallo and John Ramdeen-who had zero on camera experience before being shoved infront of it due to lack of staff. I won't even get into Mauro, we'd be here all day discussing everything from potential sexual harrassment charges to public intoxication. As it stands now, the new CEO was fired last month as was his right hand cronie. The original CEO was a great man with expert vision and direction, he knew his way around a boardroom like a champ and actually cared about people. He'll be missed.

All in all, it was a good early run at TFN, but then stupidity took over like a virus and the rest is history. Like I said at the top, there are ALOT of things I left out, but the demise of TFN isn't a matter of "if" it's simply a matter of "when" And it will be sooner rather than later.

J.T.

Thanks for the info...thats a shame.

 Who was the original CEO that you speak highly of J.T.?

I feel bad for the shareholders.. Black Out Media Corp: BKMP

I just personally don't appreciate when my husband kicks someone and the comment is then on how sharp the other guys (the guy getting kicked) hands are...over and over again-how many times did Brent kick that guy and though he admits his first round left a lot to be desired...how the commentating ignored him-the guy who WON the fight COMPLETELY...I will never know.

I bet if we were watching Loiseau elbow a guy in the face the comment would be on how tough the recipients skin is? Or if Cro Cop kicks a guy in the face it is actually a testament to how strong the others guys skull is?


The Fight Network is for horny guys who want to see broads wrestling.....there is nothing on it...I miss the IFL because I could watch him on Fox....and avoid the gayness.

Oh ya, and I miss interviewers who ask good questions...

smoogy -  A user on another forum says he got a call from his cable company informing him that they are finished. Anyone have any info on this?

I am in no way disputing the fact that TFN might be folding, but did anybody else find this particular post just a little suspicious. Whoever the guy is on the other forum, when was the last time any of you got a personal call from your cable company telling you that a network was folding? Even if you are subscribing to a channel, I'm pretty sure cable companies aren't calling customers to let you know that it's going off the air.

 Fuck Canada.

" I won't even get into Mauro, we'd be here all day discussing everything from potential sexual harrassment charges to public intoxication."

Please get into Mauro when you have a chance!!

Hey Macedawgg,

The original President/CEO was Mike Garrow, he was just such an honest and genuine guy. He reallllyyyyyy loves the sport, and he did everything he could for TFN.

The guy would eat, sleep and breathe TFN. I know he had shares in the company, but when the new disaster squad came in and re-tooled everything, Mike was given a different role and had very little to do with the day-to-day creative dept and production elements. This, in my opinion, is where things began to head south. Mike was soley responsible for bringing Randy, Loretta, Big John and myself aboard. And to be honest, he did a million and one other things to help make that place great in it's hayday, which in my opinion was the entire 2nd year of the network.

As for the "Mauro" requests, I'll pass. I'd literally be here all afternoon long. But I will say this. I'm shocked that it took TFN that long to lose the UFC credentials, considering when you put Mauro at a dinner table with 3 female PR Reps from Zuffa and he proceeds to tell them to their faces that they are "...dumb c#$ts, who know nothing about MMA and never will" you'd think it would've been at THAT point UFC would've banned TFN due to his antics. And that was just one of several incidents in Columbus during that weekend.

I was going to toss his ass through a window, but my Producer asked me not to, and to let it go and it would be dealt with upon his return to Toronto. Needless to say, what transpired when he got back, was a tell-tale sign of what was to come with that company and it's new "powers-that-be" My Producer quit the following week, and has never looked back since. TFN is ridiculous now, and it'll die a quick death soon enough.

J.T.

 Thank you J.T.

Sorry about the issues you had there--that's too bad. 

Anytime brother, and thanks again.

J.T.

Hey J.T., you and randy worked well together on the before and after the bells, i do miss those. I hear ya completely, the network has taken a turn for the worst.Outside of showing Elite XC events, they don't really provide me with much. Especially with randy and Loretta gone.

So Mauro is actually as big a loser as he appears to be on TV.

Goeb,

Thank you very much man, that's very nice of you to say. We had a great run, he's a great guy. He too gets alot of flack from people around here sometimes. It's hard, people tend to react from what they know, but the truth is, you never, EVER really know the whole story.

As for Mauro, I'll let his actions and his reputation do the talking. However, I gave you a small sample...and I do mean small. It's truly insane.

J.T.

We got the guy who originally received the call to phone up his cable company to confirm that TFN was really going off the air. Turns out the channel being axed is X-Treme Sports, not The Fight Network. Sorry for misleading anyone... and thanks to JTM for a first-hand account of a lot of the crazy rumblings I had heard over the last year or so.

I agree that when the on-air team was JT, John, Loretta and Randy, the programming was great, and Before/After The Bell were must-watch for me. Then these talented people disappeared one by one; the front page of the TFN website was replaced with a full-size pic of the craggy new CEO or whoever, smiling and giving us his assurance that things were going to be super groovy from there on out. Thats when I realized the rumours I had been hearing were true