Pro Wrestling Chronicle

The Champ is… here? Is Matt Serra’s win good or bad for UFC?
- Matt Serra dropped George St. Pierre in the first round to win the Welterweight crown at UFC 69. My initial reaction is this screws EVERYTHING! As Dave Meltzer had mapped out the possible match-ups for the year in the Observer a week or so ago, this really screwed up the draw. While Meltzer isn’t the booker himself, he’s officially media, he does have the ear of UFC match-maker Joe Silva, and the respect of Dana White. Not only that, he’s right about 80% of the time. Serra’s win wasn’t the inspiration that took the sport to a new emotional high like Randy Couture slaying the evil (and tall) dragon Tim Sylvia last month. This upset should have everyone in the UFC front office just that - UPSET!

Or should it? Serra’s story validated the comeback concept of the Ultimate fighter season. It rectified the sins of a lazy Lutter fellow. The PPV opened up a new market in Texas, which didn’t do so bad at the box office (roughly 3 million at the gate). More important to the show, this match saved the event. It made it another buyrate that will have a higher percentage of replay buyers, and not because Sanchez and Koscheck set the world on fire. Serra might have ruined the much-delayed debut in Montreal (and an anticipated Hughes-GSP 3), but he has opened up some more money matches.

Now Serra’s 8-1 odds story can be sold. It’ll be sold on Spike the week of his next match, and before that in newspapers and websites still being turned onto the UFC and MMA in general (and thanks to Dana White, who really knows the difference?). It was sold for the first time, as was the UFC, very early Sunday morning in the east on ESPN. If they’ve given in now, then we’re only 50% of the way, and the uphill portion of the marathon just started sliding down. It’ll be sold in Sports Illustrated, who comes out with a reportedly large in-depth article next week.

Most importantly it’s already being sold by UFC. One of Dana White’s best attributes (and eventually his downfall in 20 years or so) is his need to control a story and spin it his way. White said after the show that Matt Hughes was getting a shot at Matt Serra first. That’s a match-up that should draw reasonably well on PPV (they have a built in story using The Ultimate Fighter footage alone, Also in their favor, depending on where it takes place, Hughes could continue role of being a heel outside of the Midwest. Regardless, he’s got name value if they fight on the moon thanks his win over Royce Gracie and an Amazing hour of TV on Spike a few days before it. Serra, to his credit, is wonderful NYC “street fighter” underdog for the awakening east coast media and their fascination with MMA. East Meadow, New york is close enough to Philly for Serra to be Rocky if the media deems it so. And by the way, have you noticed how Madison Ave. has been getting behind the UFC? I think the blood during the fight on last weeks TUF 5 debut fight was sponsored by somebody!

Back to the point. That decision (Serra vs Hughes) gave Josh Koscheck, a winner by decision over Sanchez, a boo-boo face. But he shouldn’t feel bad, because he cut the greatest heel promo since Tito Ortiz said one of a hundred things about Ken Shamrock years ago. He’s rumored to be matched up with GSP, in another fight that will probably sell between 500-600 PPV buys. And all this leaves out the fact Diego Sanchez only had one loss, and polarizes an audience enough to make for one heck of a PPV draw.

When all this shakes out, someone’s fighting St. Pierre in front of a crazy sold out crowd in Montreal in the next year. Anyone who’s seen a Pro Wrestling PPV from a Canadian location in the last 20 years will attest to the amazing atmosphere it’ll create for a TV broadcast. Whether hardcore MMA fans want to understand it or not - and even the recognized MMA media seems split on this fact - PPV sells to it’s built in audience no matter what. But it sells at the numbers we see now because of clearly defined, real or hyped, issues between fighters where a fight can be sold to “Joe Sports Consumer” at the local bar. If you want MMA as true sport (and really, that in itself is a fantasy born of the myths of Babe Ruth and Wilt Chamberlain) there’s always the IFL. Apparently that audience is less the 1.2 million, and that’s for free.

Dana White wasn’t stressing after St. Pierre fell to the ground dizzy in Houston Saturday because by the time he hopped into the ring to fill Serra’s head with the same nonesense he does to all his champs while he personally puts their belt on them, he already had a plan B. That’s why marketing beats quality. Why VHS beat BETA. And why Zuffa made the necessary rule changes to get MMA sanctioned again and back on PPV. What, you thought it was some guys in New Jersey? Then you don’t read the papers, follow this week’s Sports Illustrated, or watch SportsCenter.

John Philapavage is a Staff writer and Editor here at pwchronicle.com. His Four For The Road columns run roughly four times week week, and he supervises and writes on many other projects (both Pro Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts related) for the site. He can be reached via e-mail at johnnyp@pwchronicle.com