Not a bad showing at all. The matches were as good as any I've seen anywhere else. Although, I think we need to find a new 'Team USA'. The production of the event was IMO outstanding and very polished for such a new company and product. I don't think it was quite as polished as a UFC event or a WWE event but, it was damn close! Then again, I began watching UFC in the 90's and whenever I watched their earliest events I had the distinct feeling that I was in a dingy arena watching a cheap, although entertaining event. I did not have that perception last night. That tells me that there are great things to come. This was their first PPV and they pulled off a great one. With more events in the pipe the old adage of 'practice makes perfect' will definitely come into play. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that for a first time thing it was definitely first class and I would order the next PPV even if I was'nt a shareholder. On the other hand, I would have liked to have seen more fans in attendance..I saw a fair amount of empty seats, although, their were more filled seats than empty. It must be kept in mind though the facility the event was held in is HUGE. But, the vastness of the space sort of kept the 'roaring crowd' effect of a live event held down somewhat. I believe that effect is essential in transferring the mood and energy of a live event to the 'at home' veiwers. i.e. you want to feel that you are really there. I can't say I had that feeling and that's why I think I didn't. Hopefully having the events in slightly smaller venues will correct this until the AOW brand draws the same interest as a UFC or WWE event. I'm not worried, it's coming! On a personal level, I could have done withouth the 'dancing referee girls' they were kind of skanky. I kind of felt like I was at the 'Crazy Horse' in Myrtle Beach when the camera cut to them. But, from a business perspective..good job!! The brand targets the 18-34 year old males, and my wife, the consumate capitalist said it best...'sex sells'! So, no harm, no foul. I also wasn't too pleased with the entrance of the fighters into the arena. They came in through a collapsible plastic pipe. That needs to be corrected ASAP. More drama is needed for their entrance. You know, the heavy fog, strobe lights, backlighting, ear blasting music etc. Kind of a WWE style fighter/wrestler entrance. I'm not saying we need to be like the WWE but, they have perfected the 'show' aspect of an event and provide absolute electricity within the facility during their events. If we are going to rely heavily on PPV revenues we need to take some examples from WWE and implement them. The WWE is the undisputed master of the PPV production. 'When in Rome do as the Romans do'. IMO if we take the WWE production example and combine it with the top notch AOW fighting events we can't lose. I also didn't see any of the celebrities that were posted here the other day. But, SSPE never 'officially' announced them either so, that cannot be held against them. The names were released informally by a poster on another site. I'm not saying they weren't there, but, if they were the veiwers should have been made aware. On the other hand, there were a fair amount of Dallas Cowboys players there as well as a few other celebrities and they did recieve attention from the cameras. So, in that regard I am pleased. The things I just mentioned are not meant to be negative....just constructive and my honest assessment of the event from a fan's standpoint. I am more convinced than ever that this is a top notch company with an excellent product and limitless success ahead of them. They WANT to be the best, therefore, they will. Focus, hardwork, creativity, an excellent product, and the drive to be the best is the hallmark of any successful company. SSPE has it all, and so long as SSPE operates in a financially prudent manner we shareholders will benefit enormously. I won't be selling out on Tuesday. I still am not expecting a huge week next week. I have an extremely long term view on this stock. But, I was very surprised and somewhat caught off guard on Thursday. If I had my druthers, I would prefer a slow, steady, rise in pps. But, I will be more than happy with an explosive spike. After all, we are all in this to make money and sooner is always better than later in that regard. Even if the pps does explode next week, I wouldn't sell everything I have. There is much more to come from this company and IMO it hasn't had it's moment in the spotlight yet. Until it at least reaches that point, we haven't even begun to see the returns that can be possible with this stock. JMHO.
-Dave-
AI
