The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Don King KO’s area promoter’s pay-per-view event

Reds hit 3 homers in big win over Rockies
5/27/12
Miami baseball ends with loss
5/27/12
Ask Hal: Imitation of others just part of the game
5/27/12
Trotwood's McCray gets OSU offer despite Michigan commit
5/27/12
Commentary: Hang in there, soccer parents
5/27/12
> More sports headlines

By Dann Stupp, Contributing Writer 9:39 PM Sunday, May 16, 2010

This past weekend was supposed to mark Shine Fights’ pay-per-view debut and its biggest fight card ever. In fact, Shine promoter Devin Price, a Columbus-based Ohio State MBA grad, garnered serious buzz for the Saturday, May 15, show with a matchup pitting MMA veteran Din Thomas against former boxing champ Ricardo Mayorga.

While MMA vs. boxing fights have been done in the past, this one featured the biggest names — and competitors still near their prime.

However, on the eve of the show, the infamous Don King convinced a Florida court that Mayorga breached his contract with the boxing promoter. And though Shine officials argued Mayorga’s contract with King applied only to boxing matches, and not MMA fights, the ruling forced them to pull the boxer from the card — on the day of the North Carolina event.

To make matters worse, the state’s athletic commission then pulled the plug on the show altogether, and the PPV debut was scrapped. Price never got a clear answer why.

“I’m still kind of at a loss as to why the commission canceled the event,” Price said. “Believe me, on Monday morning, that’s going to be the first call I make.”

Despite the embarrassing setback and what likely will result in major financial losses, Price has vowed Shine Fights “absolutely will not” fold.

Spike TV follows Franklin

UFC camera crews recently visited former UFC middleweight champion and West Chester Twp. resident Rich Franklin to shoot video footage for a UFC 115 preview special that airs next month on Spike TV.

The “Countdown to UFC 115” show will follow Franklin (26-5) and fellow UFC superstar Chuck Liddell (21-7) as they prepare for their June 12 PPV headliner in Vancouver.

Spike TV officials have not released broadcast dates and times for the special.

Cleveland hosts NAAFS

The North American Allied Fights Series (NAAFS), arguably the biggest Ohio-based MMA promotion, hosts its annual blockbuster show on June 5, and Jason Dent headlines the show.

Dent, a Cincinnati native who runs a gym out of Mentor, appeared on the ninth season of the UFC’s reality series, “The Ultimate Fighter,” and fought four times in the world’s top promotion.

In the headliner of a 13-bout card at the Nautica Pavilion in downtown Cleveland, the 155-pound Dent (22-10) takes on NAAFS 185-pound champ Chris Lozano (9-1) in a 170-pound catchweight bout. The winner earns NAAFS’ newly created super-fight title.

Tickets range from $30 to $150 and can be purchased at www.naafs.biz.

Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, voted best media outlet in the 2008 and 2009 World MMA Awards. For the latest mixed-martial-arts news, go to MMAjunkie.com.

Share this article