So again I have failed in my attempt to kept my own blog updated but that’s not due to me being lazy, I’ve actually been real busy as stated in my last brief blog and its got busier, which is all good for me (although I just have to get myself into a routine of updating this site).
On May 4th I got the chance to go and review Cage Warriors #54 who were having there first ever UK Arena Event at The Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff for Front Row MMA whom I do lot of work for, so having previously been to Cage Warriors #49 in Cardiff which was held at St Davids Hall, I was wondering if the promotion had managed to “fix” its first impression’s it had on me, which to be honest were not of the standard I personally would of thought that one of UK & Europe’s leading promotion should have.
Ok since were on the subject and I didn’t have a blog back in October when I attended Cage Warriors 49, I’m going to address it now, better late than never, after all if you don’t know where your going wrong how are you ever going to try to improve!
I was really excited at the thought of seeing Rosi Sexton kick Shelia Gaff’s butt up close and in person, but as we all know, that fight did not go ahead and I’m not going to re-hash that one out, Rosi has now rightly moved on to the biggest stage, that being The UFC which is awesome and I cant wait to watch her Debut.
Myself and a couple of friends bought “cageside” seats as we like to be close to the action, and to me “cageside” means floor level, next to the cage – right? Well we arrived to the venue and found out “cageside” here was not floor level infact it was as high as the cage is and seated so you could not see a good metre of action within the cage itself, also our side had no screens what so ever, so for everyone that watches at home know you get the VT footage of every fighter that comes out and a bit about them, well just our side didn’t – the other side though! I will say this and will always say this the fights themselves never disappoint, although I did feel there was lack of respect when the Main Event came on and the venue emptied out, not that this small event was sold out by any stretch, I mean seriously you people missed a great fight and what are you all talking about now PENDRED!!! LOL
The Motorpoint Arena, Ive been there plenty of times before recently having taking my little boy to WWE Smackdown or was it RAW, I’m not sure but I do know John Cena was fighting so that made me a happy mummy 🙂
I arrived at the venue for 5pm as requested by a member of Cage Warriors Senior Promotion Team only to be told at the Box Office that I had to walk all the way around the back of the building to Security to see if I could gain access (here we go again, first impressions are already shit and out the window, can it get any worse), so myself and Marie walk around the outside of the arena to gain access to the security hub; Marie is the competition winner who won 2 tickets and the chance to walk out Danny ‘Hot Chocolate’ Roberts who was the Co-Main event, as it happens me and Marie are friends on Twitter, having been a last minute competition no one was available to go with her so she drove to me and in turn I drove us to Cardiff; Were at the security gate explaining who we are, fair enough he’s a nice friendly guy but the person he needs is off site so were stood waiting around (this dose not do anything for my first impressions what so ever), then Danny Roberts comes out – Random -good timing though and takes us in, now he is one nice guy, we go up to ‘make shift’ promotion office which is situated on the balcony seating of the arena, Danny introduces us, names ticked off but wait they’ve run out of wrist bands?!? really?!? “We will come and find you when I can get some more” Ok , then me and Marie are left to our own devices…so we go having a look around the venue of course I notice Frank Trigg straight away and being SO early as pointed out by yet another member of senior promotional staff I decided to have a photo opportunity – well it was on my own time, and yes Frank is a real lovely person 🙂
I also had a bit of fun and banter with Marc Goddard and new (well new back then) Cage Warriors signee Tom Breese, hence some photo’s going around on Twitter of me and Tom, he is also such a Sweet, Lovely, but painfully Shy guy – he’s going to have to get used to not being so shy tho which is what I was attempting to do, much to Marc’s enjoyment and encouragement, but it didnt work lol
Anyway it turned out I had to go and chase my own wrist band up (seemed no one was bothered – altho they would be the first to check when i’m wondering around when the doors are opened to the public), as it happens also they decided to sit “press” up in the balcony where my view was obscured by the lighting rig, so you couldn’t see the nitty gritty of the ground work on the big screen and for sure couldn’t see a thing in the cage, so again Cage Warriors fail big time for all the reasons I have stated, let alone their was no atmosphere where I was sat but then again what do you expect in a half empty arena!
I will never so far fault any of the fights that Cage Warriors put on, they are exactly what the fans want but if you want to be Europes & UK’s No1 leading promotion in my opinion you’ve got to do more than just deliver great fights, if your going to be paying to go to a event, to me its about the whole experience, I’ve been to enough events to know what counts and what makes a great experience for everyone not just who you pick and choose! yes I can probably see you some of you saying but I didn’t pay to go to this Cage Warriors, then I refer back to when I went back to Cage Warriors #49 as a paying customer, views are exactly the same, and if your not willing to speak up about your own views like I said at the beginning, how are you supposed to learn and grow to improve?
Constructive criticism is just that, Constructive not Personal.
If you didnt see my event review and results you can read it here.
http://frontrowmma.com/event-reports/2013/5/6/cage-warriors-54
So its time for me and Marie to leave but not before we go and get a picture with Danny Roberts who at this point is getting swamped by family and friends, we are also being asked to leave by security altho we really need the toilet and we ask to use them but they say there closed – really, so I actually used my brain for once – yep at the end of a evening too, we just went back upstairs (cos we had our wristbands on) and used the toilets up there, well we had a hr n half drive to my house, it had to be done!
So were just about to approach the car park and there’s a bunch of people before us at the pay machine, not taking that much notice thinking its probably just a few loud guys, when I do take note its Marc Goddard and Tom Breese with a couple of friends, and Marie wants a picture with them, I have to chuckle to myself, then Marc’s friend says for me to get in the picture (Marc hinting for me to stand next to Tom), its one of those where you had to be there after what was going on earlier in the night, of all the people to randomly bump into after it had to be those two!
Anyway Tom Breese I will take you up on that offer of a email Interview still at some point and I’m glad my colleagues at Front Row MMA managed to pin you down for a chat on Camera but if any of you missed that here is the link 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZPs1OijxwDk#!
Till next time …..
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Five Rounds with Emma 