This Saturday’s fight between EliteXC
and ICON Sport middleweight champion Robbie Lawler and Kala
Kolohe Hose was officially cancelled Monday. The
announcement was made during a late afternoon press
conference in Honolulu.
“We were all really looking forward to
this event and to this fight because, style-wise,
Lawler-Hose was going to be a great one,’’ said EliteXC Live
Events President Gary Shaw. “Robbie is a great world
champion, but, unfortunately, injuries can happen to
athletes in all sports.
“I feel badly for the fighters and the
fans in Hawaii, who are some of the best in the word. Once
Lawler is healthy, we are going to begin working to make the
fight happen.’’
The world title match had to be called
off after Lawler (robbielawler.proelite.com)
completely tore his right bicep while doing wrestling drills
last week.
“I heard
something pop when I was doing a Muay Thai clinch,’’ said
Lawler, who flew in from St. Louis to attend the press
conference.
“I thought
it was a minor thing so I took it easy for a few days. I
felt good enough to go bowling, but when I tried to swing
the ball, I felt a horrible pain, like my arm had collapsed.
It was definitely much worse than I thought.’’
A doctor
confirmed the injury, which will keep Lawler sidelined
approximately six weeks.
“I want to
apologize to everybody,’’ Lawler said. “I am deeply sorry
for the fans and the media, the promoters, Patrick and T.
Jay, but, most importantly Kala Kolohe. I also want to
apologize to all the undercard fighters that sacrificed and
trained hard but now have to wait for another opportunity.’’
So, too, will
Hose, after a second consecutive fight with Lawler fell
through. Hose and Lawler were scheduled to clash in June
but the event was postponed after
Lawler suffered a shoulder injury.
Hose (kalakolohehose.proelite.com),
who is known as “The Hawaiian Rocky Balboa’’ and trains in a
garage, was more than disappointed on Monday.
“I’m
heartbroken,’’ he said. “I trained so hard and gave up so
much of myself for this chance to fight Lawler. To have two
fights not happen is very hard on not only me, but my family
and team. This was going to be my big shot. But, once again,
it went out the window. But my time will come.’’
Promoters
fought intensely to salvage the show, but Hose was adamant
that his next fight be against Lawler. Ultimately, however,
Hose was offered a prominent spot on the ShoXC:
Elite Challenger Series card Jan. 25, 2008, on SHOWTIME,
which he accepted. Win or lose, he will remain the ICON No.
1 contender.
“We all feel
just terrible about this, but ICON Sport is committed to
giving its fans the best possible events,’’ Thompson
said. “We really wanted this show to happen and tried hard
to save it.
“But to meet
our fans’ high expectations and after speaking with Kala and
Lawler, we reached a decision to delay the “Fearless” world
title matchup and undercard.
“A new date
will be announced very soon.’’
NOTE: For those who purchased the
Icon Sport: Fearless PPV on ProElite.com, please contact
www.ProElite.com/contact
for a refund.
About ProElite, Inc.
ProElite Inc.
[PELE.PK] delivers
the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of
mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment
events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks
and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via
the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels
of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the
while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s
live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA
fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters [elitexc.com].
ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes
on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts
by building a community of mixed martial arts enthusiasts.
In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to
the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by
providing a comprehensive set of online social networking
tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com –
Empowering the Fight Community TM
