Learning to like new things is difficult. Whether it’s a foreign language or gluten free noodles (damn them to hell), our brain struggles to adopt and adapt to new ideas.
But if you’re a fan of semi-nude guys and girls smashing their fists and shins into each other’s skulls, you’d think GLORY kickboxing would be right up your alley.
As it turns out, that’s not the case.
Viacom-owned Spike TV recently announced the distribution deal they had inked with GLORY barely two years ago expired this month, and the powers-that-be have elected not to renew the contract.
The news came as a surprise to few; GLORY had struggled to maintain strong viewership numbers throughout the deal with Spike, and some had speculated the deal wouldn’t last long.
Despite the low ratings, though, GLORY was consistently touted by fans as one of the most refined presentations of kickboxing ever to make it on television. But attracting new fans proved to be a difficult task for GLORY, as they barely managed more than 250,000 viewers for their last offering earlier this month.
But with crossover stars like Joe Schilling and Paul Daley, both accomplished kickboxers also competing in Bellator MMA, and spectacle events that brought in the likes of Keri Anne Melendez (Gilbert’s wife), why did GLORY have to fight to stay relevant?
The reasons are many, and none are really that clear.
America as a whole has struggled to form a lasting relationship with kickboxing over the years. From the early days when folks like Chuck Norris and Scott Coker were trying their hand at promoting kickboxing on primetime up till today, the striking game has failed to maintain consistent viewership.
But the “bad old days” were supposed to be behind GLORY. All signs pointed to spectators that were ready for the 16oz. gloves. Spike had a built-in audience from Bellator that seemed hungry for as much fighting as they could stomach, as well as some of the early TUF noobs that still looked at Spike as the home for combat sports.
Again, though, GLORY met with the ending that has become so familiar for the myriad of kickboxing promotions that failed to catch on with American viewers. Why, though, did GLORY fail when the product they offer is in such high demand in mixed martial arts?
One of the most consistent complaints lobbed at MMA is the lack of exciting finishers; the layperson, and even the initiated, wants to see violent, concussive knockouts.
That is literally all that GLORY offered. They deducted points for timidity, they didn’t allow clinching, they allowed for the occasional open weight fight between largely mismatched opponents; in other words, they did everything within their power to deliver exciting fights and explosive finishes.
And really, they did. In a time so concerned with potential brain trauma and lasting effects of combat sports, GLORY catered to the masochist in us all.
Fans are now forced to take the “wait and see” approach once again. Should they hold their breath that GLORY will land on another widely distributed channel like Spike TV? Doubtful. GLORY had everything they needed to succeed at Spike yet failed to do so. Hoping that changing the channel will change the world of kickboxing fandom is akin to changing weight classes for a “fresh start”; it just doesn’t happen like that.
The truth is, GLORY only represented a fraction of the world of martial arts. With a ruleset as limiting as they had, it was no wonder other appetites were left unmet.
Part of the reason fans are so attracted to MMA is the beautiful culmination of skills that it requires to be successful at the elite level; watching a jiu jitsu tournament like EBI or Metamoris and you’re left noticing how wide open these guys are for leg kicks and elbows to the face. Viewing a GLORY card is not dissimilar; it’s easy to notice how poor even a champion kickboxer’s takedown defense would be against an amateur wrestler.
At the end of the day, though, it’s apples and oranges. While kickboxing and MMA are cousins of each other, they exist in the same world that your old roommate from college does; you’ll say hello if you run into each other, but you’re not calling every week to see how they’re doing.
Maybe America will be ready for GLORY someday down the line- a partnership with UFC’s FightPass streaming service might be a good fit- but it’s not right now.
For now they’re left without a dance partner once again.
Main image credit: wikimedia
