New Jersey Budget Impasse Forces ROC Postponement
Josh Gross Jul 7, 2006
Friday’s Ring of Combat scheduled for the Tropicana Hotel and
Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey has fallen victim to the Garden
State’s six-day budget crisis, which resulted in a shutdown of all
nonessential state services, closed casinos and put more than
80,000 people out of work.
Though New Jersey’s Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine announced late Thursday afternoon that an agreement had been reached that would put an end to the stalemate — presuming state legislators vote to accept the governor’s proposal of a 1 percent sales tax increase — inspectors for the state’s casino control board likely won’t be back on the job until Friday evening at the earliest, effectively ending any chance the athletic commission had of salvaging July 7’s mixed martial arts card.
“It’s the nightmare of a promoter. And the unexpected happened,”
said ROC promoter Lou Neglia. “This is truly an unexpected
situation.”
With casino inspectors unable to man their posts, the Tropicana — which joined Atlantic City’s 11 other casinos to fight Gov. Corzine’s executive order and managed to remain open until Wednesday — and Neglia were forced to pull the plug on a card featuring top female fighter Laura D’Auguste against Japan’s Megumi Yabushita (Pictures).
Large-scale Pay-Per-View events, such as those promoted by HBO or the Ultimate Fighting Championship, can net the commission as much as $250,000.
Anticipating the impasse, Lembo said the New Jersey Athletic Control Board requirements for July 7’s card were finalized by June 30. Yet when the governor signed the executive order furloughing all nonessential employees, the commission was forced to a standstill.
There was some discussion, Lembo said, of commission appointed officials — inspectors, judges and referees — working sans pay, however New Jersey’s constitution prohibits any state employee from working without compensation.
As of Thursday evening, Neglia was in discussions with the Tropicana to reschedule the card and suggested the hotel was “not going to schedule another date until we get this thing cleared up.”
“In the very near future the same card will be put on somewhere, somehow,” the promoter promised, indicating that anyone wanting a refund on tickets would receive one.
Though New Jersey’s Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine announced late Thursday afternoon that an agreement had been reached that would put an end to the stalemate — presuming state legislators vote to accept the governor’s proposal of a 1 percent sales tax increase — inspectors for the state’s casino control board likely won’t be back on the job until Friday evening at the earliest, effectively ending any chance the athletic commission had of salvaging July 7’s mixed martial arts card.
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With casino inspectors unable to man their posts, the Tropicana — which joined Atlantic City’s 11 other casinos to fight Gov. Corzine’s executive order and managed to remain open until Wednesday — and Neglia were forced to pull the plug on a card featuring top female fighter Laura D’Auguste against Japan’s Megumi Yabushita (Pictures).
Neglia declined to comment on the fiscal impact of the
postponement, outside of saying “it definitely was not good” for
his company. Nick Lembo, the athletic control board’s general
counsel, told Sherdog.com Friday’s event was expected to bring in
upwards of $50,000 for the commission, not a paltry sum for a body
that collects most of its revenue through taxing ticket sales and
Pay-Per-View.
Large-scale Pay-Per-View events, such as those promoted by HBO or the Ultimate Fighting Championship, can net the commission as much as $250,000.
Anticipating the impasse, Lembo said the New Jersey Athletic Control Board requirements for July 7’s card were finalized by June 30. Yet when the governor signed the executive order furloughing all nonessential employees, the commission was forced to a standstill.
There was some discussion, Lembo said, of commission appointed officials — inspectors, judges and referees — working sans pay, however New Jersey’s constitution prohibits any state employee from working without compensation.
As of Thursday evening, Neglia was in discussions with the Tropicana to reschedule the card and suggested the hotel was “not going to schedule another date until we get this thing cleared up.”
“In the very near future the same card will be put on somewhere, somehow,” the promoter promised, indicating that anyone wanting a refund on tickets would receive one.
