Josh Barnett to Host IMAGINASIAN TV Show
IMAGINASIAN TV TO PREMIERE NEW MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CABLE SERIES
HOSTED BY CHAMPION FIGHTER JOSH BARNETT ON NOVEMBER 7, 2007
"Pancrase: Legends of Mixed Martial Arts" to Feature the Legendary Fights Along with Commentary by the Current King of Pancrase Champion Josh Barnett (Pictures)
NEW YORK, NY -- ImaginAsian TV announced today that it will premiere a weekly mixed martial arts showcase, Pancrase Legends of Mixed Martial Arts, on November 7, 2007 at 8:00pm PST/EST.
Top-ranked mixed martial arts (MMA) heavyweight and current King of Pancrase Open Weight Champion Josh Barnett (Pictures) will provide expert knowledge of the action inside the ring as host of the new cable series. The outspoken Barnett - who made history in 2002 when he defeated Randy Couture (Pictures) and became the youngest UFC Heavyweight Champion at the age of 24 - will share commentary of classic Pancrase fights featuring such notable competitors as Sebastian "Bas" Rutten, Frank and Ken Shamrock (Pictures), Masakatsu Funaki (Pictures), Minoru Suzuki (Pictures), Yuki Kondo (Pictures) and others.
"Mixed martial arts is a unique sport that combines the world's most exciting combat disciplines and is growing in popularity everyday," said David Chu, SVP of production and programming at ImaginAsian TV. "We are thrilled to bring these legendary fights to our viewers, showcasing Pancrase's top fighters, many of whom are among the top-ranked in the world and have also been champions in UFC or PRIDE."
"Pancrase is not just a pioneer in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, producing such great fighters as Ken Shamrock (Pictures), Frank Shamrock (Pictures), Bas Rutten (Pictures), Masakatsu Funaki (Pictures), Guy Mezger (Pictures), Semmy Schilt (Pictures), Minoru Suzuki (Pictures) and so many others," said Barnett. "But Pancrase continues to develop and showcase some of the best fights and fighters in the industry. Pancrase is not only an innovator but a permanent fixture in the sport of MMA."
The series features some of the greatest MMA fighters to grace the ring since Pancrase was formed in 1993 by Funaki, Suzuki and others . The name "Pancrase" comes from pankration, an ancient sport introduced in the Greek Olympic games in the 7th Century B.C., and the name of the organization and original rules were inspired by the shoot fighting style and philosophy of wrestling legend Karl Gotch. Champions in eight weight classes are referred to as "King of Pancrase," and the first King of Pancrase Open Weight Champion - the title now held by Barnett - was UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock (Pictures). More information on Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling can be found at www.pancrase.co.jp/en.
About ImaginAsian TV:
ImaginAsian TV (iaTV) is America's first national 24-hour Asian American network, catering to American audiences with a passion "for all things Asian," including more than 14 million Asian / Pacific Americans. iaTV (www.iatv.tv) offers top-notch movies, music, dramas, documentaries, sports, news, and original programming from Asia and the U.S. All foreign-language programs are subtitled in English to meet the needs of the general public, and English-speaking hosts introduce shows during prime time. Fully advertiser-supported, ImaginAsian TV is currently carried on cable systems in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Hawaii and parts of New Jersey, as well as via broadcast in other parts of the United States, including Las Vegas, NV and Edison, NJ. Along with The ImaginAsian Theater, ImaginAsian Radio, and iaLink, ImaginAsian TV is an integrated division of ImaginAsian Entertainment, Inc.
ImaginAsian Entertainment, Inc. (www.iaei.tv) is a multimedia company that promotes Asian Pacific American culture to mainstream America. Headquartered in New York City, ImaginAsian Entertainment uses a fully integrated marketing strategy through multiple platforms: ImaginAsian TV (America's First 24/7 Asian American Network), The ImaginAsian Theater (New York's Premier Asian American Theater), ImaginAsian Radio (the sound of Asian America), iaLink (ImaginAsian's community-based e-zine), ImaginAsian Pictures (distribution of cutting-edge and critically acclaimed Asian films) and ImaginAsian Home Video (video/DVD unit dedicated to quality Asian home entertainment).
"Pancrase: Legends of Mixed Martial Arts" to Feature the Legendary Fights Along with Commentary by the Current King of Pancrase Champion Josh Barnett (Pictures)
NEW YORK, NY -- ImaginAsian TV announced today that it will premiere a weekly mixed martial arts showcase, Pancrase Legends of Mixed Martial Arts, on November 7, 2007 at 8:00pm PST/EST.
Top-ranked mixed martial arts (MMA) heavyweight and current King of Pancrase Open Weight Champion Josh Barnett (Pictures) will provide expert knowledge of the action inside the ring as host of the new cable series. The outspoken Barnett - who made history in 2002 when he defeated Randy Couture (Pictures) and became the youngest UFC Heavyweight Champion at the age of 24 - will share commentary of classic Pancrase fights featuring such notable competitors as Sebastian "Bas" Rutten, Frank and Ken Shamrock (Pictures), Masakatsu Funaki (Pictures), Minoru Suzuki (Pictures), Yuki Kondo (Pictures) and others.
"Mixed martial arts is a unique sport that combines the world's most exciting combat disciplines and is growing in popularity everyday," said David Chu, SVP of production and programming at ImaginAsian TV. "We are thrilled to bring these legendary fights to our viewers, showcasing Pancrase's top fighters, many of whom are among the top-ranked in the world and have also been champions in UFC or PRIDE."
"Pancrase is not just a pioneer in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, producing such great fighters as Ken Shamrock (Pictures), Frank Shamrock (Pictures), Bas Rutten (Pictures), Masakatsu Funaki (Pictures), Guy Mezger (Pictures), Semmy Schilt (Pictures), Minoru Suzuki (Pictures) and so many others," said Barnett. "But Pancrase continues to develop and showcase some of the best fights and fighters in the industry. Pancrase is not only an innovator but a permanent fixture in the sport of MMA."
The series features some of the greatest MMA fighters to grace the ring since Pancrase was formed in 1993 by Funaki, Suzuki and others . The name "Pancrase" comes from pankration, an ancient sport introduced in the Greek Olympic games in the 7th Century B.C., and the name of the organization and original rules were inspired by the shoot fighting style and philosophy of wrestling legend Karl Gotch. Champions in eight weight classes are referred to as "King of Pancrase," and the first King of Pancrase Open Weight Champion - the title now held by Barnett - was UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock (Pictures). More information on Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling can be found at www.pancrase.co.jp/en.
About ImaginAsian TV:
ImaginAsian TV (iaTV) is America's first national 24-hour Asian American network, catering to American audiences with a passion "for all things Asian," including more than 14 million Asian / Pacific Americans. iaTV (www.iatv.tv) offers top-notch movies, music, dramas, documentaries, sports, news, and original programming from Asia and the U.S. All foreign-language programs are subtitled in English to meet the needs of the general public, and English-speaking hosts introduce shows during prime time. Fully advertiser-supported, ImaginAsian TV is currently carried on cable systems in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Hawaii and parts of New Jersey, as well as via broadcast in other parts of the United States, including Las Vegas, NV and Edison, NJ. Along with The ImaginAsian Theater, ImaginAsian Radio, and iaLink, ImaginAsian TV is an integrated division of ImaginAsian Entertainment, Inc.
ImaginAsian Entertainment, Inc. (www.iaei.tv) is a multimedia company that promotes Asian Pacific American culture to mainstream America. Headquartered in New York City, ImaginAsian Entertainment uses a fully integrated marketing strategy through multiple platforms: ImaginAsian TV (America's First 24/7 Asian American Network), The ImaginAsian Theater (New York's Premier Asian American Theater), ImaginAsian Radio (the sound of Asian America), iaLink (ImaginAsian's community-based e-zine), ImaginAsian Pictures (distribution of cutting-edge and critically acclaimed Asian films) and ImaginAsian Home Video (video/DVD unit dedicated to quality Asian home entertainment).
Related Articles