www.sports.ru/tribuna/blogs/kickboxingtv/2800258.htmlselect, more interesting google translated bits from a Vlad Tuinov interview
Up to 77 kg?
In Glory, yes, the next weight is 77 kg, so I don’t know how everything will go there. I have a contract for 70 kg. If Glory gives the green light and consent to box at 77, if everything goes well, the borders open, and Glory organizes a fight for me, then maybe they will see me again this year. While this is all at the negotiation stage.
contract with Glory for 2 years. Until January 2021, I remain in the organization. All my fights, as well as some media things, I must coordinate with this organization. Therefore, I have difficulties: both in terms of speaking in other organizations, and in terms of disseminating myself in the media. So far, we have no interest in extending this contract, because everything is very complicated in working with Glory. At the moment, we want to become free agents, as we were before the signing of the contract with Glory. We will box where we feel comfortable, fill up fights, experience, and, perhaps, in the future, when I am already a seasoned professional with a record for 100 fights, I will try myself again in Glory.
And what difficulties arose in the process of cooperation with Glory?
First of all, this is getting at least some information from the organization. You are asking for permission to take part in a particular tournament (I can do this under a contract, but it needs to be agreed). And now you have three months for this, and Glory is simply silent for a month and does not give you an answer. And you are constantly in limbo. Glory sends offers of battles very late. The earliest notification of us about the battle - in a month. Usually it’s two, three weeks. And you, being in this organization (and last year I spent only three fights in Glory), you must constantly keep yourself in great shape, constantly be prepared for the fact that they can send you an offer to fight. And also it is necessary to drive weight ... It is very difficult. I spoke with many athletes from Glory, and very many have a similar situation. I understand that there are many fighters, but I would like a different attitude from the organization. We bring money to the organization, we are the media who bring the organization popularity and new fans, and there is simply no respect for the organization’s fighters.
I think that this depends on the interest of the organization itself in the athlete, on the athlete's place of residence. Glory very strongly pulls the Dutch fighters. And not necessarily the Dutch, fighters of any nationality, living in Holland. It is easier for them to contact the head of the organization: they can train in the same room, go to the same store, and even simply be neighbors. And it’s much easier to build communication in this way.
Well, also on the importance of a fighter for the organization. If the organization’s fighter is interesting, then they will hold on to it. if they see some kind of avenue, perspective, opportunity to make money on a fighter, then they will squeeze the juice out of the fighter as much as possible. Therefore, some of the fighters are satisfied with the conditions, and some are facing difficulties. We faced difficulties for the second time. The first time we stayed 5 months without fighting and terminated the contract, but this time we stayed 7 months without fighting, but could not terminate the contract. For two years, 4 fights - this is very small, given that before I had 7 fights.
During the contract with Glory, we had about 10 proposals for battles for World Champions titles in different versions.
WAKO PRO, ISKA, WKF ... Kunlunfight was waiting for us when they played the title in the four. And all this was frustrated just because we had a contract with Glory. In a word, I want to box, but we just sit still and cannot do this.
Vlad, and if you compare the conditions of Kunlun and Glory, then which organization is preferable for you?
Of course, Kunlun is more convenient for me, even though there are longer flights. First of all, I like the organization’s respect for the fighters. They try to do everything so that the fighters feel calm, do not think about anything and can fully express themselves in the tournament. On the financial side, both organizations are willing to pay. But we have closer relations with Kunlun, better conditions, and somewhere even Kunlun can give us more favorable conditions for money, but for us, in the first place, relations are the following: direct communication with the owner of the organization and a cool team that gives the right understanding of all the nuances.
For example, in Glory, you never understand where you should be now, now, then ... you are fined endlessly for coming somewhere one minute later, and you are in some kind of tension until the tournament itself . In Kunlun, upon arrival, you will be given a list that indicates where and what time you should be and what to do. This list has been translated into three languages: Russian, English and Chinese. An interpreter is attached to you, who walks with you everywhere, translates everything, explains everything. And you understand that people are responsible. In Glory, it is left to chance. They believe that the athlete should know all this himself. There are also disadvantages, but for me, Kunlun is certainly much closer than Glory. And not only because I had more successful performances there. Sometimes I lost there, and there were also misunderstandings in terms of judicial decisions. And it was more than once, but I like the attitude within the organization.
We constantly contact the owner of the organization. He will find out how I am doing, I will find out how he is doing. And this is despite the fact that now I do not have a business relationship with Kunlun. We have friendly relations, we communicate very well. For comparison, in Glory’s organization you write your question (in the case) to a secretary in the mail, and then you wait until it is considered within a week. And you think: “How much do you need to do in order to find out information about the next performances in an elementary way”.
You request a photo from the battle, but you get it for 3-4 months ... or you don’t get it at all. And you think: “I can at least put something out to confirm that I was in Glory?!?” When I went to the debut match, I did a photo shoot with Glory. Photos came out cool. I left my mail to the photographer, asked me to drop them. And I waited six months, but he never threw them to me. I wrote to him weekly, but he simply ignored me. I read my posts, but did not take photos. As a result, I got them from a completely different place: from Glory's Brazilian Instagram account, that is, not through an official source in fact. And they were not in very good resolution, but at least I got some material, it’s already good.
Vlad, are there any advantages for Glory over Kunlun? Not just because you signed up there twice already ...
The Glory organization has one big advantage: working with American television (UFC Pass). You can also highlight the factor of media: they are much more likely to flash on social networks. The Chinese are more focused on their own, domestic market. (on China) But there is also a minus in this. Speaking in China, you are known only in China. It is very difficult to spread your fame to the European and American markets, speaking only in China. Glory has a certain authority. Perhaps with some reservations, but authority. And by boxing in this promotion, you get a name. You box in one of the best organizations in the world! Well, their media is much wider than in China.
Vlad, tell me how your relationship with Glory started. Who initiated them?
It so happened that we almost simultaneously received three contracts: Kunlun, One Championship and Glory. At One, we were not immediately satisfied with the conditions, because they were somehow ... inadequate. They offered one fight a year. We thought it was unreasonable. Kunlun had difficulties in organizing and we decided to try Glory.
OK. What do you think about One Championship now? Would you like to jump there later?
In principle, we now have a proposal from them. And it’s not bad, but I don’t want to sign red tape, long-term contracts. While I want to be a free agent, to box at various tournaments, to collect more titles. Maybe in the future we will subscribe to any promotion with a long-term contract, but before that we want to have more fights, earn a name, and then think about One or Glory.
