Dream Stage Entertainment

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Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE) is a Japanese company that promotes various wrestling and mixed martial arts events, most notably mixed martial arts PRIDE Fighting Championship and HUSTLE professional wrestling events.

1 Company history
2 Head Officials
3 Current Promotions
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Company history

[edit] Allegations of links to organized crime

Currently, there is speculation in the Japanese press that DSE is a front for Yamaguchi-gumi, a notorious yakuza organization. On June 5, 2006, Fuji Television announced that they were terminating their television contract with DSE effective immediately due to a breach of contract. This leaves PRIDE and HUSTLE without a television outlet in Japan, and the lack of the substantial revenues from the deal threatens its sustainability. Furthermore, Fuji has banned anyone connected with DSE on their programs.

On June 12, 2006, SkyPerfecTV!, Japan's leading satellite broadcasting company, announced that they will continue to carry DSE programming, such as PRIDE and HUSTLE. HUSTLE, and the second round of the PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix, both scheduled for the Saitama Super Arena, will be broadcast live to millions of homes across Japan. It is important to note that SKY PerfectTV! executives mentioned the decision to carry DSE events is not final and any future problems regarding the alleged connection between DSE and Japanese mafia, as reported by Shukan Gendai, might be reason enough to discontinue the relationship.^[1]

[edit] DSE's impacts in the US

On October 21, 2006, PRIDE held its first MMA event in USA, PRIDE 32: The Real Deal' took place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the first PRIDE event to be held outside of Japan, and in front of an audience of 11,727^[2].

On November 17, 2006, WWE officials and members of the group DSE had a meeting at the WWE global headquarters in Stamford, Conn. The meeting focused on the possibility of the two groups doing some form of business together in the future ^[3].

[edit] Fertittas take over

A buyout of the company by Zuffa LLC, the operators of UFC has been rumored, but it appears as of March 26th the owners of Zuffa themselves (the Fertitta brothers) have bought Pride and all of its assets. ^[4]