Glory World Series acquires kickboxing competitor 'It's Showtime'

MUMBAI: Glory Sports International, the owner and rights holder of the Glory World Series kickboxing championship, has agreed to acquire Dutch-based competitor, ?It?s Showtime,? led by the European fight manager and kickboxing promoter Simon Rutz.

The landmark deal will effectively place all of the world?s top kickboxers, or stand-up fighters, under the same promotional umbrella. GSI will absorb other assets from and take over management of ?It?s Showtime.?

"This is what the world of stand-up fighting has been waiting for - all the top fighters competing in the same series each time to find out who is really the very best,? said GSI MD Marcus Luer, who also owns Asian sports marketing company Total Sports Asia.

The Glory World Series is the world?s premier kickboxing league, staging events across the globe and offering up to $1,000,000 in prize money to successful fighters in the 16-man grand prix tournaments which are open to only the very best fighters in each weight class.

With television deals spanning every continent plus an online streaming system, Glory claims to be the world?s most widely-broadcast sporting organisations already.

"By adding ?It?s Showtime?, Glory has truly established itself as the No. 1 kickboxing league in the world. This is what the fans have been waiting for and we are here to deliver it. Glory will soon announce a new series of events and a modernized tournament format for the rest of the year and for 2013," continued Luer.

Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organisation has offices in Holland, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Its personnel include prominent hedge-fund investors, the pioneering sports marketing agency Total Sport Asia and several executives from the Golden Glory team.