WNXFA Debriefed: Catching up with Jesse Camp

Jesse Camp, Promoter

Please Note that this same interview was also recorded and will be available as soon as we locate a suitable player to add to our site.

Q. Tell us a little about WNXFA, who is the Alliance, when did you decide that you wanted to Promote and Match-Make MMA events, are there any folks other than yourself that are integral to WNXFA?

A. To elaborate (A LOT) on WNXFA, I explained a bit about my strong ties to the Marine Corp and the term Warrior. Nation is always a strong term no matter how frequently used but somehow the value is dependent on what its attached to for example... Red Sox Nation or Stephen Colbert's comical rants to his followers simply referred to as "Nation." Its a term of unity & cohesion partially defined as a large body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity. Combat sport in itself is undeniably extreme and I wanted that accented hence the "X". Its Fighters that I expose but most important is the combination of Nation and Alliance in the promotion's name that consists not only of the Warriors themselves but fans, friends, families, schools, coaches, trainers, teams, cage girls, announcers, refs, judges, doctors, media, the clothing lines, vendors, tee-shirt designers, graphic designers, print shops, tape and wrap techs, venues, all promoters, all promotions, all matchmakers, the websites.... Its so inclusive as it revolves all around everything from the 0-0 ammy to the superstar and legendary... Its a living breathing beast of intensity that is awesome to be a part of and watch grow at the same time. WNXFA is also growing as we have solidified our team of dedicated staff to include Tom Gomes as Vice President & Creative Director, Sara Gomes as Senior Graphic Designer, Dave Fesko as our Sponsor Coordinator, and our newest edition is Nick Newell as MMA matchmaker. Nick's a great person, pro fighter, and an avid follower of the sport with a lot of knowledge about the New England MMA scene and I am very proud to have him as a part of the team. He's an exceptional role model to the sport and I'm sure he's going to do great things both in the cage and out!

Q. You just put the period on a huge production out in Worcestor, MA. How did WNXFA catch Paul VanDale Promotions eye? Is there a history or a future that you think the fans and fighters reading/listening would find interesting? Would you match-make an event for them again?

A.We discussed this enough. I thank Paul Vandale for the opportunity to matchmake and help organize a big show and the overall experience was great.

Q. What skills do you bring to the table and which are you developing? I was whole-heartedly impressed with the level at which you seemed to be operating through out the DCU event. Is that Jesse Camp all the time or does the swagger only come out when you are in stressful situations that require a cool head? There seemed to be alot of people working under you or at least taking their marching orders from you. Is that a normal role for you during an event or do you spend most of your time behind the scenes?

A. As far as skills go, I believe that professionalism and organization are my strongest suits & THAT I owe 100% to the Corp! They molded me into a little fire ball of meticulous energy & that's not changing any time soon. It helps the promotion in so many different ways but in order to be successful, I know I have to attach myself, and more specifically the promotion, to good, solid, hard working talented people and we're off to a great start! Now...relative to my so-called "swagger", its one of the traits I may possess but situation always dictates how I'm going to play or not play my cards. There's a time and a place for everything and showmanship is just as much a part of this game as any other. I had a lot of oversight with regard to the organization and operation the night of the event. It was important for Paul Vandale to have a successful, smooth, organized event & I was brought on to handle that task in addition to matching. Normally I assume this role but with the new addition of our skilled staff, I believe it will be a smooth transition to sharing responsibilities and constantly seeking self improvement so that we can improve progressively.

Q. Tell us about the DCU event. Your overall feelings about the success of the show, your experiences with the different athletes, and how the hell you cherry picked the finest Ring Girls in Worcestor. Did the ticket sales reflect this success? Were you satisfied with the help you employed to handle the marketing aspect of the event i.e.; DCU’s in-house marketing team, local media coverage, World Wide Web attention? Was Fight Stream covering this event?

A.The DCU event was a great experience and I'm proud of the quality of matches that I put together. I believe the show was a huge success and I mean that from the heart. Paul Vandale had great vision with the concept of bringing someone like Dan "The Beast" Severn to Mass and putting together a large production MMA event right out of the gate. A late start that was purposeful allowed for the show to start as planned with intros, video, sound, lighting, and the Warrior Nation Cage Girls ready to kick the whole thing off. Ultimately, it was a late start that was one of a few gigs and rightfully so. I can only ensure it doesn't become a habit or even an occurrence. Overall, I believe that the show was fluid, had great fights, and the fans had an awesome time. The teams were great to deal with and I know that each and every fighter earned those wins and should be proud of each and every performance. Working with the DCU Center served as a learning lesson in DCU/Union related issues, fees, rules, restrictions, and more fees, and proved to be extremely difficult at times. I don't fault the DCU in any way because they're a business entity like any other. I think its easily understood if I simply say that I completely understand why there's not more MMA promotions throwing events there.

Q. Did you notice afterwards any negative feedback, discontent from fighters, refs, commissioners? How were you able to address these concerns or complaints if there were any?

A. Discussed during spoken interview. Check back for a link to the response to this question.

Q. Switching gears you have an upcoming show planned for Western MA on July 23rd at the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee, MA. Is the Hu Ke Lau a permanent home for the WNXFA? How many shows have you had at this particular venue? Other than Worcestor have you taken WNXFA to any other venues? What can fans and fighters expect from a venue like The Hu Ke Lau? Are the prices reasonable? Are you going to stream the event out over the net?

A. The upcoming show at the Hu Ke Lau on July 23rd is going to be awesome. I'm really looking forward to bringing the fighters, fans, and teams out to this venue because it is extremely unique and the Hu Ke Lau faithfuls already know this. It is my home for WNXFA. Its actually where everything started over a drink with long time friend and General Manager, Andrew Yee. The Hu Ke Lau is a family run and independently owned business established in 1965. Originally started as a polynesian restaurant, 1988 brought on big changes with the addition of regular Comedy shows which would eventually prove to be the hub for major comedy acts in Western Mass. The showroom is known to house some of the best comedians with past acts including Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Jamie Fox, the entire SNL Cast, Andrew Dice Clay and scheduled this summer; Norm McDonald, Joe Koy, and Carlos Mencia. With Andrew's 35 years experience promoting shows, we quickly began to plan and organize events that lead directly to my drive to start Warrior Nation Xtreme Fighters Alliance. The furthest point from the center of the cage to any purchased seat is 50' which makes for a great spot to view fights. Combine this with the fully tiered table seating arrangement, full polynesian dining and drink menu, table service by some of the best wait staff in the area, our gorgeous cage girls and my promise to bring you top MMA talent; if you like MMA, you're gonna LOVE this! Ticket prices range from $35 SR0 - $85 Cage Side.

Q. Do you need fighters for this event or have you already received commitments from enough fighters? How many match-ups are you anticipating? Will we see fighters from some of the local schools like AMAA, FAA, Blue Devils, Team Link, CTMMA, and the like? Have there been issues with competing schools in the past? If so what would you like to say to try and encourage them to lay their differences aside?

A.We currently have several matches set and will continue to fill the card with as much as we can. Fans can expect 12-15 matches with a start time of 7pm. I encourage any and all fighters, teams, schools, etc to reach out to either Nick Newell at Nick@WarriorNationXFA.com or myself at Jesse@WarriorNationXFA.com If fighters are looking for an organized promotion with an amazing venue for friends and family to watch them execute what I know they work hard for each and every day, well then there's only one thing to say..... "GET THE FIGHTERS READY!"

I thank The Warrior Nation Xtreme Fighters Alliance, Jesse Camp, The Hu Ke Lau, and everyone mentioned in this detailed interview.
Joe "The Artist" Leonard is an author and site admin for WesternMassMMA.com, a student of Team Ravenous MMA of South Deerfield, MA., a husband, and father.