In business, profit comes second. Trust comes first. Lose the second, you recover. Lose the first, and doors close before you knock.
Nakahara's previous event is the best example, when he failed to secure so many potential sponsors
The thing is, he hadn't ignored sponsorships just because he was occupied by fighters' preparation. He'd chased them hard; calls, meetings, proposals lined up long before fight night. But the damage was already done even before the event was planned.
Since Sinichi's camp began their public alienation, doors closed for Nakahara before numbers were even discussed. Some sponsors declined politely. Others never replied. The reputation stuck, unfair and convenient.
Still, not everyone walked away.
NSN remained, solid as ever. And alongside them, two major sponsors stayed on board. One was Aqualis Labs, a health-drink company built around hydration and recovery, willing to bet on fighters instead of headlines.
It wasn't enough. But it was something.
