Two ways I think Bellator can "fix" this Brooks/Alvarez/Chandler mess...

bk365

Orange Belt
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Messages
250
Reaction score
0
In my view there are two ways Bellator can really fix this mess. We know a few things about this situation:

1) In Alvarez's contract it states that his next/last fight is against Chandler. He can choose to screw Bellator and ask for the fight with Chandler, and based on his contract Bellator can't do anything about it.
2) Brooks is obviously pissed about it. He went on his little Twitter rant (maybe he doesn't understand the concept of a contract?)
3) Bellator probably realizes that, although we all want to see Alvarez/Chandler 3 at some point, putting on the fight right now will make them look bad.
4) You can make the case that Chandler won his last fight with Alvarez (very close fight) and his fight with Brooks (should have been 48-47 Chandler or a 47-47 draw)
5) Alvarez is still hurt. We don't know how long he'll be out (concussions are tricky)

So here's my best case fix for this situation. If Alvarez isn't ready to fight early next season, then just do Brooks-Chandler2 for the interim title and none of this matters. Let's say Alvarez is ready to fight (and let's say he wants the Chandler fight) then you have a couple of choices:

1) Strip Eddie of the belt and make Brooks the champ (since Eddie won't take the fight with Brooks). Do Chandler-Brooks2 for the title in the Fall. If Chandler wins, do A/C3 for the belt. This will be Eddie's last fight and let him walk regardless of win/loss. If Brooks wins, you can still do A/C3, just not for the belt. Again, let Eddie walk after the fight, regardless of win/loss. Or you can just skip the Chandler/Brooks fight and just do A/C3 in a non-title fight. Make it 5 rounds anyway. Have Brooks defend against Jansen. If Chandler beats Eddie, then give him a shot at the Brooks/Jansen winner. You might say just do Brooks-Chandler2 for the interim and have Eddie wait as champ. But if Eddie is ONLY going to take a fight with Chandler, you have to strip his title. Because if you do Brooks/Chandler2, and Brooks "wins" again, then you're stuck in the same situation you're in right now.

OR

2) Alvarez defends against Jansen. On the same card you do Chandler-Brooks2 for the interim belt. Stipulate that this is Alvarez's last fight and he can leave after the fight. Also add in to his contract a clause (if he wants it) that if Chandler defeats Brooks, he has a one fight deal for the trilogy fight. A/C3 to unify the belts and he can leave after that fight, win or lose. If Chandler loses to Brooks, then Alvarez can leave, and just bump Brooks's interim belt up to Champion. If Jansen beats Alvarez, then his contract is fulfilled and Eddie can leave. This one is more complicated in the sense that I made a few assumptions. #1 being Eddie doesn't want to fight Brooks because he's a tough opponent. Jansen coming off a terrible knee injury and a long layoff is a much easier fight. I think it would be easier to convince him to fight Jansen than Brooks. #2 being Eddie really wants the trilogy fight with Chandler. If he doesn't sign on for the extra fight against Chandler (only goes into effect if Chandler defeats Brooks), then you're better of just doing situation 1 above. This 2nd situation is also better than just doing Eddie vs. Brooks IMO. If you can get Eddie to agree to it (let's assume he beats Jansen) then you get a big fight in Brooks/Chandler2 and you may have 2 more fights from Eddie instead of just one. vs. Jansen and A/C3 if Chandler defeats Brooks.

Of course, all this is irrelevant if Eddie just fights Brooks. Which is still a possibility. Maybe you can still do the clause in his contract for A/C3, and guarantee that Chandler faces the winner of Eddie/Brooks. But I would just do Eddie vs. Brooks and let Eddie walk after, win or lose. Unless they want him back, and give him a better offer than the UFC (which is still possible) and then maybe we will get to see A/C3. If Eddie won't fight Brooks, then strip him of the title and do choice #1 above.
 
Why would Eddie just agree to have his contract amended?



They should just do Alvarez/Brooks and let Eddie fuckin' leave already.
 
Why would Eddie just agree to have his contract amended?



They should just do Alvarez/Brooks and let Eddie fuckin' leave already.

They can't just do Alvarez/Brooks. If I was Eddie, I'd demand the fight with Chandler. This post was made under the assumption that Eddie will demand that fight. If Eddie doesn't have a problem fighting Brooks, then nothing I put in this post matters because there is no problem to solve. If he accepts the fight with Brooks, then let it happen and let him leave after.
 
Let Alvarez heal it takes time for concussions. That is the worst injury because it could reoccur frequently. Chandler vs Brooks 2 until he is ready. Alvarez comes back is he ready for a Chandler or Brooks from concussion? I think Eddie should add 1 more fight so he can fight both Chandler and Brooks and if he decides to leave then so be it. He cleaned out the division.
 
They can't just do Alvarez/Brooks. If I was Eddie, I'd demand the fight with Chandler. This post was made under the assumption that Eddie will demand that fight. If Eddie doesn't have a problem fighting Brooks, then nothing I put in this post matters because there is no problem to solve. If he accepts the fight with Brooks, then let it happen and let him leave after.

That's a pretty big assumption IMO. Chandler is coming off 2 losses so he has lost a bit of his luster. Also, Chandler is a bigger threat to Alvarez (again IMO) so I think he would be smart to take the fight with Brooks... KO his ass and walk off to the UFC.
 
Yes, because I'm sure there wouldn't be any legal fallout from Bellator just stripping the title from Eddie.

And adding the option of a new stipulation that would potentially further lengthen the contract of a guy who clearly wants to leave....why would Eddie's management ever agree to that? Why would Eddie?

Beyond that, giving Jansen the fight vs Eddie would mean Bellator loses a tournament winner and future challenger for the title after Eddie leaves.

Both your "best case scenarios" are convoluted.

Best case scenario is Bellator lets Eddie choose to fight either Brooks or Chandler. If he wins either fight and walks, Bellator takes this as a learning experience to not write such idiotic contracts that make it so they are gambling against their own champion.
 
The only way to settle this: triple threat TLC match!!
 
I honestly think the best move Bellator could make is letting Eddie just walk and return maybe put a gag order on it and six month no compete clause in his walking papers.

Letting him fight does nothing but draw out this circus longer and opens the door for more issues. Whoever Eddie fights and if he wins and walks out the door it will be magnified 10 times then just letting him walk now. Just to much egg on your face in letting him fight hoping he drops the fight.
 
Bellator have dicked Alvarez enough as it is. If He wants to fight Chandler again so be it. If Bellator has a problem with it let him go to the UFC like he's wanted to all along.
 
If Alvarez is not cleared within the next few weeks, they should set up Brooks-Jansen for the interim title in August.

Then Alvarez could fight the winner of that bout, which would in all likelihood be Ill Will, someone who could reasonably beat him.

However, Ill Will has much less of a shot against Chandler, and Eddie should be a decent favorite (-175, not a prediction, rather my opinion), so I think that's what he would prefer to do (although maybe not wait that long). For Eddie, his impetus has to be all about gaining the most leverage in FA, and he can do it dramatically better w/ a win. I doubt out of foolish pride he'd seriously demand to again fight Chandler, who he technically beat the last time.

Let's face it, the push for the Chandler-Alvarez fight is almost all from Bellator for the marketability and promotional strength perception angles.

It's ridiculous to say they should just let Eddie walk early and without having another chance for him to finish on a loss like he should have done the last time vs. Chandler, as if that doesn't make Bellator look even weaker. I mean clearly the reason to say they should let Eddie walk, is that's what you want to happen. But I'm pretty sure that's not what you would do in Bellator's position.
 
If Alvarez is not cleared within the next few weeks, they should set up Brooks-Jansen for the interim title in August.

Then Alvarez could fight the winner of that bout, which would in all likelihood be Ill Will, someone who could reasonably beat him.

However, Ill Will has much less of a shot against Chandler, and Eddie should be a decent favorite (-175, not a prediction, rather my opinion), so I think that's what he would prefer to do (although maybe not wait that long). For Eddie, his impetus has to be all about gaining the most leverage in FA, and he can do it dramatically better w/ a win. I doubt out of foolish pride he'd seriously demand to again fight Chandler, who he technically beat the last time.

Let's face it, the push for the Chandler-Alvarez fight is almost all from Bellator for the marketability and promotional strength perception angles.

It's ridiculous to say they should just let Eddie walk early and without having another chance for him to finish on a loss like he should have done the last time vs. Chandler, as if that doesn't make Bellator look even weaker. I mean clearly the reason to say they should let Eddie walk, is that's what you want to happen. But I'm pretty sure that's not what you would do in Bellator's position.

What good comes from Eddie fighting his last match?

One good rating or another PPV match(depending on this buy rate who knows if they'll even be willing/doing another one anytime soon).

Only way Bellator would save any face in this is if Eddie lost. At best that is a 50/50 chance.

Say Eddie fights Brooks and wins and leaves to the UFC. Now he just cleaned out your 155 division fresh in the minds of every fan. He truly makes your org look second rate when he walks away with title in hand.

He fights Chandler and wins and walks away. You just make your intern belt the real belt, which is fine. But now one of your highest paid athletes is on a 3 fight losing streak and your only move is pretty much back in a tournament fighting what to most is no bodies. Then pray to god he doesn't lose.

Plus right now you got your fighters going off in the media about the whole fiasco already. No matter who Eddie fights someone isn't going to be happy and chances are will voice their opinion.


Best move in my eyes is make a deal with Eddie to walk. Like I said you could put a gag order on him with a no compete clause for maybe six or nine months. Many fans will completely forget about all this and the division/Bellator moves on with very little negative media attention. Play it all out and the end result of Eddie leaving will be magnified much larger and all you can do is hope he drops the fight.


P.S.: Only other play I really see is if some crazy way Bellator got Eddie to resign.
 
Bellator, where Title Shots aren't earned, and they are so bad we can't even defend them.
 
Let Alvarez heal it takes time for concussions. That is the worst injury because it could reoccur frequently. Chandler vs Brooks 2 until he is ready. Alvarez comes back is he ready for a Chandler or Brooks from concussion? I think Eddie should add 1 more fight so he can fight both Chandler and Brooks and if he decides to leave then so be it. He cleaned out the division.

Chandler loses title fight. Let's give him another.
Chandler loses 2nd title fight. Let's give him another.
Chandler win or lose then gets a 4th title fight.

Genius.
 
If Alvarez is not cleared within the next few weeks, they should set up Brooks-Jansen for the interim title in August.

Then Alvarez could fight the winner of that bout, which would in all likelihood be Ill Will, someone who could reasonably beat him.

However, Ill Will has much less of a shot against Chandler, and Eddie should be a decent favorite (-175, not a prediction, rather my opinion), so I think that's what he would prefer to do (although maybe not wait that long). For Eddie, his impetus has to be all about gaining the most leverage in FA, and he can do it dramatically better w/ a win. I doubt out of foolish pride he'd seriously demand to again fight Chandler, who he technically beat the last time.

Let's face it, the push for the Chandler-Alvarez fight is almost all from Bellator for the marketability and promotional strength perception angles.

It's ridiculous to say they should just let Eddie walk early and without having another chance for him to finish on a loss like he should have done the last time vs. Chandler, as if that doesn't make Bellator look even weaker. I mean clearly the reason to say they should let Eddie walk, is that's what you want to happen. But I'm pretty sure that's not what you would do in Bellator's position.

If Eddie beats Brooks it makes Bellator look REALLY bad though. So it's curious what they will do. This is a problem BFC created by dicking around with Eddie's career.
 
Back
Top