MMA Access: Bellator 120 – Will This Be Another PPV Failure?
Bellator 120 Will This Be Another PPV Failure?
By Christopher Jester
Just a few weeks ago we wrote about how Bellator could finally correct the ship if they pull off this pay-per-view without a hitch. We now know that will not be the case as Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler Part 3 is off the card. With the only major draw now off the pay-per-view event, it is time for Bellator to rethink what is best for their future as far as PPV’s go? Considering their first attempt last fall also failed.
The pay-per-view scheme is simply not working at this point. Simply put, this organization does not have the names to bolster a pay-per-view worth the money they are asking for. Alvarez vs. Chandler 3 was one of the few fights that was worth viewing, and now with Rampage Jackson vs. Mo Lawal as the main event, it leaves fans scratching their heads as to why this event did not suffer the same fate as their first attempt on pay-per-view.
This event deserves a spot on Spike TV, like previous Bellator events. It cannot hold its own off the names of Michael Chandler, Rampage Jackson and Tito Ortiz. Chandler could have potentially hosted the event if he had his original dancing partner in Eddie Alvarez. And as talented as Will Brooks is, his name will not spark as much interest as Alvarez’s did. Throwing in an interim title into the mix is a faulty attempt at making the fight more appealing than it really is. It just falls short of the match fans were expecting.
Counting on the potential draw from the names of Rampage Jackson and Tito Ortiz is not enough. Bellator has to decide if the pay-per-view arena is worth the risk. The reality is that while they have the ability to market any fight, the names that they have to market is not good enough.
Although, you have to give some respect to Bellator for not pulling the plug again. Honestly, it is commendable to stick in there. But it does leave everyone wondering if Bellator should try this again down the road. Two pay-per-views and both have lost their main event and most marketable fight. It should only tell Bellator one thing: it is not the right time. Regardless of how entertaining the fights are, it still should paint a picture for Viacom that their venture into pay-per-view is ultimately failing. The risk is not outweighing the reward. Therefore, it would seem prudent to stop before the negatives and minuses become too much to handle.
While the media and most likely Bellator will play a wait-and-see game on whether pay-per-view is a viable option for the second biggest North American company, the most important question is what becomes of Bellator after its second pay-per-view, and first minor success? As significant as Bellator wants to be, it seems like a kid jumping into an arena against oversized gladiators with only pen and paper in hand. They can write the checks to continue these advances into pay-per-view but those checks are bouncing in the sense that the pay-per-view is failing to garner the attention that will return that revenue. Bellator needs to take a step back and leave the pay-per-views to the big boys, for now anyway.
Bellator MMA: Rampage Jackson vs. King Mo LIVE on Pay Per View May 17th
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