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First of all, now that it's 2018, I just have to say that after holding the WBC mandatory position since 2014, but never enforcing it once, Alvarez (or his team) does not deserve a solution that takes their interests into account, especially not now after ducking the purse bid with Gvozdyk at the very last second.
The only one involved who deserves his interests specifically looked after is Gvozdyk, who has had his path to the title blocked for years, now into his thirties (close to decline age), by all this Stevenson, Haymon, Alvarez, WBC nepotism bull****.
But, I thought of a way that things can play out fairly for Gvozdyk, while still thinking of Alvarez, so here it is.
Stevenson has not fought a single mandatory in 3 or 4 years, so there's no reason he shouldn't be due two back to back now. Alvarez on the other hand has always been happy to fight guys on the Isaac Chilemba level for less money, he just doesn't want to face someone on Gvozdyk's level for that money. So, here is the solution for everyone:
Stevenson and Jack fight in March. Alvarez gets another easier fight on the Chilemba level, for Chilemba type money, against Marcus Browne, on the undercard. Gvozdyk fights the Stevenson/Jack winner in July, while the Alvarez/Browne becomes the mandatory for the winner of that, and even gets another soft touch for easy money in July while that fight happens. Then, the Alvarez/Browne winner gets the title shot vs the Stevenson/Jack-Gvozdyk winner at the end of 2018.
This works for everyone because:
1. Unlike Alvarez, Gvozdyk just wants the title shot as soon as possible, for whatever the current money available is. So, he gets that next.
2. Alvarez only wants to fight B-level guys or below if he's not fighting for a title with title-worthy money, so he gets to fight another guy like that in Marcus Browne, instead of having to fight Gvozdyk, and he gets to keep his right to fight for the title afterwards too.
3. If Stevenson or Jack beats Gvozdyk, then Alvarez still gets the Stevenson fight for bigger money than he would get to fight Gvozdyk right now.
4. If Gvozdyk beats Stevenson or Jack, his name will grow substantially, and he will also win the title, which means that Alvarez will get a lot more money to fight Gvozdyk at the end of this year for the title, after Gvozdyk has established himself by beating Stevenson/Jack, than he would now.
Everyone wins. Everyone gets what they deserve consistent with what their choices over the last few years have shown their priorities to be. Gvozdyk's priority has been the title, regardless of risk/reward, so he gets that fight first. Alvarez's priority has been wanting to manage risk/reward in the short term, without losing a chance at the title long-term, so he gets that too, with the lower risk fight against Browne coming first, in line with his first priority has historically been, but then he still gets the chance at the title afterwards, in line with what his second priority has historically been.
Everybody wins. The guy who has always said he prefers strawberry ice cream gets served strawberry ice cream, while the guy who has always said he prefers raspberry ice cream gets served raspberry ice cream. It is the definition of fair.
Well, fair would have been Gvozdyk getting his shot years ago, instead of having to wait 3-4 years while Stevenson never had to fight a single mandatory. So none of this has been fair the last 3 years. But I'm talking about for 2018, this is the only way to be fair to Gvozdyk, but still give Alvarez a sweet deal (which he, or at least his team, does not deserve after he's been complicit in ruining what should have been the best division in boxing the last 3 years, but which I have taken the time to think up for him anyway out of the goodness of my heart).
If Alvarez gets the deal I've just outlined, he should be thanking the WBC profusely, because it's more than he should expect after squandering the mandatory position he didn't even earn, but was gifted against Isaac Chilemba in a fight that should have been a draw at best. But, I do think it works out nicely for everyone. Heck, I can even add a 5th reason it works, which is that whoever wins between Stevenson/Jack and Gvozdyk will still need more good opponents afterwards, and an Alvarez-Browne fight would also create a decent opponent for the end of the year, assuming that if Gvozdyk wins, the other titlists or the likes of Anthony Yarde would be tied up facing each other (the more established champs), rather than looking to fight the new less marketable titlist right away, or that if Stevenson or Jack wins, they will continue to duck the other champs and prefer another in-house opponent like Alvarez or Browne.
See? This scenario actually works out like a perfect Greek golden ratio or something. It unfolds perfectly even 20 potentialities down the line, almost like a perfectly played chess match. This is the best solution for everyone involved (except for the last 3 years, which should not be forgotten because they did a lot of harm to the division, and to many boxers careers, especially Gvozdyk's).
The only one involved who deserves his interests specifically looked after is Gvozdyk, who has had his path to the title blocked for years, now into his thirties (close to decline age), by all this Stevenson, Haymon, Alvarez, WBC nepotism bull****.
But, I thought of a way that things can play out fairly for Gvozdyk, while still thinking of Alvarez, so here it is.
Stevenson has not fought a single mandatory in 3 or 4 years, so there's no reason he shouldn't be due two back to back now. Alvarez on the other hand has always been happy to fight guys on the Isaac Chilemba level for less money, he just doesn't want to face someone on Gvozdyk's level for that money. So, here is the solution for everyone:
Stevenson and Jack fight in March. Alvarez gets another easier fight on the Chilemba level, for Chilemba type money, against Marcus Browne, on the undercard. Gvozdyk fights the Stevenson/Jack winner in July, while the Alvarez/Browne becomes the mandatory for the winner of that, and even gets another soft touch for easy money in July while that fight happens. Then, the Alvarez/Browne winner gets the title shot vs the Stevenson/Jack-Gvozdyk winner at the end of 2018.
This works for everyone because:
1. Unlike Alvarez, Gvozdyk just wants the title shot as soon as possible, for whatever the current money available is. So, he gets that next.
2. Alvarez only wants to fight B-level guys or below if he's not fighting for a title with title-worthy money, so he gets to fight another guy like that in Marcus Browne, instead of having to fight Gvozdyk, and he gets to keep his right to fight for the title afterwards too.
3. If Stevenson or Jack beats Gvozdyk, then Alvarez still gets the Stevenson fight for bigger money than he would get to fight Gvozdyk right now.
4. If Gvozdyk beats Stevenson or Jack, his name will grow substantially, and he will also win the title, which means that Alvarez will get a lot more money to fight Gvozdyk at the end of this year for the title, after Gvozdyk has established himself by beating Stevenson/Jack, than he would now.
Everyone wins. Everyone gets what they deserve consistent with what their choices over the last few years have shown their priorities to be. Gvozdyk's priority has been the title, regardless of risk/reward, so he gets that fight first. Alvarez's priority has been wanting to manage risk/reward in the short term, without losing a chance at the title long-term, so he gets that too, with the lower risk fight against Browne coming first, in line with his first priority has historically been, but then he still gets the chance at the title afterwards, in line with what his second priority has historically been.
Everybody wins. The guy who has always said he prefers strawberry ice cream gets served strawberry ice cream, while the guy who has always said he prefers raspberry ice cream gets served raspberry ice cream. It is the definition of fair.
Well, fair would have been Gvozdyk getting his shot years ago, instead of having to wait 3-4 years while Stevenson never had to fight a single mandatory. So none of this has been fair the last 3 years. But I'm talking about for 2018, this is the only way to be fair to Gvozdyk, but still give Alvarez a sweet deal (which he, or at least his team, does not deserve after he's been complicit in ruining what should have been the best division in boxing the last 3 years, but which I have taken the time to think up for him anyway out of the goodness of my heart).
If Alvarez gets the deal I've just outlined, he should be thanking the WBC profusely, because it's more than he should expect after squandering the mandatory position he didn't even earn, but was gifted against Isaac Chilemba in a fight that should have been a draw at best. But, I do think it works out nicely for everyone. Heck, I can even add a 5th reason it works, which is that whoever wins between Stevenson/Jack and Gvozdyk will still need more good opponents afterwards, and an Alvarez-Browne fight would also create a decent opponent for the end of the year, assuming that if Gvozdyk wins, the other titlists or the likes of Anthony Yarde would be tied up facing each other (the more established champs), rather than looking to fight the new less marketable titlist right away, or that if Stevenson or Jack wins, they will continue to duck the other champs and prefer another in-house opponent like Alvarez or Browne.
See? This scenario actually works out like a perfect Greek golden ratio or something. It unfolds perfectly even 20 potentialities down the line, almost like a perfectly played chess match. This is the best solution for everyone involved (except for the last 3 years, which should not be forgotten because they did a lot of harm to the division, and to many boxers careers, especially Gvozdyk's).
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