Lonsdale Title: A history throughout the seasons

[Crease]

To decide which of the following two Superfights should be sanctioned with Lonsdale honours, I will investigate how the mysterious Lonsdale title came in to being and how exactly fighters are elligilbe to fight for it.

These shall be done in subsequent posts.

[Crease]

The Featherweight season:
In the Featherweight season, two reigning World Champions dropped their World Titles in order to face each other for the Lonsdale Title.
It is worth noting here that this was before the "Three defences before unification" ruling came in to force.

So, here's what happened... (can be seen here: http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f ... 6&start=25)
Sweet P, who was Manager of Rafael Marquez, the IBF Featherweight Champion at that time, made a statement:

Marquez does not care about belts, He knows he is the RING MAGAZINE Champion and that is all he cares about.
He does not think Highly of the WBO belt but would like to Fight Nelson for the Ring Magazine Belt. Leaving 2 belts vacant for the Sims Ordinary Managers to squabble over.

To which, BoxBuzz, Manager of Azumah Nelson, the WBO Featherweight Champion at that time, Buzz accepted:

Now this is cutting edge thinking!!! an offer GBP can not refuse.

The Ring belt you say? Something we own independent of the commish and his larcenous 10% skimming? That is a genuine first class idea!

We hereby drop the WBO albatross in order to take another "0" away from this pretender Marquez. IF HE AGREES TO DROP THE IBF And to establish "THE RING" belt owned and operated by GBP/ben k enterprises. A maverick organization run by the most respectable blokes imaginable.

And the fight was signed with this:

FIGHT is Done
The fight for Greatness, A fight for the generations, For the Prestigious Ring Magazine Belt
Raf Marqeuz Vs Azumah Nelson

And so the Lonsdale Pride was born in Week 11 of the Featherweight season in a fight between BoxBuzz and the man who is now called Sweet P.
And that fight was won by Rafael Marquez by a 5th round knockout!!!

GBP/HARD KNOCKS FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE
BOXBUZZ VS BEN K
AZUMAH NELSON VS RAFAEL MARQUEZ
RESULT: RAFAEL MARQUEZ KO5

[Crease]

The Welterweight season:
In the Welterweight season, two reigning World Champions fought each other in a unification fight. (Again, this was before the "Three defences before unification" ruling came in). On this occasion of the Lonsdale heritage, Managers DID NOT drop their World Titles to face each other. As such, this has perhaps caused confusion in later seasons regarding jhow exactly the Londsale Belt can be fought for.

Anyway, here is what happened in the Welterweight season... (can be seen here: http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=126693)

Sweet P, who was Manager of Miguel Cotto, the WBA Welterweight Champion at that time, made a statement:

Cotto Wants Henry Armstrong for a Unification.

To which, The End, Manager of Henry Armstrong, the IBF Welterweight Champion at that time, The End signed it with:

Armstrong vs Cotto signed

And so the Lonsdale Pride began in that season with a unification fight in Week 8 of the Welterweight season in a fight between Sweet P and The End.

And that fight was won by Miguel Cotto by a 8th round knockout!!!

IBF WBA WELTERWEIGHT TITLE
BEN K VS THE END
MIGUEL COTTO VS HENRY ARMSTRONG
RESULT: MIGUEL COTTO TKO8

[Crease]

The Middleweight season:
In the Middleweight season, we struggled to forge a Lonsdale heritage due to the fact that we did not have any unifications of any sort. There probably would have been some sort of unification either in Week 21 or Week 22 but it did not happen due to a premature end to the season (Week 20).

During the closing week, (as can be seen here: http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=135054)
Bob Fitzsimmons the reigning WBC Middleweight Champion, Managed by Sweet P, had acheived three consecutive defences of his title:
Week 20: beat Freddie Steele
Week 19: defended against Carlos Monzon
Week 18: beat Les Darcy

And Charley Burley the reigning IBF Middleweight Champion, Managed by Deno1986 had also achieved three consecutive title defences:
Week 20: beat Dick Tiger
Week 19: beat Holman Williams
Week 18: beat Marvin Hagler

Yet the season ended and no true Lonsdale Champion was able to make his mark before the season closed.

[Crease]

The Heavyweight season:
In the Heavyweight season, two reigning World Champions dropped their World Titles in order to face each other for the Lonsdale Title.
(As can be seen here: http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f ... 0&start=25)

On this occasion, the then WBC Heavyweight Champion, Managed by Sweet P dropped this title rather than face Mandatory Challenger, Mike Tyson.

BoxBuzz who was Manager of Rocky Marciano, who was WBO Heavyweight Champion at that time, made this impassioned plea to the Commish Tzyuforever

Dear Commish,

We respectfully request that the WBO and WBC belts be allowed to be unified at this time.

Peter Jackson has held the WBC title on more than one occasion. Rocky Marciano has held both the WBO and WBC championships.

Rules on occasion in the past have been waived, and we are not asking for anything that would besmirch the reputation of the Sim.

Indeed we ask only that two very formidable and accomplished fighters be allowed to face each other at this point in time without a punitive consequence for courageously engaging.

It appears this fight will happen with or without the WBO/WBC support, and we are sincerely hoping it will be with official sanction.

If the commish should decided that these two belts should NOT be allowed to unify, may the individual fighters be allowed to keep their belts and fight this fight WITHOUT being stripped of their individual belts?

We accept the decision whatever it may be, and with emphatic sincerity are NOT attempting to circumvent quality, or compromise the integrity of this simulated sport in any way shape or fashion.

Tzyuforver replied:

Jackson must face Tyson this week or be stripped of his belt, along with any other clothing he happens to be wearing.

As such, Sweet P made some swift manoeuvring:

Jackson will relinquish the WBC belt. He will fight Rocky for the Lonsdale and WBO belt.

To which Buzz accepted long-windedly:

In the course of SimBoxing history, sometimes even good commish's make errant judgment calls. This is certainly an example. We often hear the call that "Quality fights must be made at all costs"....and "People are avoiding the "best of the best" on a chronic basis. And with no ill intent, these quaint rules serve to "dumb down" the potential greatness of the sim.

Currently ranked #1 (as we often find ourselves throughout Sim History), and having taken down the recently rated #1 fighter in dominating fashion, GBP is called to uphold "destiny's expectations" and answer to a "higher authority".

Peter Jackson (currently rated #4 and two time WBC champion and the only man to defeat the Rock (and also defeat the (G.O.A.T.) is unarguably the best fight to be made. We can not and will not let outdated rules (even made with the best of intent) allow GBP to operate under anything less that the "Gold Standard" of sim match making. To do so would invite justifiable critical review.

So with a heavy heart, and the clear knowledge of what is "right and true" The current WBO and former WBC champion will make the fight with Peter Jackson, the Current WBC champion though both fighters will be stripped of their belts. This directly due to their equal "commitment to quality". It is acceptable to break rules when aspiring to perfection of performance. This moment is of course inindated with irony.

The Lonsdale belt will recognize the winner of this fight, as it always does when two top rated sitting champions are the first to willingly t face each other with courage and honor, regardless of the cost to them personally. These two "CHAMPIONS" choose NOT to hide behind the obfiscation of "rules and belts" as the rest of you often choose to do.

Thus spoke Buzzathustra.

And so the Lonsdale Pride commenced yet again in Week 15 of the Heavyweight season. The fight ended with a Marciano victory by 6th round TKO.

BEN K VS BOXBUZZ
PETER JACKSON VS ROCKY MARCIANO
RESULT: ROCKY MARCIANO TKO6