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
BoxBuzz wrote: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:
tzyuforever wrote: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:
Sweet P wrote:Jackson will relinquish the WBC belt. He will fight Rocky for the Lonsdale and WBO belt.
To which Buzz accepted long-windedly:
BoxBuzz wrote: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.
