Cap's New and Improved Alternate Universe
 

Gd'day.eh. Finally got lift-off on my new TB 2.5 universe. This looks like the one I will be importing to the new game if/when it comes out next year. Too bad the deal with our friend Azza doesn't seem to be getting any traction. Oh well.

I've got a handful of early Glove Era fighters now and I'm building them up very very slowly (SO slow). Right now only four or five of them are unbeaten. Sullivan is one of them. Corbett, Jackson and Fitzsimmons as well. Just for fun I've thrown George Chuvalo into the mix again and this time I also added Kallie Knoetze. Both are doing pretty well, but it's early. One surprise is Australian Billy Smith, unbeaten after 5 fights.

First big clash was between Frank Slavin "The Sydney Cornstalk" and "The Barrier Champion" Joe Goddard. Scheduled for six rounds at Sydney Stadium, it ended with one of them being shielded by the referee to prevent him from possible serious damage. It was a right brannigan while it lasted, with both fighters punching after the bell, hitting low, using forearms and elbows, and butting like two rams. The meagre science of one triumphed in the end though. Great fight!

Cap

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Jan. 1890. At the first congress of the new International Boxing Union, after a unanimous vote to abandon London Prize Ring Rules and officially adopt the more popular Marquess of Queensberry rules for the sport and the use of 6oz leather gloves, it was decided that the Championship Council would fill all of the currently vacant titles except the world championship itself. This would be a one-time action to stimulate public and press interest. The new champions are, in no particular order:

European heavyweight champion: Peter Maher of Eire.
North American heavyweight champion: George Godfrey of Canada
British Empire heavyweight champion: Bob Fitzsimmons of Australia
Pacific Northwest heavyweight champion: James J. Corbett of the USA

American heavyweight champion: John L. Sullivan
Canadian heavyweight champion: George Chuvalo
Australia & New Zealand heavyweight champion: Peter Jackson
South Afrikan heavyweight champion: Kallie Knoetze

Any other titles to remain vacant until consensus can be reached.

Cap

To shake things up I decided to add a few boxers to my universe from the modern Post-1960 era. Chose them at random so curious to see how they perform against 1890s era prize fighters. Orlin Norris, Corrie Sanders, Lionel Butler, Frans Botha, and Ray Mercer. Then I tossed in Joe Beckett as well. I'm thinking these guys are likely more highly rated than the majority of early Glove Era pugs.

None of my existing boxers have fought enough to be ranked yet, but they are close.

I've been restricting fights by region for the most part. North Americans fight each other as would be the case back then. Same for Europe. Australians & New Zealanders battle amongst themselves as well as with South Afrikanners. No aircraft around yet so long distance travel restricted to steamships. Once I have world-ranked boxers They will tour other regions. [I did have two fights in Hawaii between an Aussie and a Yank, and one between a Canuck and a Limey in Halifax, NS.]

Cap

Clipped from the inaugural issue of Mitt Slingers Magazine. As of February 1891 the IBU has ranked 50 heavyweight pugilists world-wide who have met their criteria for inclusion. Each has competed in at least 15 gloved prize fights sanctioned by local boxing commissions in Europe, North America, South Afrika and Australia under the new Marquess of Queensberry Rules of Professional Boxing. Leading the pack are four who have been selected by the IBU Championship Council to compete for the heavyweight championship of the world. Legitimate Athletic Clubs and Sporting Promoters have been invited to tender bids for three matches: Bob Fitzsimmons of Australia Vs Peter Maher of Eire; Peter Jackson of Australia Vs James J Corbett of America; and the winners to face each other for the most prestigious title in sports. It should be noted that America's unbeaten John Lawrence Sullivan of Boston has thumbed his nose at the IBU's rankings and, as the recognized heavyweight champion of America, has challenged Canada's champion George Chuvalo to fight for "...the only real title that means anything, heavyweight champion of North America." In a newspaper response Chuvalo pointed out that his countryman George Godfrey is the IBU's North American champion, but this is not expected to bother the belligerent Boston Irishman or his pompous manager Ronald Shifty Frump as they have drawn the notorious "colour line" against non-white boxers.

Excerpt from a Maritime Wire Service report carried in many Canadian and New England papers..."News is expected any day of a proposed prize fight of 15 rounds duration between the so-called "Boston Strong Boy" John L Sullivan and "The Toronto Hercules" George Chuvalo (born Jure Cuvalo). The Canadian lad's agent has so far regarded such a contest as ridiculous in the light of his negotiations with Nova Scotia's George Godfrey the current North American champion at Montreal with both their titles on the line. Dave "Spider" Jones told reporters that any fight with Sullivan could wait until the IBU world title has been decided."

Clipped from a Toronto rag...

....Same rag different day.

Clipped from Mitt Slingers Magazine...[Note: Ed Corcoran is the birth name of Denver Ed Smith. In my AU he stayed in Britain under the coaching of Jem Mace and ex-lightweight champion of England Billy Kennedy.] Brawling Kallie Knoetze shipped to Ol' Blighty to try his luck with British and Irish pugilists with fellow South Afrikanner Fred McMullen in hot pursuit after Knoetze's Old Buck belt...Battling Ed Corcoran has one eye on the Big Pond with thoughts of touring the Americas with the other on Charlie Mitchell and a lucrative rematch...Tom Sharkey disposes of the last of the Irish heavies leaving only European champ Peter Maher in his path...Joe Goddard marks his arrival in North America with a shocking demolition of big bad Pat Killen...Hank Griffin wins over clever Kid McCoy but holds no hope of getting a match with American champion John L Sullivan...Frank Slavin knocks out Dan Creedon then boards a ship for America and its streets paved with gold eliminating a possible match with fellow Aussie Bob Fitzsimmons in front of the home folks..The International Boxing Union declares that any boxer who draws the colour line against any group of fighters will be banned from participating in any IBU sanctioned events or holding any championship. Most take this as a direct threat to John L Sullivan.

According to a Maritime Wire Service report out of Brussels, the IBU Chairman has contacted their affiliate commission the American Boxing Association and directed them to withdraw their championship from John L Sullivan if he continues to abide by the colour line and refuses to meet any non-white contenders. Even South Afrika's Kallie Knoetze, not the most progressive of thinkers, has conceded to this condition.

Clipped from the Toronto Telegram...

Clipped from the Toronto Telegram...[The O'Brien-Goddard fight was fought under clean-break rules that didn't allow Goddard to indulge in his favourite inside attack to the opponent's body.]

Excerpt from New York paper...Too late to make this edition at Vallejo, California Hank Griffin won the vacant Pacific Northwest heavyweight title with a decisive win in 12 rounds over Iron Mike Boden of Vancouver, BC Canada...Peter Maher the Irish heavyweight has reportedly departed Australia for Europe aboard the German steamship SS Oldenburg having agreed via telegram to defend his EBU title in Paris shortly after his arrival....Tom Sharkey is back in training after his recent loss to England's Jem Smith and vows he will reverse the loss in a rematch...In what the boxing experts consider a major upset California's Jerry Quarry stopped visiting Australian heavyweight Frank Slavin in nine rounds at McNaughton's Pavilion in the City of Oakland, near San Francisco...

Maritime Wire Service story hits papers around the world and Coaltown, Nova Scotia...

From the May 1891 issue of Mitt Slingers Magazine...The IBU dictates that Jim Corbett must defend his title against someone in their top ten rankings but allows him to pick anyone from that group for his first defence, insisting that his next opponent, should he prevail, be the number one contender...Bob Fitzsimmons has defended his Empire championship against Tut Ryan the best available challenger in Australia and next plans on fighting either Big Joe McAuliffe or Joe Choynski, both visiting from America...Canadian and North American champion George Chuvalo whipped Frank Slavin at Chicago and has signed to meet Peter Jackson if the latter will accept a percentage of the gate rather than a guaranteed purse...

Nice read, Cap. Thanks.

Article from the Toronto Telegram....At Colma, California world champion James J Corbett boxed six fast rounds with Philadelphia Jack O'Brien and demonstrated his overwhelming superiority over the East Coast fighter...Reports arrive on these shores that Joe Choynski has beaten Bob Fitzsimmons via the knockout route and has signed to meet fellow American Joe McAuliffe in South Africa...McAuliffe rescued his shaky career with a sensational knock out of South African champion Kallie Knoetze...

Results from Mitt Slingers Magazine June 1891 issue...Hank Griffin defended his Pacific Northwest title with commanding win over Young Peter Jackson...England's Charlie Mitchell won the EBU heavyweight title from Peter Maher when the latter was unable to come out because of cuts over both eyes...Maher outweighed Mitchell by almost two stone...Frank Slavin wired a challenge to Peter Jackson following his dispatch of Steve O'Donnell at the Dreamland Arena in Vancouver...Joe Choynski came back from two early knockdowns and a late rally by Bob Fitzsimmons to force a stop of the Australian with 40 seconds left in the final round before thousands of stunned fans...

June IBU rankings carried in Mitt Slingers Magazine...

.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny7uGEPgoXk