OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - The Way It Should Have Been(Alternate History)

Bryan Swartz · 08-27-2014, 11:29 AM

1857

No new fighters this year.

The big news was that after the last two disqualifications, John Morrisey will be sitting out the first round of bouts in an attempt to give him an opportunity to 'reflect' on the status of his career and declining reputation.

Before the rematch, an interesting fight between Chris Lilly and 'Benicia Boy' Heenan, both of whom were on a good run, was worthy of attention. The winner would be the most likely choice for the next title shot, and it was a step up in competition for Heenan who has done well against the bottom of the division with a 10-5 mark. In a mild suprise, Heenan scored a sixth-round knockout of the favored veteran and served notice that he is likely to stay near the top of the division for a while.

3.13 Tom Hyer vs. Bill 'The Butcher' Poole

Revenge was on the mind of the Butcher, having been literally seconds away from retaining his belts only to see them slip away in the most dramatic finish to date in the annals of the sport. Rumors were that he was crushed by the loss, and his heart wasn't really in training this time around. Within the first 90 seconds of the bout, Hyer was warned for a low blow and not called for a head butt that got some swelling going around the eye of Poole. Dirty or gamesmanship depends on your perspective, but definitely not a clean start to this. Then a devastating hook by Hyer dropped the Butcher with still a minute left in the round, he tried to get up at 4 but failed, finally reaching his feet at 8. It was already looking like this fight might have a quick conclusion. In the third round, a headlock for Poole gets him a warning as Hyer continues to be the busier fighter. A couple of solid rounds for the Butcher in the fourth and fifth, and a cut on Hyer's nose by the end of it. A much more defensive style isn't getting him any points with the spectators, but it's been a lot more effective in keeping him from getting clobbered and protecting his ballooning right eye.

Hyer is back in control in the sixth, moving well and scoring from outside with a combination of jabs and straight rights with Poole seemingly unable to do anything about it despite a lot of screaming from his corner. Seems every round now the cut on Hyer's nose gets taken care of before the round, then re-opened during the round and the doctor gets involved only to tell them to fight on. By the ninth, the aging champion was already sitting on the lead, just wanting to prevent Poole, who is not a guy with a significant knockout threat, from getting a lucky shot and reversing the fortunes. And a shocking turn of events when the nose injury is reaggravated, and the doctors' going to stop it here! Hyer's corner protests but to no avail, the Butcher regains the title with a TKO here in the 9th!

6.12 Bill 'The Butcher' Poole vs. Tom Hyer

It was time for the rubber match. In each of the last two fights, one man has controlled the action only to surprisingly and controversially lose. This time there will be no immediate rematch for the loser regardless of the outcome or how unsatisfying it might be. Fans of the Butcher readily note that he's drawn 14 times, far more than any other fighter. If he manages to add to that figure, he'll retain the crown. At least this time both looked really ready to battle.

The early rounds went to Poole, who was cautious but managed to outpoint Hyer by picking his spots well. Hyer had his first solid round in the fourth, a clean start which everyone wanted for the decisive bout. The only issue seems to be Hyer continually using his shoulder during clinches, which he's being warned about multiple times now. A dominant sixth for Hyer looked like it had a chance to change the momentum of what is to this point an extremely even battle. The Butcher responded with a hook upstairs midway through the 7th that made the challenger a lot more hesitant in his approach.

It seems the frustration boiled over in the 8th, a blatant below-the-belt punch by Hyer gets him a warning and could have gotten him a DQ. Later in the round the momentum seemed to shift with Hyer getting more and more punches through. It continued in the 9th as he pounded Poole with a consistent barrage, finally putting him down with about a half-minute left. He was up at 2, but it definitely looks like Hyer has control of this fight now.

A desperate Poole had several big shots in the 11th, but it wasn't enough. He couldn't get anything more going in the final round. There were a lot of very close rounds in this fight, but after the first couple of rounds Hyer had the better of it far more often. The judges would have the final say ... 114-113, 115-112, and 114-113, a very close margin but by unanimous decision the Butcher is deposed again, and Tom Hyer regains the title! A fitting conclusion to a very close series between two old warhorses.

9.18 Tom Hyer vs. John Morrisey

A lot of varied opinions on what to do with the top of the division fights. Morrisey is actually the highest-ranked fighter after an impressive KO of Lilly, but Heenan has won four straight. Lilly was the only quality opponent among them though, and it was decided that he should have one more before getting a title shot. So Morrisey has a chance now to reclaim his spot at the top of the mountain. Two weeks prior, Heenan took on the Butcher and an eighth round knockout eliminated many of his detractors.

Hyer and Morrisey of course hooked up in the first two North American title fights with a draw and then Morrisey taking the second. He won again about a year later, but that was June of 1854 and they haven't fought since then, over three years ago. All three went the distance. Hyer has never beaten Morrisey, but then again few have.

Morrisey was determined to regain his crown at the outset, and had a near-perfect opening round to begin his challenge in dominating style, scoring from inside and outside and avoiding everything Hyer threw at him. By the end of the second, Hyer's right eye was showing signs of swelling. The aging champion finally got on the board with a couple of solid uppercuts in the third, but he couldn't sustain it and by the end of four, his eye continuing to swell, it looked like this fight was all but over already.

The domination continued, and then at the end of the 6th the fighters clashed heads. A bad cut was soon obvious just above Morrisey's right eye, and that's going to end this one right here! It's been ruled a technical draw, and a horrible piece of luck there for Morrisey who was in vintage form, completely dominating. Another twenty seconds and the round would have been over and the scorecards would have come into play with a clear win for him, but as it is Hyer retains the title for now.

12.25 Tom Hyer vs. John C 'The Benicia Boy' Heenan

John Morrisey's people demanded but did not receive a rematch. They have a great case as it was just bad luck, but it's also true that Heenan has earned a shot. Morrisey will be off and await the winner. A great Christmas present here for the youngster, and the 'changing of the guard' narrative got a boost when it was announced that George McChester(16-37-9, 3 KO) is retiring in the leadup to the fight -- the first retiree the circuit has seen though more are expected soon. It's certainly not premature as he's lost seven straight. There were also rumors that Heenan didn't train hard enough ...

Both fighters were staggered by huge blows within the first minute -- perhaps a little too much adrenaline and too little caution. Both stayed on their feet, but not by much. The slugfest continued in the second round, no way this goes the distance if they keep exchanging leather at this ferocity. Beginning in the third, Hyer blinked and adopted a more cautious style, staying away from power shots and picking his spots to counter. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

A big right by the Benicia Boy put the champ on the canvas early in the sixth, he failed to rise at 3 but was up at 8 to beat the count. Good defense avoided much further damage and he survived the round, but it seemed to many a mere delay of the inevitable. Early in the 8th a hook put him down again, and despite a game effort he couldn't get back to his feet. John C Heenan is the new champion, an 8th-round KO here at 1:03! At 22, he seems to have himself quite a bright future.

North American Rankings(Heavyweight)

CH John C 'Benicia Boy' Heenan(USA, 13-5-0, 5 KO)
#1 John Morrisey(USA, 23-4-6, 6 KO)
#2 Tom Hyer(USA, 42-14-9, 6 KO)
#3 Chris Lilly(USA, 23-30-8, 1 KO)
#4 Bill 'The Butcher' Poole(USA, 24-25-14, 2 KO)
#5 George Thompson(USA, 11-15-0, 2 KO)
#6 Tom McCoy(USA, 18-38-5, 5 KO)
NR Mike McCoole(USA, 4-6-0, 1 KO)

European Rankings(Heavyweight)

#1 Jem Mace(ENG, 22-1-6, 3 KO)
#2 Tom Sayers(ENG, 12-10-8, 1 KO)
#3 Sam Hurst(ENG, 11-12-6)
#4 Joe Coburn(IRL, 2-8-6)
#5 Pat McGowan(IRL, 1-14-2, 1 KO)
NR Joe Goss(ENG, 3-2-3)
NR George Seddons(ENG, FW, 0-4-1)

08-27-2014, 11:29 AM	#8
Bryan Swartz Major Leagues Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 457	1857 No new fighters this year. The big news was that after the last two disqualifications, John Morrisey will be sitting out the first round of bouts in an attempt to give him an opportunity to 'reflect' on the status of his career and declining reputation. Before the rematch, an interesting fight between Chris Lilly and 'Benicia Boy' Heenan, both of whom were on a good run, was worthy of attention. The winner would be the most likely choice for the next title shot, and it was a step up in competition for Heenan who has done well against the bottom of the division with a 10-5 mark. In a mild suprise, Heenan scored a sixth-round knockout of the favored veteran and served notice that he is likely to stay near the top of the division for a while. 3.13 Tom Hyer vs. Bill 'The Butcher' Poole Revenge was on the mind of the Butcher, having been literally seconds away from retaining his belts only to see them slip away in the most dramatic finish to date in the annals of the sport. Rumors were that he was crushed by the loss, and his heart wasn't really in training this time around. Within the first 90 seconds of the bout, Hyer was warned for a low blow and not called for a head butt that got some swelling going around the eye of Poole. Dirty or gamesmanship depends on your perspective, but definitely not a clean start to this. Then a devastating hook by Hyer dropped the Butcher with still a minute left in the round, he tried to get up at 4 but failed, finally reaching his feet at 8. It was already looking like this fight might have a quick conclusion. In the third round, a headlock for Poole gets him a warning as Hyer continues to be the busier fighter. A couple of solid rounds for the Butcher in the fourth and fifth, and a cut on Hyer's nose by the end of it. A much more defensive style isn't getting him any points with the spectators, but it's been a lot more effective in keeping him from getting clobbered and protecting his ballooning right eye. Hyer is back in control in the sixth, moving well and scoring from outside with a combination of jabs and straight rights with Poole seemingly unable to do anything about it despite a lot of screaming from his corner. Seems every round now the cut on Hyer's nose gets taken care of before the round, then re-opened during the round and the doctor gets involved only to tell them to fight on. By the ninth, the aging champion was already sitting on the lead, just wanting to prevent Poole, who is not a guy with a significant knockout threat, from getting a lucky shot and reversing the fortunes. And a shocking turn of events when the nose injury is reaggravated, and the doctors' going to stop it here! Hyer's corner protests but to no avail, the Butcher regains the title with a TKO here in the 9th! 6.12 Bill 'The Butcher' Poole vs. Tom Hyer It was time for the rubber match. In each of the last two fights, one man has controlled the action only to surprisingly and controversially lose. This time there will be no immediate rematch for the loser regardless of the outcome or how unsatisfying it might be. Fans of the Butcher readily note that he's drawn 14 times, far more than any other fighter. If he manages to add to that figure, he'll retain the crown. At least this time both looked really ready to battle. The early rounds went to Poole, who was cautious but managed to outpoint Hyer by picking his spots well. Hyer had his first solid round in the fourth, a clean start which everyone wanted for the decisive bout. The only issue seems to be Hyer continually using his shoulder during clinches, which he's being warned about multiple times now. A dominant sixth for Hyer looked like it had a chance to change the momentum of what is to this point an extremely even battle. The Butcher responded with a hook upstairs midway through the 7th that made the challenger a lot more hesitant in his approach. It seems the frustration boiled over in the 8th, a blatant below-the-belt punch by Hyer gets him a warning and could have gotten him a DQ. Later in the round the momentum seemed to shift with Hyer getting more and more punches through. It continued in the 9th as he pounded Poole with a consistent barrage, finally putting him down with about a half-minute left. He was up at 2, but it definitely looks like Hyer has control of this fight now. A desperate Poole had several big shots in the 11th, but it wasn't enough. He couldn't get anything more going in the final round. There were a lot of very close rounds in this fight, but after the first couple of rounds Hyer had the better of it far more often. The judges would have the final say ... 114-113, 115-112, and 114-113, a very close margin but by unanimous decision the Butcher is deposed again, and Tom Hyer regains the title! A fitting conclusion to a very close series between two old warhorses. 9.18 Tom Hyer vs. John Morrisey A lot of varied opinions on what to do with the top of the division fights. Morrisey is actually the highest-ranked fighter after an impressive KO of Lilly, but Heenan has won four straight. Lilly was the only quality opponent among them though, and it was decided that he should have one more before getting a title shot. So Morrisey has a chance now to reclaim his spot at the top of the mountain. Two weeks prior, Heenan took on the Butcher and an eighth round knockout eliminated many of his detractors. Hyer and Morrisey of course hooked up in the first two North American title fights with a draw and then Morrisey taking the second. He won again about a year later, but that was June of 1854 and they haven't fought since then, over three years ago. All three went the distance. Hyer has never beaten Morrisey, but then again few have. Morrisey was determined to regain his crown at the outset, and had a near-perfect opening round to begin his challenge in dominating style, scoring from inside and outside and avoiding everything Hyer threw at him. By the end of the second, Hyer's right eye was showing signs of swelling. The aging champion finally got on the board with a couple of solid uppercuts in the third, but he couldn't sustain it and by the end of four, his eye continuing to swell, it looked like this fight was all but over already. The domination continued, and then at the end of the 6th the fighters clashed heads. A bad cut was soon obvious just above Morrisey's right eye, and that's going to end this one right here! It's been ruled a technical draw, and a horrible piece of luck there for Morrisey who was in vintage form, completely dominating. Another twenty seconds and the round would have been over and the scorecards would have come into play with a clear win for him, but as it is Hyer retains the title for now. 12.25 Tom Hyer vs. John C 'The Benicia Boy' Heenan John Morrisey's people demanded but did not receive a rematch. They have a great case as it was just bad luck, but it's also true that Heenan has earned a shot. Morrisey will be off and await the winner. A great Christmas present here for the youngster, and the 'changing of the guard' narrative got a boost when it was announced that George McChester(16-37-9, 3 KO) is retiring in the leadup to the fight -- the first retiree the circuit has seen though more are expected soon. It's certainly not premature as he's lost seven straight. There were also rumors that Heenan didn't train hard enough ... Both fighters were staggered by huge blows within the first minute -- perhaps a little too much adrenaline and too little caution. Both stayed on their feet, but not by much. The slugfest continued in the second round, no way this goes the distance if they keep exchanging leather at this ferocity. Beginning in the third, Hyer blinked and adopted a more cautious style, staying away from power shots and picking his spots to counter. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. A big right by the Benicia Boy put the champ on the canvas early in the sixth, he failed to rise at 3 but was up at 8 to beat the count. Good defense avoided much further damage and he survived the round, but it seemed to many a mere delay of the inevitable. Early in the 8th a hook put him down again, and despite a game effort he couldn't get back to his feet. John C Heenan is the new champion, an 8th-round KO here at 1:03! At 22, he seems to have himself quite a bright future. North American Rankings(Heavyweight) CH John C 'Benicia Boy' Heenan(USA, 13-5-0, 5 KO) #1 John Morrisey(USA, 23-4-6, 6 KO) #2 Tom Hyer(USA, 42-14-9, 6 KO) #3 Chris Lilly(USA, 23-30-8, 1 KO) #4 Bill 'The Butcher' Poole(USA, 24-25-14, 2 KO) #5 George Thompson(USA, 11-15-0, 2 KO) #6 Tom McCoy(USA, 18-38-5, 5 KO) NR Mike McCoole(USA, 4-6-0, 1 KO) European Rankings(Heavyweight) #1 Jem Mace(ENG, 22-1-6, 3 KO) #2 Tom Sayers(ENG, 12-10-8, 1 KO) #3 Sam Hurst(ENG, 11-12-6) #4 Joe Coburn(IRL, 2-8-6) #5 Pat McGowan(IRL, 1-14-2, 1 KO) NR Joe Goss(ENG, 3-2-3) NR George Seddons(ENG, FW, 0-4-1) Last edited by Bryan Swartz; 08-27-2014 at 11:30 AM.