[professordp]

When I first started following boxing as a preteen back in the late 1950s, Floyd Patterson held the heavyweight crown, but Sonny Liston was the dominant force. Even back then, you knew that once Floyd stopped fighting guys like Rademacher, London, and McNeeley and faced Liston, the Bear was going to walk away with the crown.

Given the protective instincts of Cus D'Amato and the promotional battles of the era, guys like Henry Cooper, Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams, and Eddie Machen never got a shot at the Patterson. And with the exception of Cooper, they were also unable to prevail against Liston.

So this new simulation is what you might call a "what if" endeavor. What if Patteson was compelled to fight the top contenders? What if Liston wasn't on the scene? Could Floyd hold on to his title or would the heavyweight division be a replay of the pre-Joe Lous days in the 1930s?

Without exaggeration, this is something that I've thought about for nearly fifty years. So what better way to resolve my questions than to run my own simulation.

Here are two major changes to the reality of that period. The simulation begins January 1, 1957 and ends September 25, 1962 (when Liston takes the title from Patterson).

1) An all-powerful boxing organization, the Universal Boxing Organization (UBO), has been formed and mandates that all titles must be defended at least four times a year. Moroever, at least once a year, the top contender must get a title shot. All other defenses must be against boxers ranked among the top five in the world. A draw results in a vacant title.

2) Liston was inactive during 1957 as the result of being convicted for assaulting a police officer which put him behind bars for nine months. I'm changing the situation. In the sim, Sonny went before a real hanging judge and was sentenced to five years. So he's out of circulation until the start of 1962.

I'm including roughly fifty heavyweights from the period, and the simulation will be blended with real events. That's to say some of the non-championship fights will be simulated while actual results will also shape events. For my point of departure, I'll be using the 1957 rankings in The Ring but will be making the needed adjustments as I progress through the simulation.

There's the potential (not necessarily the promise) of a few surprises. First, Marciano could make a comeback! At the start of the simualtion, he'd be thirty-three, past his prime, and possessing a coating of ring rust.

Second, there's this brash 1960 Olympic gold medalist from Louisville named Cassius Clay. He'd be at the tailend of the simulation, but depending on how things play out, he might be fighting for the title two years earlier than he did in reality.

We might even see a Clay-Marciano match! Cassisus fighting pre-prime and Rocky entering the ring post-prime.

Once again these are possibilities--not promises!

Finally, I'm bring back our pal from the Teophilo Stevenson simulation, Skip Bailey, to give us an accounting of what will be taking place. Skip is twenty years younger and is writing for World Boxing Review.

I hope to get this up and running in a week or so. But before I do, I'd like to see your comments/suggestions.

Please feel free to share your thoughts!!!!