The Greatest

[Tosti]

I tried to get this off the ground last year but lost a lot of stuff from my PC, so here goes again!

The idea is to run a tournament style uni in each of the weight classes to determine the 'best' in each division. I'm not to sure how the tournament will play out in the latter stages but to begin with I'm going to run it on knockout basis with those fighters that lose getting a second chance.

There are over 20,700 individual entrants with many of the top guys having multiple weight entries.

Heavyweights make up 3,700 of the entrants. For the last week I've been autoscheduling them and cherry picking a few of the more interesting match ups to sim on their own.

As you would expect, there has been a few turn ups with defeats for Willie Pastrano, Steve Hamas, Oscar Bonavena, Jess Willard, James Toney and Felix Savon being the most notable. They will all get a second chance.

There was few decent matchups that I decided to watch, first Rocky Marciano takes on Roland LaStarza...

[Tosti]

Madison Square Garden

Rocky Marciano TKO 9 Roland LaStarza

Marciano tore into LaStarza from the opening bell. He found him surprisingly easy to hit and decked him seven times before referee Hazzard call an end to the shellacking.

The pair met twice in 'real life' with Marciano winning both, one by split decision and one by 11th round TKO, the latter was voted 1953 Ring Fight Of The Year.

Rocky Marciano vs Roland LaStarza II - Sept. 24, 1953 - Part 1 - Round 1 - 3 - YouTube

Next up..... Joe Bygraves faces Sonny Liston

[Lee]

Willard done already, who knocked him off?

[Tosti]

Originally Posted by Lee

Willard done already, who knocked him off?

Hi

Got stopped on cuts by Doug Kornelson

He'll get another chance in the repechage

[Lee]

Ugh, he with a 5-3-1 (1) career record, poor Jess.

[Tosti]

Sonny Liston TKO1 Joe Bygraves

Bygraves tried to trade with Liston from the outset, it was a big mistake, 'The Bear' hammered his opponent and although Bygraves didnt hit the canvas referee Clayton had seen too much and waived it over with ten seconds left in the opener.

Next up Billy Conn Versus Eddie Blunt........

[Tosti]

Billy Conn UD10 Eddie Blunt

Conn didn't put a foot wrong in this one sided pug lesson. When Blunt did get on the front foot Conn countered superbly, he won every round.

Next up John C Heenan versus Renaldo Snipes

[Tosti]

John C Heenan KO5 Renaldo Snipes

Heenan gave Snipes a bit of a pasting, 'The Benicia Boy' made most of the running and decked Snipes with a right cross at the start of the fifth round, Snipes got up but Heenan ripped into him and landed heavy blows at will. A big right cross just before the bell was too much for Snipes and he was counted out.

Up next Sugar Ray Robinson at Heavy versus Ezzard Charles............

[Tosti]

Ezzard Charles KO2 Sugar Ray Robinson

Sugar Ray is going to find it tough in this division.

He couldn't take the raw power of Charles.

Arguably the greatest pound for pound fighter, Sugar Ray had already got off the canvas in the first round before walking into a fight ending right cross.

Next up...... Primo Carnera versus Tony Galento

[Tosti]

Primo Carnera TKO 2 Tony Galento

Tough luck on Galento!

'Two Ton' was undone by his old nemesis scar tissue. Although he dominated the opening round he went back to his stool with blood pouring out of a gash over his left eye. The corner managed to stem the tide but Carnera caught him with a right cross halfway through the second, the claret poured once more and the ringside doc had seen enough.

The 'Ambling Alp' moves on whilst Galento goes into the repechage.

Next up........... Buster Mathis versus Joe Frazier

[Tosti]

Joe Frazier KO7 Buster Mathis

Mathis was left on the canvas after a vicious display from 'Smokin Joe'.

Frazier swarmed all over Mathis from the opening bell, although he was unable to deck him until the knockout Mathis was running on empty ten minutes into the fight.

Next up....... John Ruiz versus Bob Fitsimmons

[Lee]

Go Fitz!!

[Tosti]

Bob Fitzsimmons UD10 John Ruiz

Fitz had to weather an excellent fight back from Ruiz.

After being floored by a right cross from Cornish Bob in the second round the writing seemed to be on the wall for Ruiz.

Fitzsimmons won the first five rounds and appeared to have an unassailable lead but the American fought back and put himself back in with a chance of victory when he evened the knockdown tally in the ninth round.

Fitzsimmons boxed superbly in the last stanza, drawing his opponent in and countering superbly.

Ruiz goes into the repechage.

The last fight of the round sees Tyrell Biggs travel to London to take on Frank Bruno

[Tosti]

Tyrell Biggs KO9 Frank Bruno

The London fans were left distraught after 'Big Franks' stamina and chin gave out on him.

The first half of the fight was an even affair with Biggs throwing most of the leather but Bruno's punches packed the power.

From round 6 onwards Bruno's stamina gave way whilst Biggs picked up the pace and landed a fuselage of punches.

Bruno knew he was behind on the cards and came out swinging in the ninth, however it was Biggs who landed the telling blows. Bruno was decked halfway through the round and by the time he got to his feet Biggs lined up another right cross which ended the fight.

Bruno needs to bounce back in the repechage.

[Tosti]

Some of the 'Big Guns' that have to prove themselves in the Repechage, they can afford no more losses!!

[Tosti]

The repechage bouts have been and gone.

Willie Pastrano
Dominick Guinn
Art Lasky and
O'Neill Bell

All lost twice and have been eliminated.

[Tosti]

Harry Wills TKO8 Tommy Gibbons

The first big fight of the round caused somewhat of an upset.

Wills dominated the fight, outscoring Gibbons from the opening bell. He found Gibbons a surprisingly easy target to hit, both to head and body.

Gibbons rallied in the seventh when he caught Wills with a number of right hands.

Both came out swinging in the eighth but a right cross put Gibbons out on his feet, Wills smelt blood and poured on the pressure connecting with everything he threw, with twenty seconds left in the round referee Steele had seen enough and stopped the bout.

Wills moves on, Gibbons goes into the repechage.

[Tosti]

Joey Maxim TKO8 (cuts) Dave Sands

Maixm got out of jail!

Sands had Maxim on the canvas twice and had a clear advantage on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage.

Maxim had cut Sands in the fifth round, he used his jab to reopen the cut before the ringside doctor called it over.

Sands to the repechage.

[Tosti]

Joe Walcott KO10 Matt Skelton

Skelton lasted until the dying seconds of the bout.

The Englishman had got off the deck four times before he finally succumbed to the power of 'The Barbados Demon'.

Skelton fought bravely and had his moments but was esentially outclassed.

He'll get another chance in the repechage