Laszlo Papp: The Lost Years

professordp · 10-30-2009, 10:53 PM

The story of Laszlo Papp, the Hungarian middleweight, is known by all who are versed in boxing history. The first boxer to win three Olympic gold medals was in many respects a victim of the Cold War era.

Living under the repressive Hungarian communist regime, Papp's professional boxing career was truncated. After he won his third gold medal in 1956, the Hungarian government allowed Papp to compete professionally in a constrained manner.

At this point he was thirty-one and near the end of his peak period. His fights were limited to contests against European boxers. He did indeed distinguish himself and was in line for a title shot when the Hungarian government essentially ended his freedom travel. He hung up his gloves in 1964 at the age of thirty-eight.

Sadly, Papp never had the opportunity to fight the top middleweights of his era--Sugar Ray Robinson, Gene Fullmer, Carmen Basilio, and Joey Giardello.

This career simulation will begin in the fall of 1952 and deal with what might have been had Papp turned professional five years earlier and was allowed free range to pursue his career without the constraints of a totalitarian government.

I selected this particular point as a result of the near convergence of two important events in the summer of 1952. In June of that year, Robinson lost his bid for the light heavyweight crown to Joey Maxim. He then retired from boxing and didn't return to the ring until the beginning of 1955.

Six weeks later, the Helsinki Olympics concluded, and Papp picked up his second gold medal. With the middlweight title vacant due to Sugar Ray's retirement, this would have been an ideal time for a twenty-six year old Laszlo Papp to enter the professional ranks.

Thus, the simulation will present Papp at his peak. For those who followed my Teofilo Stevenson simulation last year, the approach will be somewhat familiar (at some point, you might even see Skip Bailey!). There's really no point of termination in a specific sense, although there will be several critical crossroads--the first being the return of Ray Robinson in 1955. So I pretty much plan to go with where the results of Papp's fights take me.

I expect to get the sim set up and running in early December but wanted to post this preview before I got too deeply into the project. With both the Stevenson career and my current Partial Eclipse of the Sonny, you have provided me with ideas, insight, and most importantly, inspiration. So expect nothing less from all of you on this project.

This doesn't mean that the Partial Eclipse uni is going on the back burner far from it! I view it as a coninuing boxing soap opera, although it has taken on Wagnerian proportions. I'm in it for a long haul (at least the next two years).

BigBoyBrackey inspired me by demonstrating that you could run a career sim and a broad based uni at the same time and still maintain a hgih quality in both.

Quite frankly, for the past two years, I've been confined pretty much to the heavyweight division with my unis, and shifting to another division is appealing. Also, the Eclipse lumbers along with the end pretty far down the road. A career sim gives me something with a bit more focus and a faster pace.

In a number of respects, I think (at least hope

) that by running two unis concurrently, ultimately they'll feed off of each other.

That said, please let me have you views and suggestions.

Crimson · 10-30-2009, 11:41 PM

This is great! I'm looking forward to following along.

Tosti · 10-31-2009, 06:01 AM

Looking forward to this.

Good subject.

I'm running an all time Flyweight tourney alongside my uni and enjoy both.

professordp · 10-31-2009, 06:15 AM

After actually writing this idea out and posting it above, I began to reflect. Why not do the full monty and start Papp in 1948 after he wins his first gold medal at twenty-two? This would account for all of the "lost years". It would also allow me to incorporate Jake LaMotta, Rocky Graziano, and Dave Sands, among others, as potential opponents.

So 1948 it is!

bear · 10-31-2009, 07:56 AM

This should be cool

Crimson · 10-31-2009, 10:38 AM

Yes! Go full monty!!!! Any chance of Marcel Cerdan NOT getting on that plane in October of 1949?

professordp · 10-31-2009, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crimson

Yes! Go full monty!!!! Any chance of Marcel Cerdan NOT getting on that plane in October of 1949?

Have you been reading my mind????

a87star · 10-31-2009, 11:56 AM

Laszlo Papp has to be the greatest amateur fighter ever. If he was allowed to continue with his pro boxing career......he could have been an ATG.

Thanks for running this uni because i've recently have taken an interest in his career and am trying to learn more about his fighting days.

Crimson · 10-31-2009, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by professordp

Have you been reading my mind????

Wish I could! I've gotten a lot of ideas from reading your posts. The Stevenson universe is still my favorite, with Partial Eclipse of the Sonny a close second and gaining.

Skip Bailey ROCKS!!

professordp · 11-02-2009, 07:14 PM

New York Chronicle
September 3, 1948

City Braces for Hungarian Influx as
Red Boss Tightens Grip

By Arnie Feld

Fleeing the increasingly repressive communist regime of Matyas Rakosi, Hungarians are expected to flock to New York in the thousands during the next few months.

Rakosi, a favorite puppet of USSR tyrant Joseph Stalin, has begun a reign of terror in Hungary which has already resulted in mass killings and jailings of those suspected of being at odds with the communist party line.

Mayor William O'Dwyer announced yesterday that he's been in direct contact with President Harry S. Truman and has been assured by the White House that the city will get priority federal funding to offset local costs to resettle Hungarian immigrants.

New York has the second highest number of Hungarians of any city in the world, ranking second only to Budapest. Most of the city's Hungarian polpulation is concentrated in Manhatten's lower Eastside.

Karoly Koussuth, head of the Hungarian-American Friendship Alliance, said that he will work closely with O'Dwyer's office to ensure that any possible disruption in the wake of the wave of immigrants is minimalize.

Koussuth said that Rakosi has targeted national celebrities and members of the business class for his pogrom.

"Rakosi is a manaical mass murderer who wants to make Hungary over in his own image. Artists, athletes, and actors have already paid a high price. His approach is if they can't be used for communist propaganda purposes, they must be destroyed."

According to Kousseth, over the next six months its estimated that ten thousand Hungarians will turn to the United States for political asylum with many more seeking protection in other parts of the free world.

Below: Hungarian Communist leader Matyas Rakosi's reign of terror will cause thousands to seek political refuge in New York.

professordp · 11-02-2009, 07:19 PM

The above is sort of the kickoff for this uni. I'm moving faster than I had anticipated. I've already stocked the uni with over fifty fighters as possible opponents.

My biggest challenge is to find/create a dozen or so middleweight bottom feeders for Papp to fight as he launches his career during the first two years of the simulation. I'm about halfway there!

bear · 11-02-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by professordp

The above is sort of the kickoff for this uni. I'm moving faster than I had anticipated. I've already stocked the uni with over fifty fighters as possible opponents.

My biggest challenge is to find/create a dozen or so middleweight bottom feeders for Papp to fight as he launches his career during the first two years of the simulation. I'm about halfway there!

Ooh. ooh, more TC's. I can't wait to see these.

JCWeb · 11-02-2009, 10:18 PM

I remember there being a boxing trivia question about who was the only boxer to go undefeated as both an amateur and as a pro. I am thinking Papp may have been that fighter. Am I right?

professordp · 11-02-2009, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCWeb

I remember there being a boxing trivia question about who was the only boxer to go undefeated as both an amateur and as a pro. I am thinking Papp may have been that fighter. Am I right?

I don't know who it is!

Papp lost twelve bouts as an amateur

Piggy Lid · 11-03-2009, 12:09 AM

You might think they would have got this name right...

Piggy Lid · 11-03-2009, 12:18 AM

Papp vs Johnny Wright
1948 Olympic final

Piggy Lid · 11-03-2009, 12:21 AM

Papp-Herrera
1952 Olympic semi

Piggy Lid · 11-03-2009, 12:24 AM

Papp-Jose Torres 1956

professordp · 11-03-2009, 07:59 AM

Piggy, thanks for posting these pics!

professordp · 11-03-2009, 11:49 AM

Washington Press
September 4, 1948

Hungarian Gold Medalist
Defection Confirmed

By Martin Sinclair

The U.S. embassy in London today confirmed recent reports that Hungarian boxer Laszlo Papp has been granted political asylum. Papp, a middleweight, won a gold medal at the London Olympics last month and was rumored to be missing when the games closed two weeks ago.

Papp is among the first wave of Hungarians seeking refuge from the purges recently instituted by Communist leader Matyas Rakosi who has targeted the country's celebraties who have resisted his efforts to use them for propaganda purposes.

According to an embassy spokesman, Papp will fly to New York City within the next few days for processing. Although the spokesman declined comment, sources in the boxing world indicate that Papp will enter the ranks of professional boxing.

New York has the highest concentration of Hungarians in the free world and requires thirty days residency for a boxing license. If Papp does settle there, he could be boxing professionally within six weeks.

Once Papp arrives in New York, it is anticipated that there will be a press conference at which details of his plans will be revealed.

Below: Hungarian middleweight Laszlo Papp (center) during last month's medal ceremony at the London Olympics. Papp was awarded a gold medal and has officially defected to the United States after being granted political asylum.

10-30-2009, 10:53 PM	#1
professordp Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,006	Laszlo Papp: The Lost Years The story of Laszlo Papp, the Hungarian middleweight, is known by all who are versed in boxing history. The first boxer to win three Olympic gold medals was in many respects a victim of the Cold War era. Living under the repressive Hungarian communist regime, Papp's professional boxing career was truncated. After he won his third gold medal in 1956, the Hungarian government allowed Papp to compete professionally in a constrained manner. At this point he was thirty-one and near the end of his peak period. His fights were limited to contests against European boxers. He did indeed distinguish himself and was in line for a title shot when the Hungarian government essentially ended his freedom travel. He hung up his gloves in 1964 at the age of thirty-eight. Sadly, Papp never had the opportunity to fight the top middleweights of his era--Sugar Ray Robinson, Gene Fullmer, Carmen Basilio, and Joey Giardello. This career simulation will begin in the fall of 1952 and deal with what might have been had Papp turned professional five years earlier and was allowed free range to pursue his career without the constraints of a totalitarian government. I selected this particular point as a result of the near convergence of two important events in the summer of 1952. In June of that year, Robinson lost his bid for the light heavyweight crown to Joey Maxim. He then retired from boxing and didn't return to the ring until the beginning of 1955. Six weeks later, the Helsinki Olympics concluded, and Papp picked up his second gold medal. With the middlweight title vacant due to Sugar Ray's retirement, this would have been an ideal time for a twenty-six year old Laszlo Papp to enter the professional ranks. Thus, the simulation will present Papp at his peak. For those who followed my Teofilo Stevenson simulation last year, the approach will be somewhat familiar (at some point, you might even see Skip Bailey!). There's really no point of termination in a specific sense, although there will be several critical crossroads--the first being the return of Ray Robinson in 1955. So I pretty much plan to go with where the results of Papp's fights take me. I expect to get the sim set up and running in early December but wanted to post this preview before I got too deeply into the project. With both the Stevenson career and my current Partial Eclipse of the Sonny, you have provided me with ideas, insight, and most importantly, inspiration. So expect nothing less from all of you on this project. This doesn't mean that the Partial Eclipse uni is going on the back burner far from it! I view it as a coninuing boxing soap opera, although it has taken on Wagnerian proportions. I'm in it for a long haul (at least the next two years). BigBoyBrackey inspired me by demonstrating that you could run a career sim and a broad based uni at the same time and still maintain a hgih quality in both. Quite frankly, for the past two years, I've been confined pretty much to the heavyweight division with my unis, and shifting to another division is appealing. Also, the Eclipse lumbers along with the end pretty far down the road. A career sim gives me something with a bit more focus and a faster pace. In a number of respects, I think (at least hope) that by running two unis concurrently, ultimately they'll feed off of each other. That said, please let me have you views and suggestions. __________________ A Partial Eclipse of the Sonny Laszlo Papp: The Lost Years The Spice O' Life Teofilo Stevenson Pro Simulation

10-31-2009, 06:15 AM	#4
professordp Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,006	A Revision After actually writing this idea out and posting it above, I began to reflect. Why not do the full monty and start Papp in 1948 after he wins his first gold medal at twenty-two? This would account for all of the "lost years". It would also allow me to incorporate Jake LaMotta, Rocky Graziano, and Dave Sands, among others, as potential opponents. So 1948 it is! __________________ A Partial Eclipse of the Sonny Laszlo Papp: The Lost Years The Spice O' Life Teofilo Stevenson Pro Simulation

10-31-2009, 07:56 AM	#5
bear Global Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 18,798	This should be cool __________________ Bear's Unstable UTBA Season Four Gold Conference Central Division Champion First UTBA expansion franchise to win a conference divisional title

10-31-2009, 11:56 AM	#8
a87star Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Staten Island, NY Posts: 4,850	Laszlo Papp has to be the greatest amateur fighter ever. If he was allowed to continue with his pro boxing career......he could have been an ATG. Thanks for running this uni because i've recently have taken an interest in his career and am trying to learn more about his fighting days. __________________ Women Boxing Archive Network Womens International Boxing Association

11-02-2009, 07:14 PM	#10
professordp Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,006	Prologue *New York Chronicle* September 3, 1948 City Braces for Hungarian Influx as Red Boss Tightens Grip By Arnie Feld Fleeing the increasingly repressive communist regime of Matyas Rakosi, Hungarians are expected to flock to New York in the thousands during the next few months. Rakosi, a favorite puppet of USSR tyrant Joseph Stalin, has begun a reign of terror in Hungary which has already resulted in mass killings and jailings of those suspected of being at odds with the communist party line. Mayor William O'Dwyer announced yesterday that he's been in direct contact with President Harry S. Truman and has been assured by the White House that the city will get priority federal funding to offset local costs to resettle Hungarian immigrants. New York has the second highest number of Hungarians of any city in the world, ranking second only to Budapest. Most of the city's Hungarian polpulation is concentrated in Manhatten's lower Eastside. Karoly Koussuth, head of the Hungarian-American Friendship Alliance, said that he will work closely with O'Dwyer's office to ensure that any possible disruption in the wake of the wave of immigrants is minimalize. Koussuth said that Rakosi has targeted national celebrities and members of the business class for his pogrom. "Rakosi is a manaical mass murderer who wants to make Hungary over in his own image. Artists, athletes, and actors have already paid a high price. His approach is if they can't be used for communist propaganda purposes, they must be destroyed." According to Kousseth, over the next six months its estimated that ten thousand Hungarians will turn to the United States for political asylum with many more seeking protection in other parts of the free world. Below: Hungarian Communist leader Matyas Rakosi's reign of terror will cause thousands to seek political refuge in New York. Attached Images __________________ A Partial Eclipse of the Sonny Laszlo Papp: The Lost Years The Spice O' Life Teofilo Stevenson Pro Simulation

10-30-2009, 11:41 PM	#2
Crimson All Star Reserve Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 996	This is great! I'm looking forward to following along.

10-31-2009, 06:01 AM	#3
Tosti Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: London Posts: 6,729	Looking forward to this. Good subject. I'm running an all time Flyweight tourney alongside my uni and enjoy both.

10-31-2009, 10:38 AM	#6
Crimson All Star Reserve Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 996	Yes! Go full monty!!!! Any chance of Marcel Cerdan NOT getting on that plane in October of 1949?

11-02-2009, 07:19 PM	#11
professordp Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,006	The above is sort of the kickoff for this uni. I'm moving faster than I had anticipated. I've already stocked the uni with over fifty fighters as possible opponents. My biggest challenge is to find/create a dozen or so middleweight bottom feeders for Papp to fight as he launches his career during the first two years of the simulation. I'm about halfway there! __________________ A Partial Eclipse of the Sonny Laszlo Papp: The Lost Years The Spice O' Life Teofilo Stevenson Pro Simulation

11-02-2009, 10:18 PM	#13
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,042	Question I remember there being a boxing trivia question about who was the only boxer to go undefeated as both an amateur and as a pro. I am thinking Papp may have been that fighter. Am I right?

11-03-2009, 12:09 AM	#15
Piggy Lid All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: West Wales, UK Posts: 505	You might think they would have got this name right... Attached Images __________________ "To win just once against the odds And once be smiled on by the Gods To race with speed along the track Break the tape and not look back To never have considered losing As if to win is by your choosing Bare your soul for all to find An honest heart and an open mind"

11-03-2009, 12:18 AM	#16
Piggy Lid All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: West Wales, UK Posts: 505	Papp vs Johnny Wright 1948 Olympic final Attached Images __________________ "To win just once against the odds And once be smiled on by the Gods To race with speed along the track Break the tape and not look back To never have considered losing As if to win is by your choosing Bare your soul for all to find An honest heart and an open mind"

11-03-2009, 12:21 AM	#17
Piggy Lid All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: West Wales, UK Posts: 505	Papp-Herrera 1952 Olympic semi Attached Images __________________ "To win just once against the odds And once be smiled on by the Gods To race with speed along the track Break the tape and not look back To never have considered losing As if to win is by your choosing Bare your soul for all to find An honest heart and an open mind"

11-03-2009, 12:24 AM	#18
Piggy Lid All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: West Wales, UK Posts: 505	Papp-Jose Torres 1956 Attached Images __________________ "To win just once against the odds And once be smiled on by the Gods To race with speed along the track Break the tape and not look back To never have considered losing As if to win is by your choosing Bare your soul for all to find An honest heart and an open mind"

11-03-2009, 07:59 AM	#19
professordp Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,006	Piggy, thanks for posting these pics! __________________ A Partial Eclipse of the Sonny Laszlo Papp: The Lost Years The Spice O' Life Teofilo Stevenson Pro Simulation

11-03-2009, 11:49 AM	#20
professordp Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,006	*Washington Press* September 4, 1948 Hungarian Gold Medalist Defection Confirmed By Martin Sinclair The U.S. embassy in London today confirmed recent reports that Hungarian boxer Laszlo Papp has been granted political asylum. Papp, a middleweight, won a gold medal at the London Olympics last month and was rumored to be missing when the games closed two weeks ago. Papp is among the first wave of Hungarians seeking refuge from the purges recently instituted by Communist leader Matyas Rakosi who has targeted the country's celebraties who have resisted his efforts to use them for propaganda purposes. According to an embassy spokesman, Papp will fly to New York City within the next few days for processing. Although the spokesman declined comment, sources in the boxing world indicate that Papp will enter the ranks of professional boxing. New York has the highest concentration of Hungarians in the free world and requires thirty days residency for a boxing license. If Papp does settle there, he could be boxing professionally within six weeks. Once Papp arrives in New York, it is anticipated that there will be a press conference at which details of his plans will be revealed. Below: Hungarian middleweight Laszlo Papp (center) during last month's medal ceremony at the London Olympics. Papp was awarded a gold medal and has officially defected to the United States after being granted political asylum. Attached Images __________________ A Partial Eclipse of the Sonny Laszlo Papp: The Lost Years The Spice O' Life Teofilo Stevenson Pro Simulation Last edited by professordp; 11-03-2009 at 12:36 PM.