My scenario* is: 'What if Rocky Balboa had come along in the era of some historical heavyweight, peaking at the same time as his rival, in a fighting form and with experience analogous to (i.e., in proportion to the developmental opportunities of the era) the form he showed in 'Rocky IV'?'
I will prognosticate outcomes: 1 ) 'stops', stoppage by knockout or technical knockout, with numbers following indicating in which rounds I'm predicting the stopage; 2) 'wide decision'; 3) 'close decision; 4) 'draw'.
For stopages or decisions, the first boxer named -- who's name will appear in CAPS -- is my predicted winner, e.g. 'BALBOA Close Decision Tunney' means 'Balboa takes a close decision over Gene Tunney'.
I will preceed my various predictions by '1', '2' or '3', to indicate the relative likelihood I ascribe to those outcomes, '1' being the most likely. e.g., 1 - BALBO Stops 15-20 Jeffries; 2 - JEFFRIES Close Decision Balboa; 3- JEFFRIES St 22-25 Balboa, would mean I regard Balboa stopping Jeffries in the 15th to 25th round as the most likely outcome, Jeffries closely decisioning Balboa as next most likely, and Jeffries stopping Balboa in the 22nd to 25th rounds as less likely yet (but not necessarily improbable).
I may deem some outcomes as equally probable, in which case I will suffix a '-T' for 'tie'.
NOTE: I am also proportioning Rocky' abilities from 'Hollywood-sized' (especially, 'Sequel-sized!') down to 'Realistic Sized;' so Rocky Balboa, for our purposes, is very, very 'real heavyweight' durable, and hits quite 'real heavyweight' hard; he's not exactly the same as -- but is analogous to -- what he is in the films.
* -- If my scenario had been, rather, that Balboa were 'time machin'ed' from his own era to his opponents, or vice-versa, then I would predict more success for Balboa against the older (especially pre-WWI) boxers.
__________________
I will be considering Rocky Balboa in competition with (in reverse chronological order): Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Gene Tunney, Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, James J Jeffries, and John L Sullivan.
Also worthy of consideration: Peter Jackson, James Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, Sam Langford, Harry Wills, Max Schmeling, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Riddick Bowe, Vitali Klitschko, Wladmir Klitschko.
__________________
ALL COMMENTS WELCOMED!
====================================
vs. Lennox Lewis (12 Rounds)
1 BALBOA Stops 6-12 Lewis
2 LEWIS Wide Decision over Balboa
3-T LEWIS Close Decision Balboa
3-T BALBOA Stops 1-5 Lewis
3-T Draw
vs. Evander Holyfield (12 Rounds)
1 BALBOA Close Decision Holyfield
2 Draw
3-T BALBOA Stops 9-12 Holyfield
3-T HOLYFIELD Close Decision Balboa
vs. Mike Tyson (12 rounds) .
1-T BALBOA Stops 9-12 Tyson
1-T TYSON Stops 2-5 Balboa
vs. Larry Holmes (15 rounds)
1-T BALBOA Stops 13-15 Holmes
1-T HOLMES Close Decision Balboa
1-T Draw
vs. George Foreman (15 rounds).
1-T BALBOA Stops 8-15 Foreman
1-T FOREMAN Stops 1-5 Balboa
vs. Joe Frazier (15 rounds)
1-T Draw
1-T FRAZIER Close Decision Balboa
1-T BALBOA Stops 11-15 Frazier
vs. Muhammad Ali (15 rounds)
1 ALI Close Decision Balboa
2- Draw
3-T BALBOA Close Decision Ali
3-T BALBOA Stops 13-15 Ali
3-T ALI Wide Decision Balboa
vs. Sonny Liston (15 rounds) .
1 BALBOA Stops 8-15 Liston
2 LISTON Wide Decision Balboa
3 LISTON Stops 3-5 Balboa
vs. Rocky Marciano (15 rounds)
1-T Draw
1-T MARCIANO Close Decision Balboa
3-T MARCIANO Stops 13-15 Balboa
3-T BALBOA Stops 13-15 Marciano
vs. Joe Louis (15 rounds)
1-T LOUIS Stops 9-12 Balboa
1-T BALBOA Stops 9-15 Louis
3 LOUIS Wide Decision Balboa
vs. Gene Tunney (15 rounds)
1-T TUNNEY Close Decision Balboa
1-T BALBOA Stops 11-15 Tunney
3-T Draw
3-T TUNNEY Wide Decision Balboa
vs. Jack Dempsey (15 rounds)
1 DEMPSEY Close Decision Balboa
2 BALBOA Stops 12-15 Dempsey
3-T Draw
3-T BALBOA Close Decision Dempsey
3-T DEMPSEY Stops 3-4 Balboa
vs. Jack Johnson (20 rounds)
1 BALBOA Stops 17-20 Johnson
2 JOHNSON Close Decision Balboa
3-T Draw
3-T BALBOA Close Decision Johnson
vs. James J. Jeffries (25 rounds)
1 Draw
2 JEFFRIES Close Decision Balboa
3 BALBOA Stops 23-25 Jeffries
vs. John L. Sullivan (Fight to the Finish)
1-T SULLIVAN Stops 8-12 Balboa
1-T BALBOA Stops 21-25 Sullivan
3 SULLIVAN Stops 3-5 Balboa
Edited by guilalah, 28 February 2012 - 11:05 PM.
