[JCWeb]

And it's also back to the Champs or Chumps feature, again focusing on the WW division. Here's the list of RL undisputed WW champs versus what has happened so far in my Uni

Paddy Duffy RL: October 1888 Uni: December 1886
Mysterious Billy Smith RL: December 1892 Uni: October 1892
Tommy Ryan RL: July 1894 Uni: December 1889
Rube Ferns RL: Jan. 1900 Uni: June 1902
Matty Matthews RL: Oct. 1900 Uni; Dec. 1898
Joe Walcott RL: Dec. 1901 Uni: Nov. 1897
Dixie Kid RL: Apr. 1904 Uni: Jul. 1905
Honey Mellody RL: Oct. 1906 Uni: Not Yet (still active)
Mike (Twin) Sullivan RL: Apr. 1907 Uni: Not Yet (still active)
Waldemar Holberg RL: Jan. 1914 Uni: Not Yet (still active)
Tom McCormick RL: Jan. 1914 Uni: Not Yet (still active)
Matt Wells RL: Mar. 1914 Uni: Not Yet (still active)
Mike Glover RL: Jan. 1915 Uni: Not Yet (still active)
Jack Britton RL: Jan. 1915 Uni: May 1909
Ted Kid Lewis RL: Aug. 1915 Uni: Nov. 1915

In the early years there was a fairly consistent pattern of the RL champs ascending to the throne in my Uni, usually a bit ahead of their RL schedule. (I attribute this mainly to the fact that I was eager to schedule more frequent World title bouts that happened IRL). Then, more recently, the reverse has occurred -- for example, the dates starting in 1914 listed here are accurate: Waldemar Holberg took the World WW belt on Jan. 1, 1914 and lost it less than a month later to Tom McCormick. Then it was Matt Wells' turn in March of that year, making it three new champs in less than three months! This kind of frequent change of title belts just doesn't happen in my ficitional Uni!! (And very rare in RL as well.)

What has happened is that Britton and Ted Kid Lewis, who were the dominant champs into the 20s, have emerged sooner in the Uni than in IRL while the plethora of kind of "interim" RL champs (guye like Mellody, Sullivan, etc.) did not emerge although they had their chances. Mellody, in particular, has been a big disappointment and, now that he and Sullivan are nearing the tail-end of their careers, a reversal of form is highly unlikely. (Sullivan at least rose to #1 contender status, while Mellody has drifted in and out of the Top 10.) On the other hand, Joe Gans, the great LW champion, did step up in my Uni to hold the WW title belt on two occasions, once when well past his prime late in his career (in RL he fought for the WW belt but did not capture it). Holberg still has a shot but doesn't seem like he will make it to the top -- same is true for Mike Glover. McCormick, who was killed in action in WW I, has already hit his Post-Prime and has been struggling, at best, in my Uni and Matt Wells has likewise had a rocky career so far. Britton and Lewis, as in IRL, are likely to be the dominant performers in the Uni for years to come although once the year-end reports for 1916 are filed, you will note a surprise champion in the Uni who I don't believe even merited a world title shot in real life!!! (And no, I am not talking about Packey McFarland, either.)