[Lee]

I am dying to do a new dynasty with 2.5 so I am putting RCB 2K7 on the shelf for a bit to start a historical dynasty. The format will more of an annual summary type to allow things to move a bit quicker and will not be traditional in terms of a World Championship. In this universe that honor will only be given out once a year. The Universe will include only fighters from the online database and 9000 RFG tomato cans (0’s and 1’s) with RL fighters debuting when they actually began in RL. Aging is set as follows.
Beg 4-8
Pre 8-14
Prime 18-80
Post 6-12
End 2-6

Fighters that fall 15 fights under .500 will automatically moved to post to get them out quicker. I am generating a history beginning in 1875 to when the universe starts at the beginning of 1885. And with that here is the………

Back story

June 23rd 1884
Gathered at a Hotel in New York City, a group of animated men engage in spirited exchanges over snifters of Brandy in a smoke filled parlor. Upon first glance this group would appear no different than any gathering of Manhattan power mongers. But this group is different….They are about to change the landscape of the most maligned sport in the world.

Boxing or pugilism has been around since the time of the ancient Greeks. As it exists today, it is a sport under fire. For most of the 19th century it was a sport of betting men and ruffians. Matches held at remote locations to avoid the eyes of the law were brutal affairs, with no gloves and few rules. Rounds could last for thirty seconds or thirty minutes as time was only called when one fighter went to the ground, by punch, push or throw. It was a spectacle that left Men maimed and it’s participants under constant persecution by those in the civilized elements of society. In 1867 the 9th Marquess of Queensbury had published his dictum which eliminated many of the barbaric tactics in place since Jack Broughton drafted the first the London prize ring rules in 1743.

The new rules abolished wrestling, set three minute time limits on rounds and gave combatants ten seconds to return to scratch if knocked down in the course of a round. The rules were a step towards consistency and acceptance, but it was not until 1875 that they were practiced universally and the reason for their acceptance had more to do with money than civility. Shrewd promoters realized that their Fighters would last far longer in the ring under the new rules that capped the lengths of bouts at 15 rounds. The rules also insured Boxers did not take the obscene amounts of punishment that were often doled out in a match lasting 60, 70 or 80 plus rounds over several hours. There were even some matches that were fought using mufflers or gloves, which cushioned the blows and were even deemed suitable for viewing by the fairer sex.

The changes had caused a surge in both popularity and participation, with additional weight classes being added to further separate fighters beyond the long held traditional classifications of only lightweight and heavyweight. It was a sport on the rise, yet still a sport very much in trouble. The lure of money always brings an unsavory element and all across the world those looking to make an easy score encouraged wild eyed lads that had the “look” to engage in fights with the promise of fortune and fame. They pointed to renowned Pugilists like Yankee Sullivan who had engaged in over 40 bouts, an astonishing total, and was known the world over. The results brought on by the words of these hucksters were predictable. 1884 was but halfway passed, yet already there had been 12 documented deaths, mostly in the USA and Britain as a result of boxing matches. Young men poorly trained and with no business being in the ring were being led to slaughter and people were taking notice. Calls for the abolishment of the sport were at a crescendo and it was because of this, that this meeting took place.

The men assembled in this room were amongst the most powerful in the sport…Lord Chilton, the Earl of Lonsdale and members of the national sporting club represented Great Britain. From the United States powerful New York City promoter Bill “The Butcher” Cutting, Richard Fox of the National Police Gazette and secretary of the Senate Anson McCook were present. There were also participants from Australia, France and the Orient. There was much to discuss and the decisions made in this room would either pull boxing off the deck, or doom it to extinction……..

To be continued.