[bigMatt]

BONNER SPRINGS, KS - Out of the ashes of the recently defunct UoLBA, I am proud to announce today the formation of the Phoenix Boxing Federation (PBF).

The PBF begins in the year 1890, and is open to heavyweights only in its inaugural season. The PBF will add a Middleweight division in 1891, a Lightweight division in 1892, and various other divisions in subsequent years, at the discretion of the governing committee.

The PBF will feel very familiar to fans of the UoLBA, in that the ruleset, timelining and matchmaking mechanisms vary only slightly from its predecessor. Outlined below are the details of this new universe.

INTRO
All HW fighters are eligible, whether retired or active. Every fighter that could be found was collected from the 4 corners of the internet - specifically from within the initial game database, Cornerworks and OOTP sites.

Fighters have been timelined, beginning with the year 1890. A Fighter has a 50% chance of starting his career in the year he historically began (pre-1890 fighters rounded up to 1890, post 2000 rounded down to 2000). Each fighter has a 50% chance of starting his career in a different year, randomized from 1890-2000.

This is done in a spreadsheet filtered with only the present year visible.

- Fighters are hidden from view until the beginning of a PBF year. For example, if Joe Louis has been "time machined" to 1974 using the spreadsheet randomizer, he will not be visible until after all fighters are completed in December of 1973. This dimension is critical to the excitement and anticipation of the PBF.

Fighters enter the league in January of the designated year. Each newly-added fighter is in the BEGINNING phase of his career when he enters, and completes 12 fights against tomato cans prior to the beginning of the PBF fight season. (These initial fights are considered as being completed some time prior to PBF league entry. Consequently, a new fighter starts fresh in the league with the 12 fight record he compiled, but no residual delays from previous fight results). The TBCB aging system will be used to regulate each players career, with the following formula in place:

BEGINNING: 5-8
PRE-PRIME: 9-17
PRIME: 10-28
POST-PRIME: 10-18
END: 10-15

In this, the inaugural year of the PBF, 70 heavyweight fighters from around the globe have successfully gained membership, all eager to climb their way to the top of the PBF universe.


SCHEDULING AND ACTIVITY
In the first year, three main fight cards will be scheduled per month. If more than 18 fights are required in a given month, a 4th venue will be selected. If less than 18 fights are scheduled, then fight cards will be adjusted accordingly. If there are an odd number of fighters called on to fight, an additional fighter will be randomly selected to fill the card. If there still remains an odd number of fights, tomato can fighters will be randomly selected to fill the card.

Each month, boxers are checked for availability. The chance that they fight is based on the TB Conditioning rating as follows:

1 (Near Perfect) 70%
2 (Well Conditioned) 70%
3 (Borderline Condition) 60%
4 (Weight Problems) 60%
5 (Party Animal) 60%
6 (Aging Inconsistent Vet) 50%
7 (Inactive) 40%
8 (Fights too Frequently) 80%
9 (Headcase) 70%
10 (Malcontent) 65%
11 (Physical and Mental Problems) 50%
12 (Seldom if Ever Trains) 70%

Activity in the previous month also impacts fighter availability:
Fought last month – minus 25% from above
Fought last two months in a row – minus 50% from above
Fought last three months in a row – cannot fight (mandatory time off)

Additional Adjustments based on damage suffered in previous fight:

1 cut – month off
1 knockdown – month off
2 cuts last fight –month off, 20% off following month chance
2 knockdowns – month off, 30% off following month chance
1 knockout – 1 month off, 50% off second month chance
1 tko – 2 months off

Adjustments based on inactivity (not due to injury,KD,TKO, KO or mandatory time off):
Inactive 1 month – increase chance by 10%
Inactive 2 months – increase chance by 25%
Inactive 3 months – increase chance by 50%
Inactive 4 months – increase chance by 100%
Inactive 5 months - must fight

MATCHMAKING / DESIRABILITY

After determining availability, all fighters deemed available are given a matchmaking value based on the following formula. The resulting number is a fighter’s desireability factor. This number must be at least 1.

Draw Power, 2 points for each point.

Current Ranking, Champ is 25, Ranks 2-20 get inverse points (2 gets 19, 3 gets 18, etc.)

1 Point for every win over .500 – max 20.

10 additional points if fighter is undefeated.

Points are totaled. Each player gets a roll value based on his desirability factor divided by the total matchmaking points for all fighters in that month. So in other words, if John Dwyer is active with a desirability factor of 40, and the combined total is 400, John Dwyer would be assigned 10 of the total rolls available on a scale of 100, or 10% of the total fight possibilities.

A fight card spreadsheet is created for the given fight month. 18 sets of cells are set up with a formula to display random numbers between 1-100. These numbers correlate to the numbers that are assigned to the available fighters. So, as in the example above, John Dwyer has a number between 1 and 10, and the random number is 6, Dwyer is the fighter assigned to the fight. After the 18 bouts are preliminarily assigned, each fighter with multiple pairings chooses his preferred fight. This happens only if he is the more desirable fighter in that match. If not, he will not have this choice. As slots open from this selection process, new random numbers will be generated to fill them. This continues until all matches for that month are full. This continues until all fighters are scheduled.


VENUES
Venues will be at random, based on what is selected each month by the TBCB game. Historical only venues will be used until 1960, after which the PBF will switch to Current venues.


RANKINGS and DETERMINING THE CHAMPION
The PBF will rely on Title Bout game to assign rankings.

The month of June of 1890 will be devoted to a 16 man tourney to determine initial world champion. This tourney will be comprised of fighters ranked 1-16 in the game. By this time, each fighter will have completed a 12-fight early phase against tomato cans, and will have approximately 15 total fights under his belt.

Once a champ, a fighters likelihood of fighting is diminished by 1/2 while he remains champion. From this point on, any fight assigned to the champ is considered a title fight. The champ must fight at least 3 title bouts in a 12 month period. All bouts must be against top-ten ranked fighters; one bout must be against a top-five opponent, and one fight is a mandatory match against the #1 challenger. The champ can schedule any fights in any order, but if he does not meet the #1 challenger within this 12 month period, his belt is forfeited, and the #1 challenger is crowned by default.

MISCELLANEOUS

The Lee Skye Random Events schedule is part of the PBF to provide additional intrigue to the universe.

[Romdawg88]

Good stuff, nice to see that your back up and running. Look forward to see who's going to make up the inital class of fighters for the PBF.

[bigMatt]

January 1890, brings the inaugural month of the Phoenix Boxing Federation (PBF). 70 heavyweight fighters from around the globe have successfully gained membership, all eager to climb their way to the top of the UoLBA universe.

The PBF has announced that the month of June will be devoted to a 16 man tournament comprised of the fighters deemed by the UoLBA to be the top 16 in the world. This tourney will determine the world's first heavyweight champion.

The quality of the incoming class of 1890 is stellar, unlikely to be surpassed in any subsequent season. The depth of the division promises intrigue right from the start, with early favorites likely to be among these young hopefuls:

John J. Dwyer - A stalwart of the now-defunct UoLBA, Dwyer held the UoLBA title for almost two years, reliniquishing the belt in a close decision to Peter Jackson just prior to the league's demise. Dwyer's combination of power and prowess promises a challenge to all comers. He must be considered one of the favorites going in.

"Gentleman" Jim Corbett - Known around the world for his superior command of the pugilistic arts, Corbett brings to the PBA a skill rarely seen in the sport. He will no doubt confound many unfortunate victims during his career in the PBA.

Thomas Sayers - A brawler from England, Sayers represents pain with every punch.

Muhammad Ali - The quintessential ring technician, Ali is the early favorite to capture the PBF crown.

Dominic McCaffrey - Another top draftee from the UoLBA, McCaffrey enjoyed an impressive stay in the top 10 during his short stay in the league.

Teofilo Stevenson - The talented Cuban comes into the league as a feared opponent, capable of diminishing anyone within the PBF.

Other notable Heavyweights entering the PBF in 1890: Frank Slavin, Joe Choynski, Jimmy Elliot, Joe Goss, James Figg, George "Old Chocolate" Godfrey, and Tommy Chandler.

[mh2365]

welcome back Matt

[Romdawg88]

Hm, I've got a feeling that Dwyer ain't going to hold the PBF belt anytime soon. Damn, can't believe that Ali ended up in the opening group it'll be fun watching him run though the rest of the field.

[bigMatt]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Damn, can't believe that Ali ended up in the opening group it'll be fun watching him run though the rest of the field.

Yeah, I almost re-randomized when I saw that, but then what would be the point of the random generator... it will be fun to see. Ali is the cream no doubt but there is enough quality there for some potential upsets.

[bigMatt]

Originally Posted by mh2365

welcome back Matt

Thanks Mike - and thanks for your help and support getting things going again.

[bigMatt]

It is not John J. Dwyer who enters the PBF in 1890. It is the much less impressive Dan Dwyer...

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by bigMatt

It is not John J. Dwyer who enters the PBF in 1890. It is the much less impressive Dan Dwyer...

Ah, well one less possible challenge for Ali. Also please boxing and spreadsheet randomizer gods let Jackson and Heenen be active at the same as Dwyer as those three still got abit of stuff to work between them.

[Gunsmoke]

Good to see you get straight back in the saddle Matt... just remember backups are your friend.

[bigMatt]

Originally Posted by Gunsmoke

Good to see you get straight back in the saddle Matt... just remember backups are your friend.

Thanks Mark. I was considering calling my new league the "Phoenix Backup Federation" based on the federation's renewed commitment to the backup!

[bigMatt]

BONNER SPRINGS - Two undefeateds headline the month, as Muhammad Ali 12-0-0 (3), considered the top boxer in the newly-formed PBF, meets tough slugger Joe Goss 12-0-0 (1). Ali had his choice of several opponents, but selected the toughest of the bunch to begin his career in the federation. In a recent press conference, Ali made this prediction, in lyrical form:

"This week I suit up against the mighty Joe Goss,
who in the fight ring might just think he's the boss
But beat him I will - and you better not be late
He'll be down for the count by the end of round 8."

When asked about his opponent's brash prediction, Goss laughed and stated, "Let the man talk. We'll see what he's made of when I get him in the ring."

An intriguing undercard match pits fellow Irishmen Jimmy Elliot 11-1-0 (3) against Dan Donnelly 10-1-1 (2). As fans of the UoLBA may recall, the last time these two faced each other was the month leading up to the UoLBA tourney, with both vying for a ticket in. A 4th round DQ for repeated low blows sunk Elliot's chances, and propelled Donnelly into the tourney.

In the second of two fight cards scheduled for January, Joe Choynski 10-1-1 (3) suits up against Tom Allen 10-2-0 (2) in another interesting Main Event. Both fighters begin their career's in the PBF's preliminary top 20, Choynski at #10 and Allen at #20.

[bigMatt]

DETROIT - A capacity crowd tonight witnessed a display of incredible boxing this evening, as Muhammad Ali literally ran circles around an overmatched Joe Goss en route to a unanimous decision victory in tonight's Main Event. The only drama was whether Ali would vanquish his foe before 8 frames were in the book, as he had predicted earlier in the week. It appeared he was en route to such a result, dumping Goss to the canvas in round 7, with Goss clearly in trouble throughout rounds 7 and 8. But Goss hung tough, and while he never truly had Ali in any trouble at any point tonight, he did earn a measure of respect from the appreciative crowd for making it to the end of the contest. Ali made a strong statement tonight that he will be an extremely difficult foe for any unfortunate opponent in the PBF.

On tonight's undercard, Jimmy Elliot had little trouble dispatching Dan Donnelly in 10 rounds of action, winning nearly every round on each judge's card in a fight devoid of shenanigans. Perhaps Elliot has learned that he needn't resort to low blows to achieve the results he desires. In a preliminary bout, Tommy Chandler knocked the monkey from his back by stopping Morris Grant in a 6 round TKO. Fans of the UoLBA will remember that it was Grant who toppled Chandler from the top 10 with a shocking display of superior power that ultimately sent Chandler to KO-land. The fight tonight, however, was never in doubt, as Chandler took Grant to the woodshed the entire match.

Here are complete results from Detroit's Arena Gardens:

January 12, 1890
HW: Muhammad Ali 12-0-0 (3) UD12 Joe Goss 12-0-0 (1)
HW: Jimmy Elliot 11-1-0 (3) UD10 Dan Donnelly 10-1-1 (2)
HW: Charles Cooley 8-2-2 (0) UD8 Primo Carnera 9-3-0 (1)
HW: Tommy Chandler 8-4-0 (1) TKO6 Morris Grant 5-5-2 (0)
HW: Jim Daly 9-3-0 (0) KO6 Bill Farnan 8-2-2 (2)
HW: Art Bayliss 2-9-1 (0) UD4 Truck Hannah 1-11-0 (0)

CHICAGO - Wrigley Field hosted January's "other" Main Event of the month, as fight fans were treated to an entertaining main event bout between Joe Choynski and Tom Allen. Allen had Choynski in trouble early, and it looked like "The Chrysanthemum" would wither on the vine. But Choynski woke up in round 5, sending Allen into the ropes with a stinging barrage that opened a wound over Allen's left eye. The fight seesawed from this point, but Allen's wound put him on the defensive, as his sight was hampered by the blood flow. Choynski set to work on the left side of Allen's face, not only tearing the cut further, but tatooing a frightful mass of swelling to the left side of Allen's face. Round 10 found Allen with little left in the tank, and with 1:03 left in the round and blood continuing to flow freely from the cut, the referee Rudy Battle had seen enough, stopping the action and awarding the TKO victory to Choynski.

Tonight's action was not without controversy as well, as Dan Dwyer escaped with a Draw against James Figg in an earlier contest. Two point deductions to Figg for low blows cost him the fight, as he had Dwyer down 3 different times in the contest, twice in the final round.

Complete results from Wrigley Field in Chicago:

January 1, 1890
HW: Joe Choynski 10-1-1 (3) TKO10 Tom Allen 10-2-0 (2)
HW: James Figg 8-4-0 (3) Draw10 Dan Dwyer 8-2-2 (1)
HW: Joe Goddard 10-2-0 (2) UD8 Jack Boylan 10-2-0 (0)
HW: James Dalton 7-5-0 (1) TKO4 Lonnie Clark 4-7-1 (0)
HW: Mike Brennan 8-4-0 (1) KO4 Fred Crossley 8-3-1 (1)

[bigMatt]

1. Muhammad Ali 13-0-0 (3)
2. James Corbett 12-0-0
3. Dick Matthews 12-0-0 (6)
4. Teofilo Stevenson 12-0-0 (5)
5. Tom Sayers 12-0-0 (2)
6. Carlos Maussa 12-0-0 (2)
7. Jimmy Elliott 12-1-0 (3)
8. Posh Price 12-0-0 (2)
9. Joe Choynski 11-1-1 (4)
10. Joe Goss 12-1-0 (1)
11. Herbert Slade 11-1-0 (2)
12. Billy Australian Smith 11-1-0 (3)
13. O'Neil Murray 11-1-0
14. Dan Donnelly 10-2-1 (2)
15. Charles Cooley 9-2-2
16. Tom Allen 10-3-0 (2)
17. George Rooke 9-1-2 (3)
18. Alex Garcia 11-1-0 (3)
19. Dan Dwyer 8-2-3 (1)
20. Jason Estrada 10-2-0 (2)

[CONN CHRIS]

Welcome back Matt, and with a mixed era format no less!

Looking forward to your new scheme.

[bigMatt]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

Welcome back Matt, and with a mixed era format no less!

Looking forward to your new scheme.

Thanks Chris! While I was bummed when the UoLBA folded, it gave me a chance to tweak a few things. We'll see where this goes.

[bigMatt]

The month of February was a busy one for the PBF, as 22 fights were held in 4 venues. While there were a number of interesting contests, no particular bout was extraordinarily notable.

Below are complete results from February:

February 10, 1890
HW: Jimmy Elliot 12-1-0 (3) UD12 William Miller 10-1-1 (0)
HW: John Mcdermott 9-2-1 (1) UD10 George Rooke 9-1-2 (3)
HW: Joe Goddard 11-2-0 (2) KO6 Frank Glover 6-2-4 (0)
HW: James Dalton 8-5-0 (2) MD6 Tommy Chandler 9-4-0 (2)

February 15, 1890
HW: Herbert Slade 11-1-0 (2) TKO11 Charles Cooley 9-2-2 (0)
HW: Primo Carnera 9-4-0 (1) TKO10 Bill Doherty 7-4-1 (1)
HW: Joe Lannon 2-8-2 (0) TKO8 Jim Daly 10-3-0 (1)
HW: Tom Hinch 8-3-1 (0) UD6 Ian Millarvie 6-4-2 (2)
HW: Jem Smith 6-6-0 (0) UD6 Mike Kine 5-4-3 (0)
HW: PJ Rentzler 5-7-0 (0) UD4 Truck Hannah 1-12-0 (0)

February 22, 1890
HW: Charlie Norkus 4-5-3 (0) UD12 Posh Price 12-0-0 (2)
HW: Jason Estrada 10-2-0 (2) TKO6 Billy Australian Smith 11-1-0 (3)
HW: Jack Fallon 9-3-0 (0) UD8 Daniele Langhi 1-8-3 (0)
HW: Scott Landsdowne 9-2-1 (2) UD6 Jack Stewert 7-4-1 (0)
HW: Mike McCoole 7-2-3 (0) UD6 John McDermont 5-5-2 (0)
HW: Mike Conley 4-6-2 (1) SD4 Marvin Stinson 4-8-0 (0)

February 25, 1890
HW: James Corbett 12-0-0 (0) UD12 Joe Hess 5-6-1 (0)
HW: Dominic McCaffrey 11-1-0 (2) UD10 O'Neil Murray 11-1-0 (0)
HW: Roy Williams 10-2-0 (2) MDraw8 Billy Wilson 10-1-1 (0)
HW: Alex Garcia 11-1-0 (3) SD6 Tug Wilson 6-4-2 (0)
HW: Al Greenfield 6-6-0 (1) UD6 Jack Boylan 10-3-0 (0)
HW: George Old Choco Godfrey 6-5-1 (0) Draw4 Dan McCarty 3-9-0 (0)

[bigMatt]

BONNER SPRINGS - Three fight cards with seventeen total fights are in store for Phoenix Boxing Federation fight fans in the month of March. There are a couple of notable and highly-anticipated fights on the horizon.

The headliner for the month pairs two talented undefeated heavyweights, each in his PBF debut, as fifth ranked Teofilo Stevenson 12-0-0 (5) will meet seventh ranked Carlos Maussa 12-0-0 (2) in the Main Event at The Stadium, in Chicago, Illinois.

And in another stellar matchup of fighters making their first appearances in the PBF, "The Pacific Coast Wonder", 3rd ranked Dick Matthews 12-0-0 (6), will duke it out with sluggin' Tom Sayers 12-0-0 (2), currently ranked 6th in the league.

Both Muhammad Ali 13-0-0 (3) and Jim Corbett 13-0-0 will also be active this month, albeit against lesser opponents. Ali will suit up against Britisher John McDermott 10-2-1 (1), as Corbett looks to ply his wares against Tom Hinch 9-3-1.

[bigMatt]

March was a month of exciting action in the PBF. The fights take on heightened importance right now as fighters vie for the 16 slots available in June's tournament. Every fight counts, as any misstep might lead to an unwanted vacation from June's big event.

16 spots are available, and each fight is scrutinized for its value and potential harm. A fight against a lesser opponent seems a safer bet and strengthens a fighter's record. But a loss to a lesser opponent does much more damage to a fighter's overall rankings.

In the first of three fight cards, Muhammad Ali wasted little time dispatching John McDermott in a three round TKO. This was an obvious mismatch from the get-go, as Ali simply destroyed his opponent with little resistance.

The undercard was another matter, as top 15 heavy Jason Estrada faced a surprisingly tenacious Charlie Norkus, who took a 10 round unanimous decision in the co-feature event. Norkus swiped nearly every round from Estrada, and in so doing climbed to the #16 position in the PBF. Estrada left with a loss and plummeted to #19.

Below are complete results from Brigg's Stadium in Detroit:

March 2, 1890
HW: Muhammad Ali 13-0-0 (3) TKO3 John Mcdermott 10-2-1 (1)
HW: Charlie Norkus 5-5-3 (0) UD10 Jason Estrada 11-2-0 (3)
HW: Fred Crossley 8-4-1 (1) UD8 Denver Ed Smith 10-2-0 (0)
HW: James Robertson Couper 7-5-0 (2) UD6 Daniele Langhi 1-9-3 (0)
HW: James Dalton 9-5-0 (2) TKO4 Mike McCoole 8-2-3 (0)

[bigMatt]

The second of three March fight cards featured a much anticipated match between #3 Dick Matthews and #6 ranked Tom Sayers. This fight came in at 3-2 odds for Sayers, but "The Brighton Boy" came in grossly overweight for the contest. Round 1 saw Sayers thudding some hurt on Matthews, with Matthews rallying late to make the round close. It was the highlight of Sayers' evening, as Matthews laid into Sayers from round 2 onward, hitting his opponent at will and with authority. Sayers showed his gameness in the early rounds, remaining upright when many a foe would have dropped from the withering barrage. But it was all academic from the 2nd round onward, and by round 8, Sayers looked a beaten man. Early in round 9, Matthews floored his opponent with a vicious uppercut, and fans in attendance probably hoped a bloody and swollen Sayers would stay on the canvas. But Sayers climbed wearily to his feet to take more punishment. Matthews obliged with a renewed onslaught until the referee stopped the match with 1:05 left in the round, awarding a TKO victory to Matthews.

In an intriguing undercard bout, Jake Kilrain handed Mexico's Alex Garcia his first defeat in a 10 round unanimous decision. Kilrain was at the top of his form tonight, using his wily ring knowledge to duck Garcia's earlier salvos and wear his opponent out. The late rounds belong solely to Kilrain, who impressed all in attendance with a quality effort against Garcia's home crowd.

Below are complete results from Estadio Saltillo:


March 10, 1890
HW: Dick Matthews 12-0-0 (6) TKO9 Thomas Sayers 12-0-0 (2)
HW: Jake Kilrain 7-5-0 (1) UD10 Alex Garcia 12-1-0 (3)
HW: Dominic McCaffrey 12-1-0 (2) KO4 Mervine Thompson 9-3-0 (3)
HW: George Old Choco Godfrey 6-5-2 (0) KO5 Jimmy Ryan 10-2-0 (2)
HW: George Rooke 9-2-2 (3) TKO5 Fred Pointer 5-6-1 (0)
HW: Dan McCarty 3-9-1 (0) SD4 Marvin Stinson 4-9-0 (0)