![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Randy-RSR-186x300.jpg\")
<\/a>By Randy \u201cThe Commish\u201d Gordon<\/strong><\/p>\nIn the nearly 12 years Gerry Cooney and I have been doing our SiriusXM show\u2014\u201cAt the Fights\u201d (also known as \u201cCooney & The Commish\u201d)\u2014we have received countless letters, e-mails, texts, tweets and Instagram messages asking us an array of questions. Many of those questions have been of the \u201cWho do you think would have won between\u2026\u201d One of those letters a few weeks ago asked \u201cWho do you think was the best Middleweight Champion<\/p>\n
Of all time?\u201d The question gave birth to our show\u2019s first \u201cFantasy Dream Middleweight Tournament.\u201d <\/p>\n
We call it that because it is a Fantasy. It is a Dream. The best of different eras can only face each other inside our minds. Yet, this only happens in boxing. We don\u2019t ask each other, \u201cI wonder how Jack Nicklaus would do in a one-on-one against Dustin Johnson?\u201d We don\u2019t ask \u201cWho would have won between \u201cBillie Jean King and Serena Williams?\u201d We never ponder how a Michael Jordan-led team would have fared against a LeBron James-led squad. But boxing? That\u2019s different. Especially with the greats, the legends.<\/p>\n
With that, our \u201cFantasy Dream Middleweight Tournament\u201d was born. Cooney and I sat down\u2014maskless (on Zoom)\u2014with the Producer of our show\u2014Andre Viola\u2014and discussed such a tournament. Who should be in it? Do we include every man who has held even a trinket middleweight title belt? Do we simply choose eight of the best middleweights (according to us!), then randomly match them in the quarter-finals? After a productive Zoom meeting\u2014during which time we discovered there have been at least 130 men who have held some form of middleweight title belt\u2014we elected to choose 52 of the best names. We then put the names into a computer program which then chose them\u2014not by era, not by record, not by reputation\u2014but randomly.<\/p>\n
As we needed to reduce the field from 52 to 32\u2014(so we could then move from 32 to 16; to the quarter-final round of 8; to the semi-final round of 4; and the tournament championship match)\u2014we had to cut 20 middleweights. That meant 20 fights would be made by computer draw. Twelve fighters would not be chosen, and would fight in the next round. Among the 20 fights, there would obviously be 20 winners. They would stay and fight on. The 20 losers would watch from their Fantasy Dream ringside seats.<\/p>\n
A panel of historians was chosen. They are as much a Dream panel as the Dream fights are. The exception is, unlike the fights in this tournament, the panelists are very real. There are seven.<\/p>\n
They are:<\/p>\n
Enrique Encinosa<\/strong><\/em><\/span> Encinosa is not only the foremost authority on Cuban boxers from all eras, but a noted historian, as well. He is the author of several books about the rich history of boxing in Cuban.<\/p>\n Lee Groves is a writer for The Ring and another noted historian. He is the co-author of the book \u201cAli by the Numbers,\u201d which was published in 2018. Ron Lipton is one of the premier referees in the world. He is also a top historian who can speak as easily about Benny Leonard, Bearcat Wright and Marvin Hart as he can about Sugar Ray Leonard, Winky Wright and Cyclone Hart. He is currently at work writing his third Fantasy Match for Ring Magazine.<\/p>\n Frank Lotierzo is a longtime columnist for \u201cNYFights,\u201d \u201cThe Sweet Science,\u201d \u201cBoxing Scene\u201d and many other boxing sites and magazines. His pre-fight and post-fight breakdown and analysis of major bouts is second to nobody.<\/p>\n James \u201cSmitty\u201d Smith is a boxing announcer and talk show host. His show, \u201cIn This Corner\u201d can be seen on FiteTV.com. It is the longest-running boxing show in the sport. He is also the Master of Ceremony for many of boxing\u2019s biggest award dinners, including the prestigious International Boxing Hall of Fame Banquet, held yearly during the second weekend of June.<\/p>\n Ryan Songolia is a feature writer\/columnist for The Ring. He is also a reporter at the magazine\u2019s website, Ringtv.com. He is, like the other panelists, regarded as a top historian on Fistiana.<\/p>\n The Field of 16 were seeded. Their opponents were chosen randomly. The matchups looked like this:<\/p>\n Carlos Monzon Vs Tony Zale<\/strong><\/em><\/span> A few of them, like Sugar Ray Robinson, Dick Tiger, Marvin Hagler, Mickey Walker, Emile Griffith and Roy Jones, JR., all saw action in the first round of fighting, as the field was whittled from 32 to 16.<\/p>\n In those bouts, which were all scheduled for 15 rounds:<\/p>\n Tiger won a close but unanimous 15-round decision over Jermall Charlo. The scores were 143-142 and 144-141 (twice).<\/p>\n Robinson outpointed Danny Jacobs, 147-138. Jacobs was on the deck from a left hook in the 10th round.<\/p>\n Griffith outscored Tommy Ryan by identical scores of 148-137.<\/p>\n Jones, JR. stopped Vito Antuofermo on cuts in the 5th round.<\/p>\n Hagler TKO\u2019d Randy Turpin in the 9th round, dropping him once in the 2nd, once in the 5th and twice more in the 9th and final round.<\/p>\n Walker stopped Rocky Graziano in a come-from-behind knockout in the 12th round.<\/p>\n The tournament has advanced. We are headed into the Quarter-Finals. In the next few days, the four matchups will be announced. When the panelists make their choices, I will \u201ccall\u201d all the exciting action, with Gerry Cooney providing the color.<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s only a Fantasy Dream Tournament.<\/p>\n But what if it were real?<\/p>\n What a Fantasy Dream that would be!<\/p>\n
\nLee Groves<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nHenry Hascup<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nRon Lipton<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nFrank Lotierzo<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nJames Smith<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nRyan Songalia<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\nHenry Hascup is the founder and President of the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame and President of the New Jersey Diamond Gloves competition. He is a Board Member of Ring 8 and regarded by many as boxing\u2019s top historian. At press time, Henry and his lovely wife, Joyce, were both battling COVID, and recovering. We wish them a full and speedy recovery.<\/p>\n
\nJames Toney Vs Mickey Walker<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nSugar Ray Robinson Vs Emile Griffith<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nStanley Ketchel Vs Bernard Hopkins<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nRoy Jones, JR. Vs Nino Benvenuti<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nMarvin Hagler Vs Jake LaMotta<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nHarry Greb Vs Rodrigo Valdez<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nMarcel Cerdan Vs Dick Tiger<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n