Saturday, March 24, 2007

FUN WEEKEND FACT: The fictional title reigns of Rocky Balboa

Here's proof that you can find some interesting things on the Internet if you do a little bit of digging.

I was reading some movie reviews today about Rocky Balboa, and I happened to catch this unusual notation when I searched through "Union Cane" at Wikipedia:

Heavy Weight Champions as acknowledged by the Rocky films: (Fictional time line)(In Rocky mythology the late Ali era, the Larry Holmes era and the post Lennox Lewis era does not exist and neither do most of the portion belt holders.)(Some non fictional events do occur but within an alternate time span.)
1967: Muhammad Ali (stripped of title)
1968-1971: Joe Frazier (Wins Vacant Title)
1971-1972: George Foreman (KO Frazier)
1972-1973: Muhammad Ali (KO Foreman) (retires after the Thrilla in Manila)
1973-1976: Apollo Creed (Wins Vacant Title)
1976-1981: Rocky Balboa (KO Creed)
1981-1982: Clubber Lang (KO Balboa)
1982-1984: Rocky Balboa (KO Lang) (Rocky is stripped of title then retires)
1984-1986: Clubber Lang (Wins Vacant Title)(Retires)
1986-1990: Mike Tyson (Wins vacant title) (Mike Tyson is sent to prison. The title is vacated.)
1990: Union Cane (wins the vacant title)
1990-1991: Tommy Gunn (KO Cane)
1991-1993: Evander Holyfield (KO Gunn)
1993-1995: Riddick Bowe (Decisions Holyfield) (title splits because Bowe refuses to fight mandatory challenger.)
1994-1995: Ivan Drago (WBC)(retires)
1995: Evander Holyfield (WBA and IBF) (Decisions Bowe)
1996: Michael Moorer (WBA and IBF)(Decisions Holyfield)
1996: Lennox Lewis (wins vacant WBC title)
1997-1998: George Foreman (KO Moorer) (WBA and IBF)
1997: Mike Tyson (Tyson wins vacant IBF and WBA title that is stripped from Foreman.)
1998: Evander Holyfield (KO Tyson)(IBF and WBA)
1999-2002: Lennox Lewis (Decision Holyfield)(unifies titles) (retire)
2003-present: Mason Dixon (Former Light Heavyweight and Cruiser Weight Champion wins vacant title)


I have often wondered if there was an alternative heavyweight title history in the Rocky films. This notation - and I'm not sure of the primary source - seems to imply just that.

In order, we have Apollo Creed (Rocky, Rocky II), two reigns of Clubber Lang (Rocky III), Ivan Drago with the WBC title (Rocky IV), Union Cane and Tommy Gunn (Rocky V) and Mason Dixon (Rocky Balboa). As well as the two reigns of Rocky Balboa himself.

This is your fun weekend fact.

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