Boxer Profile-Floyd Patterson

Historically some heavyweight champions are better remembered than others, fighters like Rocky Marciano for example and his 49-0 record, or Muhammad Ali and his 3 title reigns as well as his work with the human rights movement, his mouth and everything else. Mike Tyson too found infamy as the reason he is best remembered, Jack Johnson remembered for breaking down some of the colour barriers.

Though one man who is often over looked is Floyd Patterson rather unfairly when his numerous accomplishments are looked over. Born in Waco North Carolina on January 4th 1935 the youngest of a large poor black family he was a wayward child until he was effectively taken under the wing of Cus D'amto in the late 1940's. Cus would infamously do the same with Mike Tyson 40 years later, a fighter with which Patterson shared many personal traits with. It was under the keen eye of D'amto that Patterson would become a boxer and 3 years later he would go on to the Olympic games (in 1952) held in Helsinki.

It was at these games that he would go on to win a gold medal (in the middleweight category) for the USA joining 4 other teams mates who also managed that feat. In fact one of his team mates, Ed Sanders, (who won gold in the heavyweight division) would go onto to beat one of the names eternally linked to Floyd, in the final Sanders beat Ingemar Johansson. Aged just 17 he would win the medal with a first round KO over Vassile Tita. Soon after the games Patterson turned professional (the closing ceremony of the games was August the third, Patterson's debut was 12th September) closing out his amateur career with a very respectable record of 40-4 with 37KO's.

With 4 fights by the end of 1952 Patterson was fighting around the middleweight limit (or a little above it) he had won all 4 scoring stoppages in each of them 5 fights in 1953 all went to Patterson, though 2 went the distance leaving him with a record of 9-0 with 7 KO's by the start of 1954. The first notable name on Patterson's record came in his first fight of 1954 against Yvon Durelle (who would go on to challenge Archie Moore for the world Light Heavyweight title 4 years later in one of the best fights in history). Later in the same year (with a record of 13-0) he would face former Light Heavyweight champion and all time great Joey Maxim who was far more experienced with a record of 79-21-4. Maxim was judged to have won the fight by the two judges and the referee (though sports writers at the venue felt Floyd had done enough to deserve the decision) the win was the last notable one of Maxims career before losing 8 of his final 10 fights.

Patterson came back to the ring the following month and despite winning by stoppage he was put down himself. 15 straight wins later he was 29-1 and facing Tommy Hurricane Jackson in a world title eliminator with the winner facing the all time Archie Moore for the title vacated by Rocky Marciano (who had retired the previous year). Hurricane himself was 29-4-1 with wins over Rex Layne and 2 over former world heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles. Floyd inflicted the 6th loss of Jacksons career to get his chance to become the youngest ever heavyweight champion.

Moore was a highly respected fighter who despite being just short of his 40th birthday was still a serious threat. Moores record going in was 150-20-9 (Floyd was 30-1). The fight experience was huge so to was the age with Floyd being 21 years and 10 months. The fight was over in the 5th round as Moore was again thwarted in a title fight.

Patterson would then defend against Jackson (10th round stoppage) and the 1956 Olympic Heavyweight Gold Medallist Pete Radamacher (who was making his professional debut). Despite being put down in the second round Patterson knocked Radamacher down 6 times en route to a 6th round KO. 2 more defences followed before Patterson faced the silver medallist from the heavyweight division back in Helsinki, Ingemar Johansson .

The first meeting pitted a 22-0 Johansson against a 35-1 Patterson, the contest was won by the man known as Ingo in the 3rd round after Patterson was put down 7 times in the round. A rematch 12 months later revered the decision in the fifth round, the result of this was Floyd becoming the first man to regain the heavyweight title after losing it. A rubber match was held 9 months later (the third fight in a row for both fighters) with Floyd winning it in the 6th round after both fighters went down in the first.

A defence against the unbeaten (23-0) Tom Mcneeley would be the last defence Patterson would make successfully before he ran into the fearsome Sonny Liston. Liston had lost once in 34 fights (a split decision in his 8th contest, after suffering a broken jaw at the mid way point-8 years previously). Despite only and inch separating them in height Liston had a 13 inch reach advantage and had been seen as a bit of a monster in the ring. The fight lasted a mere 125 seconds before Liston stopped Patterson, a rematch 10 months later only lasted 4 seconds longer with Patterson going down three times and unable to regain the title for a third reign.

Patterson would then string together a run of 5 wins (with notable opponents Eddie Machen and George Chuvalo) before another world title fight with the man who had taken the title from Liston. Muhamed Ali (who was 21-0) beat the former two-time champion, despite being convincingly up on points Ali managed to close the show with a stoppage in the 12th round, another loss in a title fight for Patterson.

He would come back from this loss with 3 KO's (including a 4th round win over Henry Cooper) before facing Jerry Quarry in a fight that would end in a majority draw. A rematch with Quarry was fought 4 months later with Quarry taking a close decision (majority decision win) in part of the 8 man tournament for the vacant WBA title (stripped from Ali when he failed to turn up for draft for the Vietnam war). Though Patterson would face Jimmy Ellis (the eventual winner) in his following fight for another chance to win the title. Ellis would beat Patterson over the 15 round distance in what would be one of the last major fights of his career.

After the loss Patterson went on a winning streak of 9 fights, though most were against relatively lower quality opponents with only one single notable opponent (Oscar Bonavena who himself was past his best, lost on points). In the final fight of Patterson's career he had a rematch with Muhammed Ali who would stop him again, this time due to cuts around the eyes in 7th round.

A final record of 55(40KO's)-8-1 was just one of the things Floyd left boxing with over his 20 year career. He claimed the records of being the youngest world heavyweight champion (until Mike Tyson took that record in the 1980's), he was the first man to regain the title, he is still the youngest man to regain the title (aged 25). He was the first Olympic gold medallist to win a world heavyweight title (and act followed by Ali, Frazier and Foreman in the 1970's) and the first Olympic gold medallist to defeat another gold medallist in a heavyweight title fight.

His record in world title fights was: 8-5 with his reigns lasting 4 defences and 2 defences. His losses all came against highly rated fighters in Joey Maxim, Ingemar Johansson, Sonny Liston (Twice), Muhammad Ali (Twice), Jerry Quarry and Jimmy Ellis.

As a professional Floyd had a rather unique style of a peek-a-boo stance similar to that of an early Mike Tyson that Cus D'amto seemed to feel suited Floyd, who is often regarded as the last small heavyweight champion (he only weight over 200lbs once in his career). His lack of weight often meant he relied on his speed as opposed to power and this helped him to the great achievements of his career.

After boxing Floyd went onto become the chairman of NYSAC before his death in 2006 from medical problems related to Alzheimer's and prostate cancer aged 71. For years after his fights with Johansson they had become close friends Johansson himself died in 2009 also suffering from Alzheimer's.

Out side of the ring Floyd was regarded as a gentleman, though a complex one with insecurities uncommon in heavyweight champions he was often referred to as Freud Patterson due to his rather well known deep thoughts. Sadly the boxing world don't get many nice guys and by most accounts Floyd was one of the nicest.