Floyd Patterson

Floyd Patterson
Patterson in 1962
Statistics
Nickname(s)	The Gentleman of Boxing
Rated at	Light heavyweight Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Reach	71 in (180 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1935-01-04)January 4, 1935 Waco, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	New Paltz, New York, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	64
Wins	55
Wins by KO	40
Losses	8
Draws	1
Medal record Men's boxing Representing the United States Olympic Games 1952 Helsinki Middleweight

Floyd Patterson (January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American professional boxer who held the undisputed world heavyweight championship. At the age of 21, he became the youngest boxer to win the world heavyweight title, and was also the first heavyweight to regain the title after losing it. As an amateur he won a gold medal at the 1952 Olympics in the middleweight division.

Although Mike Tyson later became the youngest boxer to win a world heavyweight title at the age of 20, Patterson remains the youngest undisputed heavyweight champion. He was trained by the legendary Cus D'Amato.

Early life

Born into a poor family in Waco, North Carolina, Patterson was the youngest of eleven children and experienced an insular and troubled childhood. His family moved to Brooklyn, New York, where Floyd was a truant and petty thief. At age ten, he was sent to the Wiltwyck School for Boys, a reform school in upstate New York, which he credited with turning his life around. He stayed there for almost 2 years. He attended high school in New Paltz, NY where he succeeded in all sports (to this day the New Paltz football field is named in his honor). At age fourteen, he started to box, trained by Cus D'Amato at his Gramercy Gym. Aged just 17, Patterson won the Gold medal in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as a middleweight. 1952 turned out to be a good year for the young Patterson; in addition to Olympic gold Patterson won the National Amateur Middleweight Championship and New York Golden Gloves Middleweight Championship.

Olympic results

• Defeated Omar Tebakka (France) 3-0
• Defeated Leonardus Jansen (Netherlands) TKO 1
• Defeated Stig Sjölin (Sweden) DQ 3
• Defeated Vasile Tiţă (Romania) KO 1

Patterson's amateur record over 44 fights was 40-4, with 37 knockouts.

Patterson carried his hands higher than most boxers, in front of his face. Sportswriters called Patterson's style a "peek-a-boo" stance.

Early pro career

Patterson turned pro and steadily rose through the ranks, his only early defeat being an eight-round decision to former Light Heavyweight Champion Joey Maxim on June 7, 1954, at the Eastern Parkway Arena in Brooklyn, New York. Most people think Patterson did enough to win, and Maxim's greater fame at the time helped to sway the judges.

Championship

Although Patterson fought around the light heavyweight limit for much of his early career, he and manager Cus D'Amato always had plans to fight for the Heavyweight Championship. In fact, D'Amato made these plans clear as early as 1954, when he told the press that Patterson was aiming for the heavyweight title. However, after Rocky Marciano announced his retirement as World Heavyweight Champion on April 27, 1956, Patterson was ranked by The Ring magazine as the top light heavyweight contender. After Marciano's announcement, Jim Norris of the International Boxing Club stated that Patterson was one of the six fighters who would take part in an elimination tournament to crown Marciano's successor. The Ring then moved Patterson into the heavyweight rankings, at number five.

Patterson vs. Moore

After beating Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson in an elimination fight, Patterson faced former Light Heavyweight Champion Archie Moore on November 30, 1956, for the World Heavyweight Championship. He beat Moore by a knockout in five rounds and became the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history, at the age of 21 years, 10 months, 3 weeks and 5 days. He was the first Olympic gold medalist to win a professional Heavyweight title.

Ingemar Johansson knocks out Floyd Patterson and becomes boxing heavyweight champion of the world, June 26, 1959.

Patterson vs. Johansson I, II & III

After a series of defenses against fringe contenders (Hurricane Jackson, Pete Rademacher, Roy Harris, and Brian London), Patterson met Ingemar Johansson of Sweden, the number one contender, in the first of three fights. Johansson triumphed over Patterson on June 26, 1959, with the referee Ruby Goldstein stopping the fight in the third round after the Swede had knocked Patterson down seven times. Johansson became Sweden's first World Heavyweight Champion, thus becoming a national hero as the first European to defeat an American for the title since 1933.

Patterson knocked out Johansson in the fifth round of their rematch on June 20, 1960, to become the first man in history to regain the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. Johansson hit the canvas hard, seemingly out before he landed flat on his back. With glazed eyes, blood trickling from his mouth and his left foot quivering, he was counted out. Johansson lay unconscious for five minutes before he was helped onto a stool.

A third fight between them was held on March 13, 1961 and while Johansson put Patterson on the floor, Patterson retained his title by knockout in the sixth round to win the rubber match in which Patterson was decked twice and Johansson once in the first round. Johansson had landed both right hands over Floyd's left jab. After getting up from the second knockdown Floyd abandoned his jab and connected with a left hook that knocked down Johansson. After that, Patterson came on with a strong body attack that wore down Johansson. In the 6th round, Johansson caught Patterson with a solid right. But the power in Ingemar's punches was gone. Patterson won the fight in the 6th round by knockout.

Patterson vs. Liston I & II

After the third Johansson fight, Patterson defended the title on December 4, 1961 against Tom McNeeley and retained the title with a fourth-round knockout. However he did not fight number one contender Sonny Liston. This was due in part to Cus D'Amato, who did not want Patterson in the ring with a boxer with mob connections. As a result, D'Amato turned down any challenges involving the IBC. Eventually, due to a monetary dispute with Jimmy Jacobs, Patterson removed D'Amato from handling his business affairs and agreed to fight Liston.

Leading up to the fight, Sonny Liston was the major betting line favorite, though Sports Illustrated predicted that Patterson would win in 15 rounds. Jim Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson picked Patterson to win. The fight also carried a number of social implications. Liston's connections with the mob were well known and the NAACP was concerned about having to deal with Liston's visibility as World Champion and had encouraged Patterson not to fight Liston, fearing that a Liston victory would tarnish the civil rights movement. Patterson also claimed that John F. Kennedy did not want him to fight Liston either.

Patterson lost his title to Liston on September 25, 1962 in Chicago, by a first-round knockout in front of 18,894 fans. The two fighters were a marked contrast. In the ring, Liston's size and power proved too much for Patterson's guile and agility. However, Patterson did not use his speed to his benefit. According to Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin, Patterson didn't punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. Liston battered Patterson with body shots and then shortened up and connected with two double hooks high on the head. The result at the time was the third-fastest knockout in boxing history. After being knocked out, Patterson left Comiskey Park in Chicago wearing dark glasses and a fake beard for the drive back to New York. After the fight, questions were raised on whether the fight was fixed to set up a more lucrative rematch. Overnight, Patterson seemed to lose his public support as a result of his swift knockout.

The rematch was set for April 1963; however, Liston injured his knee swinging a golf club and the fight was delayed to July 22, 1963. In Las Vegas that night, Patterson attempted to become the first boxer to win the Heavyweight title three times, but Liston once again knocked him out in the first round. Patterson lasted four seconds longer than in the first bout.

Post-title career

Following these defeats, Patterson went through a depression. However, he eventually recovered and began winning fights again, including top victories over Eddie Machen and George Chuvalo. The Chuvalo match getting Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year" award.

Patterson was now the number one challenger for the title held by Muhammad Ali. On November 22, 1965, in yet another attempt to be the first to win the World Heavyweight title three times, Patterson lost by technical knockout at the end of the 12th round, going into the fight with an injured sacro-iliac joint in a bout in which Ali was clearly dominant. Ali called Patterson an "Uncle Tom" for refusing to call him Muhammad Ali (Patterson continued to call him Cassius Clay) and for this outspokenness against black Muslims. Instead of scoring a quick knockout, Ali mocked, humiliated and punished Patterson throughout the fight before knocking him out in the 12th round.

Patterson was still a legitimate contender. In 1966 he traveled to England and knocked out British boxer Henry Cooper in just four rounds at Wembley Stadium.

Patterson tried his hand at acting. He is seen in this 1968 The Wild Wild West episode as a landowner who is in danger of losing his property.

In September 1969 he divorced his first wife, Sandra Hicks Patterson, who wanted him to quit boxing, while he still had hopes for another title shot.

When Ali was stripped of his title for refusing induction into the military, the World Boxing Association staged an eight-man tournament to determine his successor. Patterson fought Jerry Quarry to a draw in 1967. In a rematch four months later, Patterson lost a controversial 12-round decision to Quarry. Subsequently, in a third and final attempt at winning the title a third time, Patterson lost a controversial 15-round referee's decision to Jimmy Ellis in Sweden, despite breaking Ellis's nose and scoring a disputed knockdown.

Patterson continued on, defeating Oscar Bonavena in a close fight over ten rounds in early 1972.

At age 37, Patterson was stopped in the seventh round in a rematch with Muhammad Ali for the NABF Heavyweight title on September 20, 1972. The defeat proved to be Patterson's last fight, although there was never an announcement of retirement.

Retired life

In retirement, he and Johansson became good friends who flew across the Atlantic to visit each other every year and he became chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. He was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 1991.

In 1982 and 1983 he ran the Stockholm Marathon together with Ingemar Johansson.

Patterson lived in New Paltz, New York for many years and was known as a true gentleman around town.

His adopted son, Tracy Harris Patterson, was a world champion boxer in the 1990s and was trained by Floyd during part of his career. Floyd also trained Canadian heavyweight Donovan "Razor" Ruddock in 1992 for his fights with Greg Page, Phil Jackson, and Lennox Lewis.

The New Paltz High School football field was named "Floyd Patterson Field" in 1985.

Death

The grave of Floyd Patterson

Floyd Patterson suffered from Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer and had been hospitalized for a week prior to his death. He died at home in New Paltz in 2006 at age 71. He is buried at New Paltz Rural Cemetery in New Paltz, Ulster County, New York.

Quotes

• "It's easy to do anything in victory. It's in defeat that a man reveals himself."

• "They said I was the fighter who got knocked down the most, but I also got up the most." (This quote was used in the tenth episode of the 2009 TV series V.)

• "When you have millions of dollars, you have millions of friends."

• On boxing: "It's like being in love with a woman. She can be unfaithful, she can be mean, she can be cruel, but it doesn't matter. If you love her, you want her, even though she can do you all kinds of harm. It's the same with me and boxing. It can do me all kinds of harm but I love it."

Professional boxing record

55 Wins (40 knockouts, 15 decisions), 8 Losses (5 knockouts, 3 decision), 1 Draw
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	55–8–1	Muhammad Ali	TKO	7 (12)	20/09/1972	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	For NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	55–7–1	Pedro Agosto	TKO	6 (10)	14/07/1972	Singer Bowl, Flushing, Queens, New York, United States
Win	54–7–1	Oscar Bonavena	UD	10	11/02/1972	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	53–7–1	Charlie Harris	KO	6 (10)	23/11/1971	Portland, Oregon, United States
Win	52–7–1	Vic Brown	UD	10	21/08/1971	Peace Bridge Arena, Buffalo, New York, United States
Win	51–7–1	Charley Polite	UD	10	17/07/1971	Erie Arena, Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	50–7–1	Terry Daniels	UD	10	26/05/1971	Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Win	49–7–1	Roger Russell	TKO	9 (10)	29/03/1971	Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	48–7–1	Levi Forte	KO	2 (10)	16/01/1971	Convention Hall, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win	47–7–1	Charley Green	KO	10 (10)	15/09/1970	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Loss	46–7–1	Jimmy Ellis	PTS	15	14/09/1968	Solna Fotbollsstadion, Stockholm, Sweden	For WBA Heavyweight title.
Loss	46–6–1	Jerry Quarry	MD	12	28/10/1967	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States	Elimination tournament for WBA Heavyweight title.
Draw	46–5–1	Jerry Quarry	MD	12	09/06/1967	Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	46–5	Bill McMurray	KO	1 (10)	09/06/1967	Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	45–5	Willie Johnson	KO	3 (10)	13/02/1967	Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win	44–5	Henry Cooper	KO	4 (10)	20/09/1966	Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England, United Kingdom
Loss	43–5	Muhammad Ali	TKO	12 (15)	22/11/1965	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	For World Heavyweight title.
Win	43–4	Tod Herring	TKO	3 (10)	14/05/1965	Johanneshov, Stockholm, Sweden
Win	42–4	George Chuvalo	UD	12	01/02/1965	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Fight was named The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year for 1965.
Win	41–4	Charlie Powell	KO	6 (10)	12/12/1964	Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Win	40–4	Eddie Machen	TKO	3 (10)	05/07/1964	Hiram Bithorn Stadium, Solna, Sweden
Win	39–4	Santo Amonti	TKO	8 (10)	06/01/1964	Johanneshov, Stockholm, Sweden
Loss	38–4	Sonny Liston	KO	1 (15)	22/07/1963	Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	For World Heavyweight title.
Loss	38–3	Sonny Liston	KO	1 (15)	25/09/1962	Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States	Lost World Heavyweight title.
Win	38–2	Tom McNeeley	KO	4 (15)	04/12/1961	Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Retained World Heavyweight title.
Win	37–2	Ingemar Johansson	KO	6 (15)	13/03/1961	Convention Hall, Miami Beach, Florida, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title.
Win	36–2	Ingemar Johansson	KO	5 (15)	20/06/1960	Polo Grounds, New York, New York, United States	Won World Heavyweight title. Fight was named The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year for 1960. Patterson became the first person to regain the World Heavyweight title.
Loss	35–2	Ingemar Johansson	TKO	3 (15)	26/06/1959	Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, United States	Lost World Heavyweight title.
Win	35–1	Brian London	KO	11 (15)	01/05/1959	Fairgrounds Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title.
Win	34–1	Roy Harris	RTD	12 (15)	18/08/1958	Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, California, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title.
Win	33–1	Pete Rademacher	KO	6 (15)	22/08/1957	Sick's Stadium, Seattle, Washington, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title.
Win	32–1	Tommy Jackson	TKO	10 (15)	29/07/1957	Polo Grounds, New York, New York, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title.
Win	31–1	Archie Moore	KO	5 (15)	30/11/1956	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States	Won vacant World Heavyweight title.
Win	30–1	Tommy Jackson	SD	12	08/06/1956	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	World Heavyweight Title Eliminator.
Win	29–1	Alvin Williams	KO	3 (10)	10/04/1956	Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Win	28–1	Jimmy Walls	TKO	2 (10)	12/03/1956	New Britain, Connecticut, United States
Win	27–1	Jimmy Slade	TKO	7 (10)	08/12/1955	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	26–1	Calvin Brad	KO	1 (10)	13/10/1955	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	25–1	Dave Whitlock	KO	3 (10)	29/09/1955	Winterland Arena, San Francisco, California, United States
Win	24–1	Alvin Williams	TKO	8 (10)	08/09/1955	Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Win	23–1	Archie McBride	KO	7 (10)	06/07/1955	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	22–1	Yvon Durelle	RTD	7 (10)	23/06/1955	Newcastle, New Brunswick, Canada
Win	21–1	Esau Ferdinand	TKO	10 (10)	17/03/1955	Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States
Win	20–1	Don Grant	TKO	5 (10)	17/01/1955	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	19–1	Willie Troy	TKO	5 (8)	07/01/1955	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	18–1	Jimmy Slade	UD	8	19/11/1954	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	17–1	Joe Gannon	UD	8	22/10/1954	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	16–1	Esau Ferdinand	UD	8	11/10/1954	St. Nicholas Arena, New York, New York, United States
Win	15–1	Tommy Harrison	TKO	1 (8)	02/08/1954	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	14–1	Jacques Royer Crecy	TKO	7 (8)	12/07/1954	St. Nicholas Arena, New York, New York, United States
Loss	13–1	Joey Maxim	UD	8	07/06/1954	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	13–0	Jesse Turner	UD	8	10/05/1954	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	12–0	Alvin Williams	UD	8	19/04/1954	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	11–0	Sammy Brown	TKO	2 (10)	30/03/1954	Turner's Arena, Washington, United States
Win	10–0	Yvon Durelle	UD	8	15/02/1954	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	9–0	Dick Wagner	TKO	5 (8)	14/12/1953	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	8–0	Wes Bascom	UD	8	19/10/1953	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	7–0	Gordon Wallace	TKO	3 (8)	01/06/1953	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	6–0	Dick Wagner	SD	8	13/04/1953	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	5–0	Chester Mieszala	TKO	5 (6)	28/01/1953	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win	4–0	Lalu Sabotin	TKO	5 (8)	29/12/1952	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	3–0	Lester Johnson	TKO	3 (6)	31/10/1952	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	2–0	Sammy Walker	TKO	2 (6)	06/10/1952	Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win	1–0	Eddie Godbold	KO	4 (6)	12/09/1952	St. Nicholas Arena, New York, New York, United States

Further reading

• Mulvaney, Kieran, Patterson an all-time great outside the ropes. ESPN.com, May 12, 2006.
• Victory Over Myself by Floyd Patterson with Milton Gross. Published by Bernard Geis Associates, distributed by Random House, 1962. Library of Congress Catalog Number: 62-15657.

Further watching

• Ingemar Johansson versus Floyd Patterson. 1wn0YclbKR0

External links

• Professional boxing record for Floyd Patterson from BoxRec
• Sports E-Cyclopedia's Memoriam to Floyd Patterson
• Floyd Patterson - Daily Telegraph obituary
• Floyd Patterson at Find a Grave
• SPORT magazine, November 1960
• svenska.yle.fi/arkivet: Interview with Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johansson
• [1] The Official Site of Floyd Patterson

Achievements
Preceded by Rocky Marciano Retired	World Heavyweight Champion November 30, 1956 – June 26, 1959	Succeeded by Ingemar Johansson
Preceded by Ingemar Johansson	World Heavyweight Champion June 20, 1960 – September 25, 1962	Succeeded by Sonny Liston
Preceded by Joe Louis	Youngest Heavyweight Champion November 30, 1956 – November 22, 1986	Succeeded by Mike Tyson