Floyd Patterson: Your view. ATG or Not. What if? Hopkins, Calzaghe, Jones Jr, etc.

[Benny Leonard]

Floyd Patterson won the MW Gold in the Olympics. D'Amato, who wanted a HW Champion, had Floyd increase his weight to get to HW during his Pro career. Forget MW Champion; Forget LH Champion; We want the Gold, we want the *****...let's go for the HW Title.

What Floyd may be remembered for is being the youngest HW Champion, as well as the first HW to regain the title after losing it against Ingemar Johansson. And lastly, his two losses against Sonny Liston (a 200+ big legit HW).


But I do wonder, with such skills, agility, speed, and power....how well would he have done if he had stayed at MW to cement a legacy...or fought at LH?

I never saw "ATG" next to Floyd Patterson's name but that may have been largely due to his risk taking to be HW Champion....the only Champion that truly matters because that is the Man Division...The Champion of boxing.


I'm just thinking of the fighters from back then and even today from MW-LH that will go down as "ATG," like today's fighters with MW "ATG" Hopkins, SMW "ATG" Calzaghe, and "ATG" Jones jr; and think to myself, could Floyd have beaten them?
Could Floyd just have stayed at MW-LH and cemented an "ATG" legacy or did it really matter because at the end of the day, he was HW Champion of the World...The Man with the Biggest Dick in the Land. So maybe "ATG" is overrated in the lower weight divisions compared to someone that wins the HW Crown.


What's your thought(s)?



Note: Floyd Patterson is fighting right now on ESPN Classics. What a figher.

[Heru]

If you categorize ATG's by the top 100 P4P of all time, then no, he's not an ATG.

Floyd would be around #20 on the all time heavyweights list though.

[Benny Leonard]

If you categorize ATG's by the top 100 P4P of all time, then no, he's not an ATG.

Floyd would be around #20 on the all time heavyweights list though.

Is he better than Hopkins and Calzaghe P4P?
Do you think he could have beaten them in a fight?

How about others that are "ATG" that are from MW-LH...was he better than any one of them?
Could they have beat him in fight had he been in their division at the time?

Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles are on the ATG 100 list...as good or better than them?

How about Marciano? is he on that list?

What's the list by the way.


I wonder if Floyd could have stayed at MW or he had to move up...not sure. He at least looked like he could have stayed LH...and if around today, fought at SMW.


Do you think Hopkins, Calzaghe and Jones Jr could have beaten everybody he fought...and would he have lost to the fighters he lost to?

Here is Bert Sugar's

http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=130817

[RightCross94]

Such a stupid idea to become a HW. Shows how good Floyd was that he won a title there. If he stayed at 175 he would have been much greater historically.

[Davros?]

Imo Floyd would not have been able to stay at Middleweight, he was a kid when he won the Olypmic gold and would have out grown the weight quickly. He could have made Light Heavyweight but even if he stayed there he would have moved to heavyweight at some point. You also have to remember at that time the heavyweight champion was the biggest prize in sport and if you had the chance to compete at that weight class you were always going to at the time you were a big star if you won that title. Floyd had amazingly quick hands for a man of his size and destroyed Archie Moore. Patterson was at the time considered a big puncher at heavyweight the left hand that knocked out Johansson was devastating. Although his size was a disadvantage at heavyweight to be honest out side the Liston fights it never really proved to be a big factor as his speed and skill was to great for most of his opponents. His biggest problem was his chin but he was still able to become a 2 times heavyweight champion. Imo he could have beat guys like Bhop, Calzaghe, RJJ, Charles and he already beat Moore. On a side note Floyd was massively popular at the time it just goes to show how quickly people are forgotten.

[Silencers]

Patterson might not be an ATG in terms of accomplishments, being the first man to win the heavyweight title twice was a very impressive accomplishment though and he arguably should've been the first three time heavyweight champion, but yeah, I don't think he's an ATG when it comes to accomplishments. When it comes to skills though, he was a great fighter. Would've been better off staying at light heavyweight but the move up to heavyweight was understandable.

[BritishBoxing92]

Cus Damato trained Patterson so he had skill and a hard punch and for a while was the youngest heavyweight champion ever but then tyson took over that record...on a hold patterson had heart and skill which deserves to be put down into boxing history

[BritishBoxing92]

To be Fair Floyd Patterson for a while was the youngest heavyweight champ till tyson took his juice but at 21 years in them days when rounds were 15 instead of 12....now thats an achievement if u ask me...although if floyd weighed more and maybe punched harder he wouldve been better...