What If Floyd Patterson Had Fought At Light-Heavyweight Instead Of Heavyweight?

[StarshipTrooper]

This is one I've pondered for a while. How do you think he'd have turned out? How do you think he'd stack up with the Light-Heavy greats?

Poet

[GJC]

This is one I've pondered for a while. How do you think he'd have turned out? How do you think he'd stack up with the Light-Heavy greats?

Poet

Tricky one, Patterson to me is like Pep is to you. Lots of respect for him but never really a huge fan. I would think he'd do well, though the Maxim loss does make me wonder.
My memory is he got robbed, but would have thought he could have been a lot more convincing against Maxim who I wouldn't call an ATG.
Guess we are talking from 1956 to 1970 so.
Would fancy Archie Moore against him at that weight and Bob Foster too although he has them both at HW.
Think he would beat Johnsson, Pastrano and Torres, Tiger would be an interesting fight but I think Patterson might nick it.
All time i'd have to give it some serious thought.
Probably being a bit harsh but I lived in his era and wasn't impressed with his HW title reign to be honest and it has kind of coloured my judgement on him probably unfairly. The way Cus was selecting some of his opponents I was suprised not to get a shot myself!
His big advantage as a heavy was his speed which isn't going to be so noticible down in the LHW's, good question though has got me thinking.

[Obama]

If he stayed at Light Heavyweight he would have beat everyone out there save Harold Johnson and Bob Foster and gone down as a top 5 LHW. He beat Maxim convincingly enough to me, regardless of the verdict.

Him vs **** Tiger woulda been a lot like him vs George Chuvalo.

[JAB5239]

This is one I've pondered for a while. How do you think he'd have turned out? How do you think he'd stack up with the Light-Heavy greats?

Poet

I've brought this topic up before on here and other boards. If Floyd had never gone to heavyweight he would have been one of the p4p greats in my opinion. His chin wouldn't have been as questionable at the lower weight, and his power and speed would have been even more impressive. One of the most underrated talents in boxing history and a truly exciting fighter.

[Caesar]

with his size he would definetly dominate the division

[The Iron Man]

I think he would be even more successful at LHW, on the contrary to other posts i think his speed would still be a factor at light heavy, he was very fast and Ali is the only (definite) heavyweight faster and he is faster than all LHW.His power would have been more effective and i see him beating the likes of Michael Spinks. LHW top 10 is a pretty good lot and it maybe have been difficult to break into the elite section like Tunney, Charles, Moore and Foster. But he would given it a good shot and has a chance of breaking into it.

[TheGreatA]

Patterson was pretty much a kid when he fought Maxim and it was only an 8-round bout against a much more experienced former champion. I still think he won that fight but either way it was a great experience for him, one from which he learned a lot.

Tommy Loughran who was at ringside stated that Patterson would later thank his management for putting him in there against such an experienced pro even at such an early stage of his boxing career.

Patterson beat the durable, hard-punching Canadian slugger Yvon Durelle twice and knocked out the aging but formidable Archie Moore, even though that fight was officially at heavyweight. Jimmy Slade and Don Grant were also good opponents, against whom Patterson performed extremely well.

He never had any chin issues against light heavyweights, only against heavyweights. I think he would be known as one of the all-time greats in the division had he stayed at that weight.

Possible opponents for him would have been

Archie Moore the reigning champ whom he already beat as a heavyweight
Harold Johnson the outstanding contender for much of the 1950's and the title holder in the early 1960's
Yolande Pompey a good contender in the mid 1950's
Willie Pastrano the clever boxer who briefly held the title in the 1960's
Doug Jones the durable, heavy handed light heavyweight contender who also competed as a heavyweight
Eddie Cotton a long-time contender in the 1960's
Mauro Mina the underrated Peruvian
Aging former MW champ Bobo Olson
The granite-jawed Henry Hank
Wayne Thornton
Jose Torres
**** Tiger
Gregorio Peralta
Bob Foster

[1SILVA]

This is one I've pondered for a while. How do you think he'd have turned out? How do you think he'd stack up with the Light-Heavy greats?

Poet

Patterson would have dominated the 175 pound division. The fight against Maxim is shown from time to time on ESPN Classic. With his speed and power, only Bob Foster could have defeated him at 175, and that fight could go either way.

[JAB5239]

Patterson was pretty much a kid when he fought Maxim and it was only an 8-round bout against a much more experienced former champion. I still think he won that fight but either way it was a great experience for him, one from which he learned a lot.

Tommy Loughran who was at ringside stated that Patterson would later thank his management for putting him in there against such an experienced pro even at such an early stage of his boxing career.

Patterson beat the durable, hard-punching Canadian slugger Yvon Durelle twice and knocked out the aging but formidable Archie Moore, even though that fight was officially at heavyweight. Jimmy Slade and Don Grant were also good opponents, against whom Patterson performed extremely well.

He never had any chin issues against light heavyweights, only against heavyweights. I think he would be known as one of the all-time greats in the division had he stayed at that weight.

Possible opponents for him would have been

Archie Moore the reigning champ whom he already beat as a heavyweight
Harold Johnson the outstanding contender for much of the 1950's and the title holder in the early 1960's
Yolande Pompey a good contender in the mid 1950's
Willie Pastrano the clever boxer who briefly held the title in the 1960's
Doug Jones the durable, heavy handed light heavyweight contender who also competed as a heavyweight
Eddie Cotton a long-time contender in the 1960's
Mauro Mina the underrated Peruvian
Aging former MW champ Bobo Olson
The granite-jawed Henry Hank
Wayne Thornton
Jose Torres
**** Tiger
Gregorio Peralta
Bob Foster

The fight with Don Grant was unbelievable to see. Pattersons speed, power and combinations were just wicked.

[GJC]

If he stayed at Light Heavyweight he would have beat everyone out there save Harold Johnson and Bob Foster and gone down as a top 5 LHW

You think Johnson would have beaten him but not Archie Moore?

I must note thar re-reading my post although like I said I'm not a huge Patterson fan I kind of have him reigning tucked in between Moore and Foster so only reigning for 8-10 years lol. So in answer to the original question that would certainly boost him up considerably in the ATG lists.
Off the top of my head my top 10 LHW's (forgive me if I have forgotten anyone)
Fitzsimmons
Loughran
Tunney
Lewis
Conn
Charles
Moore
Foster
Spinks
RJJ

I guess Patterson has got to get in there but I would hate to lose one of these guys.