Floyd Patterson as a HW champion

[The Old LefHook]

Patterson is lighter than every heavyweight champion after him, but was at least a decent match in size for most heavyweight champs that preceded him, though most would have had an advantage of dimensions on their side as well. Give him credit, the man punched like a heavyweight.

[soul_survivor]

I just wanted to mention two things about Patterson which make him historically relevant to the division and to boxing:

1. Youngest every heavyweight champion

2. First man to regain the heavyweight championship

[Battlefield]

You say Harry Greb is your king, yet you have never seen a second of him fight.

[Battlefield]

Patterson is lighter than every heavyweight champion after him, but was at least a decent match in size for most heavyweight champs that preceded him, though most would have had an advantage of dimensions on their side as well. Give him credit, the man punched like a heavyweight.

Not only did he punch hard, he had awesome speed.
I saw a clip of lots of old heavies on the speedball, and he looked like the fastest one, even over Ali.

[Canelo and GGG]

You say Harry Greb is your king, yet you have never seen a second of him fight.

I heard what others said about him and what style he used and who he beat is in record books ,man is legend and have nothing but respect for him .Fact that i never saw him fight is makeing him even more interesting and epic.

[Battlefield]

I heard what others said about him and what style he used and who he beat is in record books ,man is legend and have nothing but respect for him .Fact that i never saw him fight is makeing him even more interesting and epic.

It might make him interesting(as you say) but to be your king, based only on what you heard others say, is strange.

[BattlingNelson]

It might make him interesting(as you say) but to be your king, based only on what you heard others say, is strange.

There is plenty of footage of the guys he beat though.

[Keleneki]

Floyd was humble guy down to earth,i watched some Docs about him,his friendship with Ingemar Johansson.

but how you rate him as a champion,he had short decent run with belt,2 monsters of HW ended his championship dreams,Liston and Ali.Ali hated Patterson and punished him badly in theyr fight,i think that Floyd lost confidance and drive to win that night.

His HoFer ofc but we have high standards ,for Garcia or Canelo but Imo Patterson resume is not far batter.

but lets talk about his legacy as a champion.

He fought in defens of his title with debuting Pete Rademacher,which is historical event and never happend again.

he bringed something new to the game,he was fast handed Champion with new style ,trained by Cus D'Amato ofc.

he became the youngest boxer in history to win the title, and was also the first heavyweight to regain the title after losing it.(in that time)

he was tough man and good guy .(not a legacy ofc,just my impression)

he was olympic golden medalist in MW.

FOTY from 1965 not as a champion doe.


His title regin was not impressive ,i feel like he was like Rocky he just had good moment to capture the title,and he hold it till better fighters apeard(Liston,Ali)

How do you rank him among HW champs?

i like Floyds quote 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."

or "They said I was the fighter who got knocked down the most, but I also got up the most." it shows his toughness and force of will,i admired Floyd for fighting to the end ,he was true champion but not great one.i peronaly rank him among likes of Spinks,Norton and Frazier ,good champs but not special .

This man could be SPECIAL LHW,could be.....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSffsqDnOxs Floyd Doc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg2dopDFUHM title fight with Moore

I remember in the Jose Torres book about Mike Tyson, there was a portion about Floyd Patterson. Apparently, he had an even meaner streak than Mike Tyson when Cus D'Amato first got him. That part of the book always stuck out in my mind, because, as you write, he seemed like such a nice and humble man.

I've always thought that he and Michael Dokes had some of the fastest hands I've seen at heavyweight.

[fschofield]

I agree with shoulder roll

[billeau2]

Man I could swear we just had a Patterson thread. I love how everyone acknowledges that Patterson was blindingly fast, and had a heavyweight punch, yet... Somehow he was lacking. I don't see it that way at all.., Patterson was a small fast heavyweight. His speed was his attribute. yes he had a heavyweight punch because he was a heavyweight.

if one reads about Patterson he did start as a middle and then a light heavy. Light heavies who have talent often become heavyweights...I tend to think Floyd was better as a heavy, as opposed to Tunney who was a better light heavy imo.

patterson did beat guys like Bonavena, Chuvalo, Moore... and losing to a prime Liston should not be held against anyone. he was a mobile fighter with excellent boxing skills.