Floyd Patterson offered to train Mike Tyson for FREE (after loss to Douglas)+ article

[Benny Leonard]

A Great Read from S.I.
Patterson lays it all out there with some great things about Cus as well as a quick note on Tyson.


I wonder why Patteson wasn't brought in earlier when Tyson was young and on the rise (while Cus was still alive). I know they had Torres there but why not Patterson?
Maybe personality clash?: They wanted to make sure Tyson was feared and if Floyd was there maybe Floyd's personality would rub off on Tyson so his character would change.


Here is the article:

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1003844/1/index.htm

It's what made him think, in 1988, of Tyson, who had recently served his manager, Cayton, with a lawsuit, dismissed his longtime trainer Kevin Rooney and fallen into the arms of Don King. Patterson wanted to help the floundering young man, for whom D'Amato had been legal guardian. "I don't think most of Tyson's big problems would have happened if Cus had still been around," Patterson says. Through a reporter, he sent word to Tyson's people that he would be willing to train Tyson for free. Weeks passed. Patterson never heard from either Tyson or King.

"All the things I went through—the good, the bad, the defeats—they made me," Patterson says. "I felt small once, too. I learned some lessons. I'm happy with myself today. I like myself today. That's my great accomplishment."- Patterson"

I suggest reading the full article because Floyd talks about Cus and there are some great parts in it.

It would have been interesting to have seen what Floyd could do with Tyson but obviously it wasn't going to happen with King involved.

[DLT]

Why did you want Patterson in there when Tyson alrerady had a great trainer in Rooney? Thats where they screwed up at. They shouldve kept Rooney. If they had done that then he wouldve still been a great fighter

[Benny Leonard]

Why did you want Patterson in there when Tyson alrerady had a great trainer in Rooney? Thats where they screwed up at. They shouldve kept Rooney. If they had done that then he wouldve still been a great fighter

This was after the loss to Douglas and Patterson wanted to help Tyson out. The Douglas-Tyson fight is on now on ESPN and they showed an interview with Floyd Patterson. Patterson basically says Tyson should remember what got him there. That was his advice. So yes, Floyd's basically saying...GO BACK TO ROONEY...GO BACK TO CATSKILL.

Floyd's offer was a kind gesture to help Tyson out. Their bond together was through Cus and through their street upbringing and then on to Cus and boxing.

[TheGreatA]

I remember Floyd training Frank Bruno for a while and of course his adopted son Tracy Harris.

Not long ago I watched an interview of his (which has now been removed from youtube), in which he said many of the same things that he says in this interview. I think he could have been a positive influence on Tyson.

Tyson admitted that he never got to know Patterson much and hardly ever talked to him.

Here's a different interview with Patterson:





Another one: