PING: Sab- Floyd Patterson dead at 71

[vtbub]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/11/AR2006051100818.html

A truly interesting story. You are our resident boxing guy, your thoughts?

[cuervo72]

Is it me, or was Patterson somewhat of a forgotten champion? I remember reading about him as a kid from all the old Encyclopedia Year Books we had (from 1959 to well into the 60's...I loved those things, and was very disappointed when they were ruined from a sewage backup in our basement), but didn't hear much of him in the media.

[sabotai]

Floyd Patterson is someone I don't know too much about. He essentially was the connector between Marciano's reign and the heavyweight boom of the 60's and 70's. I always got the impression he was someone who was in the right place at the right time. Had he come along a few years later, he probably wouldn't have been champion.

[timmynausea]

The only thing I know about Floyd Patterson is that he was youngest heavyweight champ until Tyson came along. Both were trained by Cus D'amato. I thought it was interesting that the article didn't mention that "youngest" fun fact.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

The scariest knockout I ever saw was his KO of Johansson in their second fight. The way Johansson's foot was quivering as he lay their motionless... even knowing he would be alright (watching it on tape, as I was born in '72) you still drop your jaw and say "My God..." Then Patterson tries to go see him and they have to hold him back while the doctors try to revive him...

Floyd Patterson was a class act. (Well, Ali might have said differently...)

Was Floyd a great champ? Well, he beat everyone he had to until Sonny Liston came along. Marciano wasn't the best guy whoever entered the ring either, but in the post-Rocky days of course Patterson would pale in comparison to such a popular figure. Then the way Liston DESTROYED him... He was a fast, light guy who could have probably stayed undefeated at cruiserweight. Today he would have weighed 20-30 lbs more and we would have marveled at him. Think of Evander Holyfield without the baggage.

[BYU 14]

The scariest knockout I ever saw was his KO of Johansson in their second fight. The way Johansson's foot was quivering as he lay their motionless... even knowing he would be alright (watching it on tape, as I was born in '72) you still drop your jaw and say "My God..." Then Patterson tries to go see him and they have to hold him back while the doctors try to revive him...

Floyd Patterson was a class act. (Well, Ali might have said differently...)

Was Floyd a great champ? Well, he beat everyone he had to until Sonny Liston came along. Marciano wasn't the best guy whoever entered the ring either, but in the post-Rocky days of course Patterson would pale in comparison to such a popular figure. Then the way Liston DESTROYED him... He was a fast, light guy who could have probably stayed undefeated at cruiserweight. Today he would have weighed 20-30 lbs more and we would have marveled at him. Think of Evander Holyfield without the baggage.

Evander is a pretty good comparision, Floyd may have a slight edge in Boxing skills, but definitely a weaker Chin. People often questioned whether his Heart was fully into Boxing at all times but he was defnitely a class act in and out of the Ring. He would have mopped up the Cruiserweight Divison today if he chose to fight at the 190 limit which was easily attainable for him.