Thursday, May 11, 2006
Former World Heavyweight Passes Away
Thanks for the memories Floyd.
Floyd Patterson, the first man to regain the world heavyweight title, has died at the age of 71.
The American, who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer, passed away at his home in New Paltz, New York on Thursday.
Patterson won Olympic middleweight gold in 1952 before becoming the youngest world heavyweight champion in 1956 when he stopped Archie Moore aged just 21.
He lost his crown to Ingemar Johansson in 1959 before regaining it in 1960.
Patterson was a relatively slight heavyweight, who made up for his lack of physical prowess by developing a defensive style known as 'peek-a-boo' which enabled him to get the better of much bigger opponents.
Patterson suffered two first-round KOs at the hands of Sonny Liston
Born in Brooklyn in 1935, Patterson overcame a period of teenage delinquency before learning to box in reform school.
After claiming Olympic gold in Helsinki, he turned pro and was taken under the wing of Mike Tyson's future mentor Cus D'Amato.
Patterson excelled in the professional ranks with the only blot on his early record a controversial loss to future light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim.
In 1956, Patterson was invited to participate in an elimination tournament to establish a new heavyweight champion following Rocky Marciano's retirement.
He stopped the 39-year-old Moore convincingly in the fifth round to win the title aged just 21.
He defended the title four times before running into relatively unknown Swede Johansson at Yankee Stadium in New York three years later.
Patterson was knocked down seven times in the third round as he lost his title, but recovered to regain it one year later with a fourth-round knockout win.
But Patterson could never deal with the brooding menace of Sonny Liston, who knocked him out in the first round in Chicago and did the same in Las Vegas 10 months later.
Such was his embarrassment after losing his title in Chicago, Patterson fled the arena wearing a false beard and moustache and dark glasses.
Patterson was unsuccessful in two attempts to regain the world title for a second time, stopped by Muhammad Ali in the final round in 1965 and dropping a decision to Jimmy Ellis for the WBA title in 1968.
Patterson's last fight was a second meeting with the re-emerging Ali in 1972, when he was stopped in the seventh round and decided to retire.
www.secrets-of-boxing.com
Floyd Patterson, the first man to regain the world heavyweight title, has died at the age of 71.
The American, who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer, passed away at his home in New Paltz, New York on Thursday.
Patterson won Olympic middleweight gold in 1952 before becoming the youngest world heavyweight champion in 1956 when he stopped Archie Moore aged just 21.
He lost his crown to Ingemar Johansson in 1959 before regaining it in 1960.
Patterson was a relatively slight heavyweight, who made up for his lack of physical prowess by developing a defensive style known as 'peek-a-boo' which enabled him to get the better of much bigger opponents.
Patterson suffered two first-round KOs at the hands of Sonny Liston
Born in Brooklyn in 1935, Patterson overcame a period of teenage delinquency before learning to box in reform school.
After claiming Olympic gold in Helsinki, he turned pro and was taken under the wing of Mike Tyson's future mentor Cus D'Amato.
Patterson excelled in the professional ranks with the only blot on his early record a controversial loss to future light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim.
In 1956, Patterson was invited to participate in an elimination tournament to establish a new heavyweight champion following Rocky Marciano's retirement.
He stopped the 39-year-old Moore convincingly in the fifth round to win the title aged just 21.
He defended the title four times before running into relatively unknown Swede Johansson at Yankee Stadium in New York three years later.
Patterson was knocked down seven times in the third round as he lost his title, but recovered to regain it one year later with a fourth-round knockout win.
But Patterson could never deal with the brooding menace of Sonny Liston, who knocked him out in the first round in Chicago and did the same in Las Vegas 10 months later.
Such was his embarrassment after losing his title in Chicago, Patterson fled the arena wearing a false beard and moustache and dark glasses.
Patterson was unsuccessful in two attempts to regain the world title for a second time, stopped by Muhammad Ali in the final round in 1965 and dropping a decision to Jimmy Ellis for the WBA title in 1968.
Patterson's last fight was a second meeting with the re-emerging Ali in 1972, when he was stopped in the seventh round and decided to retire.
www.secrets-of-boxing.com
# posted by Mark @ 12:28 PM
