Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rteacher]

When I was growing up, Floyd Patterson was the undisputed heavyweight champion of boxing when that title commanded a lot of respect. He always conducted himself as a gentleman outside the ring, was a good role-model for troubled youth, and continued to try to help disadvantaged youngsters when he retired from boxing.

Boxingwise, he won the Gold Medal in the middleweight class at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics when he was just 17. Although a natural middleweight, he fought ring great Archie Moore for the heavyweight title (left vacant when the legendary Rocky Marciano retired) and knocked him out in five rounds to become (at that time) the youngest heavyweight champion in history at age 21.

After a spectacular loss to big-punching Ingemar Johansson (in '59) Patterson became the first boxer to regain the heavyweight title with a tremendous leaping left hook that knocked the big Swede out cold. He was so gracious and considerate in victory that even many Swedish fans greeted him as a hero when he went on a European exhibition tour. Although he was knocked down more times than any heavyweight champion (at least ten times by Johansson alone) he also got up off the canvas more times than anyone.

The only times he was counted out were his two devastating one round loses to the menacing monster of the heavyweight division at that time, Sonny Liston. Patterson's physical limitations (very undersized, short reach, relatively weak jaw...) became evident in those fights, and his courageous insistence on "mixing it up" with that much bigger foe made the outcomes sadly predictable. (It was painful for me to hear the broadcasts of those fights on the radio...)

After losing decisively to the "greatest", Muhammed Ali, Patterson continued to be a viable contender with victories over Henry Cooper and Oscar Bonavena, and he arguably should have won the title for a third time when he was victimized by a controversial decision loss to then champ Jimmy Ellis. Not one to hold a grudge, Patterson showed no ill will toward the official who judged that fight when he later assumed the role of boxing commissioner.

Although because of his physical limitations and devastating loses he won't be considered among the all-time elite heavyweight champions for his in-the-ring work, his place in history for his outside the ring character (acknowledged by U.S. Presidents, civil rights leaders and informed boxing fans around the world...) is assured. In the words of veteran boxing analyst, Bert Sugar, "He ennobled the sport."
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2441796
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Patterson

[Dan The Chainsawman]

You really are an old bastard aren't you?

[Rteacher]

Yeah, I be old (but due to clean livin' I can still probably knock out any other poster on these forums - except for maybe a couple of the girls... )

I definitely remember hearing a Rocky Marciano championship fight (maybe against Ezzard Charles or Jersey Joe Walcott...) blasting on the radio in the living room while I was a baby lying awake in my crib... I vaguely remember seeing the Marciano-Joe Louis fight on a round-tubed black-and-white TV (I also recall watching some early prime-time wrestling on my grandma's TV as a toddler - she was a big fan of "Gorgeous George", I think... )

Anyway, it's all part of history - just a few miniscule scribblings on the big picture...

[Ya-ta Boy]

Grandma had TV before we did. I can remember Mom announcing at the supper table that there was a new kids program on on Saturday morning and us kids piling in the car and being hauled down to Grandma's house to watch....














MIGHTY MOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To return to the thread topic, I'm sure Mighty Mouse could have taken Floyd Patterson.

[manlyboy]

An undisputed gentleman.

R.I.P