Floyd Patterson: The Peoples Champion
 By Gary Pino, May 13, 2006
 |
|
Floyd Patterson
|
This week is a sad one for boxing because it lost one of its great faces and personalities of the sport. Floyd Patterson was managed by the legendary trainer of champions Cus D’Amato. In a sense he was one of three champions Cus managed, and his first heavyweight champion before Mike Tyson in 1986. Patterson, the 1952 Olympic gold medal winner at middleweight, won the then vacant world heavyweight title by beating Archie Moore in 1956. This made Patterson the youngest ever champion at the raw age of 21, Floyd held that record until the young phenom also trained and managed by D’Amato, Mike Tyson, won the crown in 1986 at the age of 20.
Anyone who follows the sport knows Patterson was a small heavyweight with a lot of heart, and was a great champion and he helped put boxing on the right track with his with his boyish good looks and media friendly personality. But there was more to Patterson than just his record in boxing.
Patterson was put on the spot after regaining his title from Johansson in 1959. Coming up the ranks Sonny Liston was mauling his way to get his title shot. Liston was destroying everyone he faced with a combination of power and menace. As Sonny came to challenge for the title, the questions started pouring in if Patterson, the much smaller fighter who essentially stood no chance of keeping the title, would give Liston a shot? Patterson’s manager Cus D’Amato spurned Liston’s attempts to set a fight date with Patterson. Liston became so frustrated he marched into D’Amato’s office and begged for a title shot. Cus shot Liston down and the pressure began to mount on Floyd.
As the media and fans wanted no part of Liston because he was everything the sport didn’t need at the time, Patterson decided to give Sonny a shot, and the outraged D’Amato camp tried to get Patterson to reconsider. But Floyd felt Sonny at the time paid his dues and deserved a shot at the title. Nobody on the planet gave him more than a round or two against Liston and for once experts were correct. Liston beat Patterson inside of one round and the pre-fight introductions lasted longer than the actual fight.
After the big fight, or mismatch, Patterson actually decided he wanted a rematch with Liston, which Sonny had no problem with because the first fight was so easy, so why not! Plus Sonny actually said, “He was gracious enough to give me a shot, then he deserves a chance!” Sonny wasn’t known as a nice guy but he actually liked Floyd Patterson as everyone did. Floyd was just that kind of guy. The outcome of the second fight was nothing short of the first one. Liston mauled Patterson and that ended Patterson’s dream of winning the belt back then a record 3rd time. Patterson had tried a few comebacks but fell short. Most notable, his biggest fight was against then champion Muhammad Ali in which he was stopped in the 12th round.
I wanted to pay tribute to this man, because growing up and reading the books he was regarded as one of the sports nicest guys. Later on in his life Floyd adopted a son, Tracy, whom became a contender under Floyd’s guidance so I guess it was a whole new thing for Patterson overseeing Tracy’s career. As time went on he became sick with cancer and Alzheimer’s, which is a slow miserable way to live out your final days.
Floyd Patterson will be missed. If the heavyweight division had the likes of this man today or any era that person would be an ambassador for the sport. That’s how we should remember Floyd. He was a gentleman, a great guy who cared about everyone around him and a father and husband. This was a great loss and I thank him for being a golden nugget in a sport that has seen nothing but black eyes and scandal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2006
|
