Floyd Patterson

For more information on Floyd Patterson, visit Britannica.com.

boxer

Personal Information

Born Floyd Patterson, January 4, 1935, in Waco, North Carolina; son of Thomas Patterson; wife Sandra; children: Seneca, Jennifer, adopted son, Tracy.

Career

Won a gold medal in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics; World Heavyweight Champion 1956-59, 1960-62; Last fight in 1972 against Muhammed Ali; Commissioner, New York State Athletic Commission, 1977-84; Commissioner, New York City Sports Commission, 1985; Chairman, New York State Athletic Commission, 1995-98.

Life's Work

Floyd Patterson was born on January 4, 1935 in Waco, North Carolina-- the third of 11 children. He grew up in abject poverty and would become the youngest heavyweight champion until Mike Tyson came along. The family moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1936 so that Patterson's father Thomas could look for work. He worked in construction, as a longshoreman, in sanitation, and in a fish market. Thomas Patterson worked every day, but to Floyd's young eyes there never seemed to be enough. The Patterson's constantly moved around Brooklyn trying to accommodate the ever-growing family. As a child, Patterson felt ashame of not having clothes that fit and a sense of helplessness for not being able to help his parents provide for the family.

As a result of his own self-perception, Patterson did not go to school, but avoided the truant officer by staying in the dark all day--in neighborhood cellars, alleys, subway stations, or in the movies. Patterson was not like the other kids; he could not (or would not) read or write, he did not bring friends home, and he would not look people in the eye. Besides skipping school he began to steal to pass the time away. Because his mother could not control him, Patterson was sent to the Wiltwyck School for Boys in 1945, which was an alternative to jail for boys aged eight to 12. It was at this correctional institution that Patterson blossomed. At Wiltwyck he received individual attention and found that white and black kids were treated exactly the same.

It was also at Wiltwyck that Patterson put on boxing gloves for the first time. He was a natural, winning all three bouts in which he participated. At the age of twelve Patterson returned home a new person. He was still shy, but he had overcome the feeling of shame that was so deep-seeded within him as a small child. Patterson went to P.S. 614--a vocational elementary school where he got the idea that he could use boxing to earn money for his family.

In 1949 Patterson entered Gramercy Gym, which was run by Cus D'Amato, who would later train and manage Tyson. D'Amato gave Patterson boxing equipment and taught him the rudiments of the ring, but his first experience at boxing was almost his last. Patterson's first fight was against his brother Frank, who was then the 160-pound New York Golden Gloves Champion. He was pummeled by his big brother, but overcame his fear and stuck with the sport. Six months later he had his first amateur fight.

In January of 1950 Patterson entered and won his first AAU tournament bout in the 147-pound weight class. The next year as a 160-pound fighter, Patterson won his weight class and traveled to Chicago to participate in the national AAU Boxing Championships. 1951 was a significant year for Patterson personally because he met his future wife Sandra Hicks. Patterson wanted to turn pro that year as a sixteen-year-old, but D'Amato would not let him. In the back of his mind D'Amato was saving Patterson for the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. In 1952 Patterson won the Golden Gloves Championship at Madison Square Garden and the National AAU Championship in Boston. After Patterson won the Eastern Olympic tryouts and was named to the team, he left school for good for a chance at history. Patterson became a member of perhaps the finest United States Olympic boxing team ever assembled as the squad won five gold medals including Patterson's.

On September 12, 1952 Patterson had his first professional bout at the age of 17. He won it with a knockout in the first round to receive the eye-popping sum of three hundred dollars--half of which immediately went to his mother. Soon the family had a telephone, a television, and appliances in the home where Patterson still shared a bed with his little brother Larry. In his first month as a professional he won three fights and $1,000. Patterson was named "Ring Rookie of the Year" in 1953 by the New York Boxing Writers.

There was talk of matching the 19-year-old prodigy up against a ranked opponent, but D'Amato wanted to take it slower. After fighting four light heavyweights, D'Amato signed Patterson for his first big professional fight against veteran Joey Maxim. Patterson returned to Wiltwyck to train for the fight for which he would be paid $5,000. In his debut as a big-time contender, the kid lost to the experience of Maxim. Though Patterson did not believe he had lost in his heart, he was devastated. Later Patterson realized that he had been outsmarted by the ex-champion and developed a respect for Maxim. Patterson soon recovered from his loss and went on a tear of 11 straight knockouts including his first official heavyweight fight against Archie McBride. By the end of 1955 Patterson was fighting in Los Angeles and rubbing elbows with such Hollywood stars as Frank Sinatra and Kim Novack. Despite his new success and notoriety, he was miserable. He missed Sandra who was still in high school back in Brooklyn. When Patterson returned home, he asked Sandra to be is wife and the two were married on February 11, 1956 in a civil ceremony. After Patterson converted to Catholicism later that year the two were married again in a religious ceremony on July 13. Patterson bought a home for his family in Mt. Vernon, New York and he and his new wife moved in with them.

On April 12, 1956 Rocky Marciano retired, leaving the heavyweight division without a champion. On June 8 the 21-year-old Patterson fought Tommy 'Hurricane' Jackson at Madison Square Garden for a purse of $50,000. Despite a broken hand that he had injured two weeks before the fight, Patterson won the bout in a split decision. The path was open to fight for the newly vacated heavyweight championship. In September of 1956, Patterson was signed to fight Archie Moore for the heavyweight championship. As he drove to Chicago Stadium on November 30 he had more than the title belt and its $114,257 purse on his mind. At Queens Memorial Hospital back in New York Sandra was going into labor with their first child. Patterson was able to keep his composure and knocked out Moore in the fifth round. In his dressing room a reporter informed him that he was a father and showed him a picture of his new daughter Seneca. One and a half hours after winning the heavyweight championship Patterson was in a car on his way back to New York.

Patterson ruled the boxing world at the age of 21, but he learned in reality that his accomplishment meant little to a black man in 1957 America. He was not able to get a meal in a truck stop in Baltimore or eat in a restaurant in Kansas City during a five-city exhibition tour. In Wichita he was greeted by 50 people blocking his path from the station. A Catholic priest intervened and allowed Patterson and his entourage to stay with him at his Parish. After continuing on with his exhibition before a hushed all-white crowd, Patterson vowed that he would never box in front of a segregated crowd again. He insisted that promoters desegregate seating and avoid scheduling him to train in segregated towns. Patterson also became part of an anti- discrimination suit against a beauty parlor which would not take his wife's appointment. Becoming heavyweight champ was a rude awakening in other ways as well. The withdrawn Patterson was constantly stared at, and was criticized by the boxing media both for his youth and for not fighting real challengers to his heavyweight title. Because of D'Amato's dispute with the boxing powers-that-be, the best contenders would not fight Patterson. He fought Jackson again and also two lightly-regarded fighters Roy Harris and Brian London in 1958 before signing to take on the number one contender, Ingemar Johansson from Sweden.

Johansson was undefeated in 21 fights and had knocked out 13 previous opponents. During his training Johansson played up the fact that he had injured his right hand. He never threw it while sparring. During the championship fight, he also made Patterson a believer. Johansson did not even come close to throwing the right for the first two rounds. After setting up the young fighter to leave his left side open, Johansson delivered a crushing right hand to the side of Patterson's head which punctured his left ear drum and left him dazed for the rest of the bout. Johansson punched Patterson down seven times, but each time the bewildered champ struggled back to his feet. Finally the referee had to stop the fight.

After recovering from the physical beating, Patterson found that the mental anguish was worse to deal with. He had weeks of sleepless nights and even his children began to question if their father was sick. Finally the feelings of self-doubt and self-pity began to evolve into something like a hatred for Johansson. Patterson was also having his troubles with D'Amato after an investigation of the way the first Johansson fight was promoted. D'Amato would eventually have his license revoked on November 24, 1959 and be suspended from boxing. Despite not having his manager, Patterson had developed a burning desire for a rematch and for redemption. He decided not to wait for D'Amato's suspension to end and signed to fight the heavyweight champion again on June 20, 1960 at the Polo Grounds in New York. Patterson overcame another hand injury and his own demons of doubt in the second fight. He started out as the aggressor cutting Johansson's eye in the first round. Patterson worked him over for four more rounds and then at 1:51 of the fifth the ex-champ literally knocked Johansson senseless. Patterson was heavyweight champ again, but in his long climb back to the top of the boxing world he learned something about himself. For Patterson he would rather give up boxing than to develop a hatred for an opponent.

Years after the fight he told Sports Illustrated: "I was so filled with hate. I would not ever want to be like that again." He would fight Johansson a third time and though he struggled, Patterson found a way to win. He was knocked down twice in the first round, but then switched his focus to pounding Johansson's body. Patterson won the fight in the sixth round knocking Johansson out with a right. In late 1961 Patterson knocked out Tom McNealey in the fourth round after knocking him down eight times. After the McNealey fight Patterson again heard from the critics claiming that he would not fight any real challengers, but that would change all too soon.

The most obvious choice for a title bout was Charles "Sonny" Liston who had been demolishing all the boxers critics claimed Patterson should have been fighting. D'Amato was cautious as ever and did not want Patterson to fight Liston citing the ex-con's ties to organized crime. Even the NAACP did not want Patterson to give Liston a shot at the title because of his unsavory reputation. But Patterson fought Liston anyway on September 25, 1962 in Chicago. Liston outweighed Patterson by 25 pounds and was a nine-to-five favorite. Liston batted Patterson around like an amateur knocking him out in two minutes and six seconds of the first round. In the rematch a year later Liston knocked Patterson down three times before again knocking him out in the first round.

Many thought that Patterson's career was over, but he was only 29 years old and he decided to continue his boxing career. He won two bouts in Stockholm, Sweden and earned another shot at the title against Muhammad Ali. Patterson thought he matched up well with the brash young Ali, but he had no luck in the fight. He injured his back in the first round, but continued even though he was severely hampered. Patterson lasted into the twelfth round when the referee gave the bout to Ali on a technical knock out. Despite the terrible punishment he was receiving in the ring Patterson was not ready to retire. He defeated Henry Cooper in 1966 and fought four times in 1967.

Patterson lost to WBA Champion Jimmy Ellis in a title fight in Sweden despite breaking Ellis's nose and cutting his eye. He then left the ring for two years. He resumed boxing in 1970 mostly fighting washed- up journeymen through 1971. But he would get one last chance at the big-time in 1972. Muhammad Ali was looking to stay sharp while waiting for his rematch with Joe Frazier. He signed to fight the 37- year-old Patterson on September 20 in 1972. Patterson stayed even with Ali for the first four rounds, but Ali cut Patterson badly over his right eye and the ring doctor stopped the fight in the eighth round. Patterson called for a third fight with Ali, but it never happened. The brutal beating by Ali would be his last fight. Patterson's final record was 55-8-1 with 40 knockouts.

Though he would never fight again, Patterson remained active in boxing. Patterson opened a gym in New Paltz, New York to bring along young fighters the way D'Amato brought him to boxing prominence. In 1976 Patterson took particular interest in an 11-year-old kid named Tracy Harris, who reminded him of himself as a boy. Patterson took the young boxer under his wing both personally and professionally. He eventually adopted Tracy Juan Harris Patterson as well as becoming his trainer and manager. Patterson guided his new son to two Golden Gloves titles as an amateur and to 97 victories. Patterson seemed to work well with his son as Tracy compiled an excellent professional record and won the World Boxing Council junior featherweight championship. But the newest Patterson wanted a change. In late 1994 he told his adopted father that he wanted a different manager and the bond between father and son was broken. Though Patterson suffered pain in his personal life, his tireless work in the boxing community brought him to the attention of New York Governor George Pataki. He was named the athletic commissioner of the State of New York in June of 1995. Patterson hoped to use casino gambling as a way to bring the marquee fights from Las Vegas back to New York. He also wanted to establish a pension fund for older fighters in the state. In late December of 1995 Patterson presided over the biggest bout in New York in decades pitting Oscar De La Hoya against Jesse James Leiha. What should have been his greatest professional triumph was spoiled by the results of one of the undercard fights. Patterson sat slumped in his chair as he watched his estranged adopted son lose his title.

At 61 years old Patterson appeared to be the picture of health. He still worked out at his gym and remained active running the athletic commission and serving as a Eucharistic minister administering Communion to residents of a nearby nursing home. But all was not well with the former champion. There were rumors that Patterson's memory was slipping. The truth came out after a New York Post report on a deposition that Patterson gave in March of 1998 in regards to "ultimate fighting." During the deposition Patterson could not remember his secretary's name, the name of the man he replaced as athletic commissioner, or the name of Archie Moore, the man he defeated for the heavyweight championship. Patterson's friend and former boxer Jose Torres told The Sporting News: "I felt that he was having a little trouble with his memory, and people were talking about it all around boxing..." The fallout from the revelation led to Patterson's resignation from the athletic commission on April 1, 1998. Since then Patterson has retired to his 17-acre farm in New Paltz having left a legacy as an honest and loyal gentleman in a world of boxing con-men, back-stabbers, and charlatans. He remained as legendary sportswriter Red Smith said, as quoted in Sports Illustrated: "A man of peace whose life has been devoted to beating men with his fists."

Awards

Received "Setting a Good Example Award" from President John F. Kennedy, 1961; Elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame, 1976; Received the "Pioneer of Excellence Award" from the World Institute of Black Communications and CBS Records, 1986.

Further Reading

Books

• Patterson, Floyd and Gross, Milton. Victory Over Myself. Bernard Geis Associates; New York, 1962.

• Sports Illustrated, March 22, 1993, p. 70; November 18, 1996, p. 4.
• The Sporting News, April 1, 1998.

• World Boxing Association website: http:www.wbaonline.com/insidewba/history/legends--fpater.htm
• The Cyber Boxing Zone website: http:www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/box4--97.htm
• Heavyweight Boxing Championship History website: http://www.nashville.com/wws604/hwbs.htm#Patterson

— Michael J. Watkins

Floyd Patterson

Statistics
Real name	Floyd Patterson
Nickname(s)	The Gentleman of Boxing
Rated at	Light heavyweight Heavyweight
Nationality	USA
Birth date	January 4, 1935(1935-01-04)
Birth place	Waco, North Carolina, U.S.
Death date	May 11, 2006 (aged 71)
Death place	New Paltz, New York, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	64
Wins	55
Wins by KO	40
Losses	8
Draws	1
No contests	0

Floyd Patterson (January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006 in Waco, North Carolina) was an American 2-time world heavyweight boxing champion. At 21, Patterson was then the youngest man to win the world heavyweight championship and, later, the first to regain it. He had a record of 55 wins 8 losses and 1 draw, with 40 wins by knockout.

Contents 1 Childhood and amateur career 1.1 Olympic Results 2 Early Pro career 3 Champion 4 Retired life 5 Death 6 Pop Culture References 7 Quotes 8 See also 9 Professional boxing record 10 References 11 External links 12 References and Notes

Childhood and amateur career

Born into a poor family in Waco, North Carolina, Patterson was the youngest of eleven children and experienced an insular and troubled childhood. His family moved to Brooklyn, New York, where Floyd was a truant and petty thief. At age ten, he was sent to the Wiltwyck School for Boys, a reform school in upstate New York, which he credited with turning his life around. He stayed there for almost 2 years.

At age fourteen he started to box, trained by Cus D'Amato at his Gramercy Gym. Aged just 17, Patterson won the Gold medal in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as a middleweight. 1952 turned out to be a good year for the young Patterson; in addition to Olympic gold Patterson won the National Amateur Middleweight Championship and New York Golden Gloves Middleweight championship.

By the 1950s, Patterson was a resident of Rockville Centre, New York.^[1]

Olympic Results

Olympic medal record
Men's Boxing
Competitor for  United States
Gold	1952 Helsinki	Middleweight

• Defeated Omar Tebakka, points
• Defeated Leonardus Jansen KO 1
• Defeated Stig Sjolin DQ 3
• Defeated Vassile Tita KO 1

Patterson's amateur record over 44 fights was 40-4, with 37 knockouts.

Patterson carried his hands higher than most boxers, in front of his face. Sportswriters called Patterson's style a "peek-a-boo" stance.

Early Pro career

Patterson turned pro and steadily rose through the ranks, his only early defeat being an eight-round decision to former light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim on June 7, 1954, at the Eastern Parkway Arena in Brooklyn, New York.

Champion

Although Patterson fought around the light heavyweight limit for much of his early career, he and manager Cus D'Amato always had plans to fight for the heavyweight championship. In fact, D'Amato made these plans clear as early as 1954, when he told the press that Patterson was aiming for the heavyweight title.^[2] However, after Rocky Marciano announced his retirement as heavyweight champion of the world on April 27 1956, Patterson was ranked by Ring magazine as the top light heavyweight contender. After Marciano's announcement, Jim Norris of the International Boxing Club stated that Patterson was one of the six fighters who would take part in an elimination tournament to crown Marciano's successor. Ring then moved Patterson into the heavyweight rankings, at number five.^[3]

After beating Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson in an elimination fight, Patterson faced light heavyweight champion Archie Moore on November 30, 1956, for the world heavyweight championship. He beat Moore by a knockout in five rounds, and became the youngest world heavyweight champion in history, at the age of 21 years and 10 months. He was the first Olympic gold medalist to win a professional heavyweight title.

Ingemar Johansson knocks out Floyd Patterson and becomes boxing heavyweight champion of the world, June 26, 1959.

After a series of defenses, Patterson met Ingemar Johansson of Sweden, in the first of three fights. Johansson triumphed over Patterson on June 26, 1959, with the referee Ruby Goldstein stopping the fight in the third round after the Swede had knocked Patterson down seven times. Johansson became that country's first world heavyweight champion, thus becoming a national hero in Sweden as the first European to defeat an American for the title since 1933.

Patterson knocked out Johansson in the fifth round of their rematch on June 20, 1960, to become the first man to regain the undisputed world heavyweight title. Johansson hit the canvas hard, seemingly out before he landed flat on his back. With glazed eyes, blood trickling from his mouth, and his left foot quivering, he was counted out. Johansson lay unconscious for five minutes before he was helped onto a stool.

A third fight between them was held on March 13, 1961, and while Johansson put Patterson on the floor, Patterson retained his title by knockout in the sixth round to win the rubber match in which Patterson was decked twice and Johannson once in the first round.

Patterson faced a variety of lesser contenders, including 1956 Olympic Champion Pete Rademacher fighting in his first professional match, which led to charges that Patterson was ducking number one contender Sonny Liston. Patterson, stung by the criticism, agreed to fight Liston.

Patterson lost his title to Liston on September 25, 1962, by a first-round knockout. The two fighters were a marked contrast. In the ring, Liston's size and power proved too much for Patterson's guile and agility. Ten months later, on July 22, 1963, Patterson attempted to become the first boxer to win the heavyweight title three times, but Liston once again knocked him out in the first round.

Following these defeats, Patterson went through a depression. However, he eventually recovered and began winning fights again, including victories over Eddie Machen and George Chuvalo. Patterson became the number one challenger for the title then held by Muhammad Ali. On November 22, 1965, in yet another attempt to be the first to win the world's heavyweight title three times, Patterson lost by technical knockout at the end of the 12th round, in a bout in which Ali was clearly dominant.

Despite this loss, Patterson was still a legitimate contender. In 1966 he traveled to England and knocked out British boxer Henry Cooper in just four rounds at Wembley Stadium. In comparison, Ali never scored a knockdown against Cooper in their two bouts.

In September 1969 he divorced his first wife, Sandra Hicks Patterson, who wanted him to quit boxing while he still had hopes for another title shot. When Ali was stripped of his title for refusing induction into the military, the World Boxing Association staged an eight-man tournament to determine his successor. Patterson lost a controversial 12-round decision to Jerry Quarry in 1967. Subsequently, in a third and final attempt at winning the title a third time, Patterson lost a controversial 15-round referee's decision to Jimmy Ellis in Sweden despite breaking Ellis' nose and scoring a disputed knockdown.

Patterson continued on, however, defeating Oscar Bonavena in a close fight over ten rounds in early 1972. However, a final defeat by Muhammad Ali in a rematch for the North American Boxing Federation heavyweight title on September 20, 1972, convinced Patterson to retire at the age of 37.

Retired life

In retirement, he and Johansson became good friends who flew across the Atlantic to visit each other every year, and he became chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. He was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.

In 1982 and 1983 he ran the Stockholm Marathon together with Ingemar Johansson.

Patterson lived in New Paltz, New York for many years and was known as a true gentlemen around town. He was a Latin Rite Catholic convert and a member of the Knights of Columbus.

His adopted son, Tracy Harris Patterson, was a world champion boxer in the 1990s and was trained by Floyd during part of his career.

The New Paltz High School football field was named "Floyd Patterson Field" in 1985.

Death

The grave of Floyd Patterson

Floyd Patterson suffered from Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer and had been hospitalized for a week prior to his death. He died at home in New Paltz in 2006 at age 71. He is buried at New Paltz Rural Cemetery in New Paltz, Ulster County, New York.

Pop Culture References

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (October 2007)

• In the Japanese boxing manga and anime series Hajime no Ippo (Fighting Spirit), the title character Makunouchi Ippo is taught the "Gazelle Punch" which is a recreation of the leaping blow Patterson used to defeat Johansson in their first rematch fight. Conversely, the character Takeshi Sendo's main technique, the Smash, is modeled after Donovan "Razor" Ruddock's technique, created to beat Mike Tyson's impenetrable defense.

• He is a character in the popular Fight Night Round 3 video game, although he is portrayed as a slow, wild punching slugger, he was a quick, sharp punching boxer.^{[citation needed]}

• Patterson is mentioned in the Billy Joel song We Didn't Start the Fire, "Liston beats Patterson."

• Patterson is mentioned in the Swedish rock group Eldkvarns song "Alice", that deals with childhood memories from Norrköping in the 1950s. The line: "Sen kom Floyd Patterson på ett lastbilsflak" refers to Floyd Patterson touring Sweden in August 1960. He was paraded through Norrköping on a flat bed truck waving to the crowds.

• In the Mad Men episode Six Month Leave, Patterson is noted as being at the same underground casino as the show's characters. He does appear on-screen. Insult comic Jimmy Barrett speaks to him after being punched by another character.

Quotes

• "It's easy to do anything in victory. It's in defeat that a man reveals himself."

• "They said I was the fighter who got knocked down the most, but I also got up the most."

• "When you have millions of dollars, you have millions of friends." [1]

• On boxing: "It's like being in love with a woman. She can be unfaithful, she can be mean, she can be cruel, but it doesn't matter. If you love her, you want her, even though she can do you all kinds of harm. It's the same with me and boxing. It can do me all kinds of harm but I love it."

See also

• List of heavyweight boxing champions

Professional boxing record

55 Wins (40 knockouts, 15 decisions), 8 Losses (5 KO, 3 Decisions), 1 Draw[4]
Res.	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	Muhammad Ali	TKO	7 (15)	1972-09-20	New York, NY, USA	Fight was for NABF Heavyweight title
Win	Pedro Agosto	TKO	6 (10) 3:00	1972-07-14	Queens, NY, USA
Win	Oscar Bonavena	Decision (unanimous)	10 (10)	1972-02-11	New York, NY, USA
Win	Charlie Harris	KO	6 (10) 2:41	1971-11-23	Portland, OR, USA
Win	Vic Brown	Decision (unanimous)	10 (10)	1971-08-21	Buffalo, NY, USA
Win	Charley Polite	Decision	10 (10)	1971-07-17	Erie, PA, USA
Win	Terry Daniels	Decision (unanimous)	10 (10)	1971-05-26	Cleveland, OH, USA
Win	Roger Russell	TKO	9 (10) 1:29	1971-03-29	Philadelphia, PA, USA
Win	Levi Forte	KO	2 (10)	1971-01-16	Miami, FL, USA
Win	Charley Green	KO	10 (10) 1:15	1970-09-15	New York, NY, USA
Loss	Jimmy Ellis	Decision	12 (12)	1968-09-14	Stockholm, Sweden	Fight was for WBA World Heavyweight title
Loss	Jerry Quarry	Decision (majority)	12 (12)	1967-10-28	Los Angeles, CA, USA
Draw	Jerry Quarry	Decision (majority)	10 (10)	1967-06-09	Los Angeles, CA, USA
Win	Bill McMurray	KO	1 (10) 2:37	1967-03-30	Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Win	Willie Johnson	KO	3 (10) 2:05	1967-02-13	Miami, FL, USA
Win	Henry Cooper	KO	4 (10) 2:10	1966-09-20	London, United Kingdom
Loss	Muhammad Ali	TKO	12 (15) 2:18	1965-11-22	Las Vegas, NV, USA	Fight was for World Heavyweight title
Win	Tod Herring	TKO	3 (10) 0:40	1965-05-14	Stockholm, Sweden
Win	George Chuvalo	Decision (unanimous)	12 (12)	1965-02-01	New York, NY, USA
Win	Charley Powell	KO	6 (10) 1:21	1964-12-12	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Win	Eddie Machen	Decision	12 (12)	1964-07-05	Solna, Sweden
Win	Santo Amonti	TKO	8 (10)	1964-01-06	Stockholm, Sweden
Loss	Sonny Liston	KO	1 (15) 2:09	1963-07-22	Las Vegas, NV, USA	Fight was for World Heavyweight title
Loss	Sonny Liston	KO	1 (15) 2:05	1962-09-25	Chicago, IL, USA	Lost World Heavyweight title
Win	Tom McNeeley	KO	4 (15) 2:51	1961-12-04	Toronto, Canada	Retained World Heavyweight title
Win	Ingemar Johansson	KO	6 (15) 2:45	1961-03-13	Miami, FL, USA	Retained World Heavyweight title
Win	Ingemar Johansson	KO	5 (15) 1:51	1960-06-20	New York, NY, USA	Won World Heavyweight title
Loss	Ingemar Johansson	TKO	3 (15) 2:03	1959-06-26	Bronx, NY, USA	Lost World Heavyweight title
Win	Brian London	KO	11 (15) 0:51	1959-05-01	Indianapolis, IN, USA	Retained World Heavyweight title
Win	Roy Harris	Corner Retirement	12 (15)	1958-08-18	Los Angeles, CA, USA	Retained World Heavyweight title
Win	Pete Rademacher	KO	6 (15) 2:57	1957-08-22	Seattle, WA, USA	Retained World Heavyweight title
Win	Tommy Jackson	TKO	10 (15) 1:52	1957-07-29	New York, NY, USA	Retained World Heavyweight title
Win	Archie Moore	KO	5 (15) 2:27	1956-11-30	Chicago, IL, USA	Won vacant World Heavyweight title
Win	Tommy Jackson	Decision (split)	12 (12)	1956-06-08	New York, NY, USA
Win	Alvin Williams	KO	3 (10) 1:58	1956-04-10	Kansas City, MO, USA
Win	Jimmy Walls	TKO	2 (10) 2:29	1956-03-12	New Britain, CT, USA
Win	Jimmy Slade	TKO	7 (10) 2:05	1955-12-08	Los Angeles, CA, USA
Win	Calvin Brad	KO	1 (10) 2:58	1955-10-13	Los Angeles, CA, USA
Win	Dave Witlock	KO	3 (10) 0:52	1955-09-29	San Francisco, CA, USA
Win	Alvin Williams	TKO	8 (10)	1955-09-08	New Brunswick, Canada
Win	Archie McBride	KO	7 (10)	1955-07-06	New York, NY, USA
Win	Yvon Durelle	Corner Retirement	5 (10)	1955-06-23	New Brunswick, Canada
Win	Esau Ferdinand	KO	10 (10) 2:49	1955-03-17	Oakland, CA, USA
Win	Don Grant	TKO	5 (10) 1:13	1955-01-17	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Willie Troy	TKO	5 (8)	1955-01-07	New York, NY, USA
Win	Jimmy Slade	Decision (unanimous)	8 (8)	1954-11-19	New York, NY, USA
Win	Joe Gannon	Decision (unanimous)	8 (8)	1954-10-12	New York, NY, USA
Win	Esau Ferdinand	Decision (unanimous)	8 (8)	1954-10-11	New York, NY, USA
Win	Tommy Harrison	TKO	1 (8) 1:29	1954-08-02	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Jacques Royer Crecy	TKO	7 (8)	1954-07-12	New York, NY, USA
Loss	Joey Maxim	Decision (unanimous)	8 (8)	1954-06-07	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Jesse Turner	Decision (unanimous)	8 (8)	1954-05-10	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Alvin Williams	Decision (unanimous)	8 (8)	1954-04-19	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Sammy Brown	TKO	2 (12) 1:40	1954-03-30	Washington DC, USA
Win	Yvon Durelle	Decision (unanimous)	8 (8)	1954-02-15	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Dick Wagner	TKO	5 (8)	1953-11-14	Louisville, KY, USA
Win	Wes Bascom	Decision (unanimous)	8 (8)	1953-10-19	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Gordon Wallace	TKO	3 (8) 0:52	1953-06-01	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Dick Wagner	Decision (split)	8 (8)	1961-04-19	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Chester Mieszala	TKO	5 (6) 1:25	1953-01-28	Chicago, IL, USA
Win	Lalu Sabotin	TKO	5 (8) 1:30	1952-12-29	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Lester Johnson	TKO	3 (6) 1:26	1952-10-31	New York, NY, USA
Win	Sammy Walker	TKO	2 (6) 0:47	1952-10-06	Brooklyn, NY, USA
Win	Eddie Godbold	KO	4 (6) 1:39	1952-09-12	New York, NY, USA

References

• Dahlberg, Tim (2006-05-11). "Former Boxer Floyd Patterson Dies at 71". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/11/AR2006051100818.html. 
• Mulvaney, Kieran, Patterson an all-time great outside the ropes. ESPN.com, May 12, 2006.

• Victory Over Myself by Floyd Patterson with Milton Gross. Published by Bernard Geis Associates, distributed by Random House, 1962. Library of Congress Catalog Number: 62-15657.

External links

• Professional boxing record for Floyd Patterson from Boxrec
• Sports E-Cyclopedia's Memoriam to Floyd Patterson
• Floyd Patterson Obituary and Public Tributes
• Floyd Patterson at Findagrave.com
• SPORT magazine, November 1960
• svenska.yle.fi/arkivet: Interview with Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johansson

References and Notes

1. ^ Nichols, Joseph C. "30,000 EXPECTED AT POLO GROUNDS; Johansson's First Defense Likely to Bring Receipts of $750,000 at Gate", The New York Times, June 19, 1960. Accessed December 8, 2007. "Ingemar Johansson, a 27-year-old native of Goteborg Sweden, will make the first defense of his world heavyweight championship tomorrow night. He will oppose the previous title-holder, Floyd Patterson of Rockville Centre, L.I., in a fight scheduled for fifteen rounds at the Polo Grounds."
2. ^ Weston, Stanley (editor) (1996). The Best of the Ring. Chicago, IL: Bonus Books. pp. 183. ISBN 1-56625-056-0. 
3. ^ Daniel, Dan (August 2005), ""I Won't Be Back," Says Marciano", The Ring 84, no. 8: 90-91 
4. ^ "boxer: Floyd Patterson". http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9038&cat=boxer. Retrieved 2008-05-20. 

Sporting positions
Preceded by Rocky Marciano Retired	World Heavyweight Champion 1956–1959	Succeeded by Ingemar Johansson
Preceded by Ingemar Johansson	World Heavyweight Champion 1960–1962	Succeeded by Sonny Liston

v • d • e Olympic Boxing Champions in Men's Middleweight 1904: 145-158 lb (65.8-71.7 kg), 1908: 140-158 lb (63.5-71.7 kg), 1920-1936: 147-160 lb (66.7-72.6 kg), 1948: 67-73 kg 1952-2000: 71-75 kg, 2004-2008: 69-75 kg 1904: Charles Mayer (USA) • 1908: Johnny Douglas (GBR) • 1920–1924: Harry Mallin (GBR) • 1928: Piero Toscani (ITA) • 1932: Carmen Barth (USA) • 1936: Jean Despeaux (FRA) • 1948: László Papp (HUN) • 1952: Floyd Patterson (USA) • 1956: Gennadiy Shatkov (URS) • 1960: Eddie Crook, Jr. (USA) • 1964: Valeri Popenchenko (URS) • 1968: Chris Finnegan (GBR) • 1972: Vyacheslav Lemeshev (URS) • 1976: Michael Spinks (USA) • 1980: José Gómez (CUB) • 1984: Shin Joon-Sup (KOR) • 1988: Henry Maske (GDR) • 1992–1996: Ariel Hernández (CUB) • 2000: Jorge Gutiérrez (CUB) • 2004: Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov (RUS) • 2008: James DeGale (GBR)

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