Sad loss for boxing, as Floyd Patterson dies today at 71 :-(

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Heavyweight boxer Floyd Patterson is shown in an action pose in 1956. Patterson, who came back from an embarrassing loss to become the first boxer to regain the heavyweight title, died Thursday. He was 71. Patterson died at his home, in New Patlz, N.Y., having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for about eight years, according to nephew Sherman Patterson. He also had prostate cancer.(AP Photo)

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NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - Floyd Patterson, who came back from an embarrassing loss to become the first boxer to regain the heavyweight title, died Thursday. He was 71.



Patterson died at his home. He had Alzheimer's disease for about eight years and prostate cancer, nephew Sherman Patterson said.

Patterson's career was marked by historic highs and humiliating lows.

He emerged from a troubled childhood in Brooklyn to win the Olympic middleweight championship in 1952.

In 1956, the undersized heavyweight became at age 21 the youngest man to win the title with a fifth-round knockout of Archie Moore.

But three years later, Patterson was knocked down seven times in the third round in losing the title to Ingemar Johansson at the Polo Grounds in New York City.

Patterson returned with a vengeance at the same site in 1960, knocking out Johansson with a tremendous left hook to retake the title.

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

Despite his accomplishment, he was so humiliated when he lost the title on a first-round knockout to Sonny Liston in 1962 that he left Comiskey Park in Chicago wearing dark glasses and a fake beard. Patterson again was knocked out in the first round by Liston in 1963.

Patterson got two more shots at winning the title a third time. Battered and taunted for most of the fight by Muhammad Ali, Patterson was stopped in the 12th round in 1965. He lost a disputed 15-round decision to WBA champion Jimmy Ellis in 1968.

Overall, Patterson finished 55-8-1 with 40 knockouts. He was knocked out five times and knocked down a total of at least 15 times. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.

After retiring in 1972, Patterson remained close to the sport. He served twice as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission.

His second term began when he was picked in 1995 by Gov. George Pataki to help rebuild boxing in New York.

On April 1, 1998, Patterson resigned the post after a published report that a three-hour videotape of a deposition he gave in a lawsuit revealed he couldn't recall important events in his boxing career.

Patterson said he was very tired during the deposition and, "It's hard for me to think when I'm tired."

Patterson, one of 11 children, was in enough trouble as a youngster to be sent to the Wiltwyck School for Boys. After being released, he took up boxing, won a New York Golden Gloves championship and then the Olympic gold medal in the 165-pound class at Helsinki, Finland.

"If it wasn't for boxing, I would probably be behind bars or dead," he said in a 1998 interview.

He turned pro in 1952 under the management of Cus D'Amato, who in the 1980s would develop another heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson. Patterson fought as a light heavyweight until becoming a heavyweight in 1956.

After regaining the title, Patterson was the verge of losing it again when he was knocked down twice by Johansson in the first round in 1961. But Patterson knocked down Johansson before the round was over, then won on sixth-round knockout.

He made a successful defense, then lost the title to Liston in a fight a lot of people didn't want him to take. In fact, taking the match caused a split between Patterson and D'Amato.

Patterson said in 1997 that another person who didn't want him to fight Liston was President Kennedy.

"I'm sorry, Mr. President," Patterson said he told Kennedy. "The title is not worth anything if the best fighters can't have a shot at it. And Liston deserves a shot."

Patterson retired after been stopped by Ali in the seventh round of a non-title match in 1972 at Madison Square Garden.

Patterson and his second wife, Janet, lived on a farm near New Paltz, N.Y. After leaving the athletic commission, Patterson counseled troubled children for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

He also adopted Tracy Harris two years after the 11-year-old boy began hanging around the gym at Patterson's home. In 1992, Tracy Harris Patterson, with his father's help, won the WBC super bantamweight championship.

Funeral services for Patterson will be private.

:'( he will be missed :'(

One of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time, he will be missed and certainly not forgotten.

RIP Floyd Patterson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o-3q...arch=starbucks

The obits I've been reading have been sort of bashing him in round-about ways. Great fighter.

Was he the fighter who had the Gazelle Punch! I never saw any of his fights with him using that weapon.

A great fighter, probably better remembered for his great trilogy over Ingemarr Johannsonn than his defeats against Liston and Ali.

The youngest heavyweight world champ and the first to regain it.

Patterson combined sensitivity and decency with athleticism in a unique way that should not be forgotten. He also had an ability to bounce back from defeats and embarrassments and to continue learning. His career serves as an example for others to follow that have had to face adversity and triumph over it. I nearly always rooted for Patterson inside the ring and admired his consistency outside of it.

A true gentleman and one of my personal favourites.

R.I.P

I am completely gutted that he's gone :'(

One boxer who no matter how old he got he still looked as young as the day he won the title...

R.I.P Floyd.

you where a heavyweight champion when it ment something 8)

Excellent fighter, youngest ever Heavyweight Champion of the World (Mike YOU KNOW your #2) and the first to regain the Championship.

A top calibre fighter for over 15 years, and by most accounts a very decent human being.

great fighter, still waiting on cityboy to say something like "he's no mikkell kessler"

tribute to floyd...

he was the most knocked down fighter in history at that time...in return he replied

"well that means I got up the most times too"

R.I.P. to the first REPEAT HW CHAMP EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ps: im still waiting for the idiot thats going to say oh no the fight with Oscar is off because Floyd's dead.

Cool Click to the first one that can post the pic of him in his disguise after the Sonny fight.

yeah first man ever to regain the championship and until tyson the youngest ever champion who was a credit to the sport

RIP

He was brave and didn't duck nobody, something I wish the Heavyweights wouldn't do today

simply a class act

cc ty i didnt even know ..thanx for the article

I feel sad Floyd was my first HERO R I P

RIP. He was a great champion and Class Act

A Real Good Fighter and a real Gentlemen, REST IN PEACE CHAMP :'(

floyd was a great fighter....always a great shame when we lose an icon and a fighter...

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Originally Posted by miles

floyd was a great fighter....always a great shame when we lose an icon and a fighter...

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Indeed. Last was Nicolino Locche if I recall correctly.

Anyways, I made a signature for the sad occasion, anyone is free to use it if they wish.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...s/705f63a3.jpg

Sad Loss!!!
One fighter all the current ones should look at now! A true gentleman outside the ring, never got in trouble, and in the ring never ducked anyone. Even Liston, who everyone was avoiding. No one wanted him to fight Liston, especially his trainer because they knew that he would loose, and they gave him every chance to duck the fight. But his pride wouldn't allow him to. A true world champion :'(

Rest in Peace :army:

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Originally Posted by Britkid

Excellent fighter, youngest ever Heavyweight Champion of the World (Mike YOU KNOW your #2) and the first to regain the Championship.

A top calibre fighter for over 15 years, and by most accounts a very decent human being.

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Very well said. :coolclick:

On Britkid's reccomendation...we gettin sticky for the weekend with this one.

Respect & remember.

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Originally Posted by TheBESTP4P

ps: im still waiting for the idiot thats going to say oh no the fight with Oscar is off because Floyd's dead.

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I woulda jumped all over that...but I gotta say I got atleast...a tad bit of dignity... ;D

RIP Floyd Patterson - I remember seeing interviews with him on old Tyson videos talking about Cus. He spoke very well and looked like a real class act.


Sad day.

RIP A GREAT FIGHTER AND A GREATER MAN.

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Originally Posted by tuckwopat

The obits I've been reading have been sort of bashing him in round-about ways. Great fighter.

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How can you bash a guy like that???...He has been one of boxings most influential people both as a Champion and after....I am friends with Tracy Alot of my guy's go to his place and train with his...It's a sad day for boxing to lose one of it's greats

Rest In Peace

How can you not be a fan of him,he was a gentleman in and out of the ring with a heart of a lion a true class act

Fighters today could learn something from him about acting with dignity and class

RIP Floyd!!!!!!! your legacy lives on

Rest In Peace.

R.I.P

i've got the first 2 patterson johansson fights on the same tape and the second fight is awesome. when floyd drops him for the knock out you can see johansson's foot trembling from the left hook. he was out sparko.

A quiet, classy guy. Watch films of his fights and see how he always helped his opponent up after he KO'd them. A lot of fighters today should look at him as an example of how to conduct yourself as a champion. Rest in Peace, Floyd.

p.s. I believe his leaping punch was called a "Kangaroo Punch."

I was shocked when I saw it in the paper I was not aware he was ill, I was watching a few of his fights on espn classic on sky the other night, I always thought he was a nice chap when I saw him in interviews. He will be missed, RIP

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Britkid

Excellent fighter, youngest ever Heavyweight Champion of the World (Mike YOU KNOW your #2) and the first to regain the Championship.

A top calibre fighter for over 15 years, and by most accounts a very decent human being.

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You said it first. There is much that todays boxers can take from the likes of Patterson and other class acts like him.

RIP Floyd!

Rest in Peace Champ

He was the FIRST two-time HW champ not dempsey, johnson, schmelling, sharkey or walcott. Patterson...And for over 30 years he was the youngest as well.....great champ.....he will be missed...