Floyd Patterson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Floyd Patterson |
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Floyd Patterson in January 1962
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| Nickname(s) | The Gentleman of Boxing | |||||||||||||
| Rated at |
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| Height | 5 ft 11+1/2 in | |||||||||||||
| Reach | 69+1/4 in | |||||||||||||
| Born | January 4, 1935 Waco, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Died | May 11, 2006 (aged 71) New Paltz, New York, U.S. |
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| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 64 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 55 | |||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 40 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 8 | |||||||||||||
| Draws | 1 | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Floyd Patterson (born January 4, 1935 – died May 11, 2006) was a famous American professional boxer. He competed from 1952 to 1972. He was the world heavyweight champion twice between 1956 and 1962. At just 21 years old, he became the youngest boxer ever to win this important title. He was also the first heavyweight to win back his title after losing it. As an amateur boxer, he won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
In 1956 and 1960, Patterson was named "Fighter of the Year" by The Ring magazine. He also received the Sugar Ray Robinson Award from the Boxing Writers Association of America. He was honored by being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.
Contents
Early Life and Boxing Start
Floyd Patterson was born on January 4, 1935, in Waco, North Carolina. He grew up in a large, poor family with ten brothers and sisters. His family later moved to Brooklyn, New York. Floyd had a difficult childhood. He often skipped school and got into minor trouble.
At age 10, he was sent to the Wiltwyck School for Boys. This school helped him change his life for the better. He stayed there for almost two years. Later, he went to high school in New Paltz, New York, where he was very good at all sports.
Becoming an Olympic Champion
Patterson started boxing when he was fourteen years old. He trained at the Bedford-Stuyvesant Boxing Association Gym. Just three years later, in 1952, he won a gold medal at the Helsinki Olympics. He competed in the middleweight division. In the same year, he also won the National Amateur Middleweight Championship. He also won the New York Golden Gloves Middleweight Championship. During this time, he met Cus D'Amato, who became his trainer.
Floyd's younger brother, Raymond, also became a professional heavyweight boxer. Raymond has lived in Gothenburg, Sweden, since 1965.
Floyd's Amateur Boxing Record
Floyd Patterson had a great amateur record. He won 40 fights, with 37 of those wins coming by knockout. He only lost 4 fights.
- Round of 16: He beat Omar Tebakka from France.
- Quarterfinal: He stopped Leonardus Jansen from the Netherlands in the first round.
- Semifinal: He won against Stig Sjölin from Sweden.
- Final: He knocked out Vasile Tiță from Romania in the first round.
Patterson held his hands higher than most boxers. This style was called a "peek-a-boo" stance by sports writers.
Professional Boxing Career
Floyd Patterson became a professional boxer and quickly moved up in the rankings. His first loss as a pro was in 1954. He lost an eight-round decision to former Light Heavyweight Champion Joey Maxim.
Fighting for the World Title
Even though Patterson often fought as a light heavyweight, he and his manager, Cus D'Amato, always planned for him to fight for the Heavyweight Championship. When Rocky Marciano retired as the World Heavyweight Champion in 1956, the title became open. The Ring magazine ranked Patterson as a top contender.
Patterson vs. Moore
After winning an elimination fight against Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson, Patterson faced Light Heavyweight Champion Archie Moore. This fight was on November 30, 1956, for the World Heavyweight Championship. Patterson won by a knockout in the fifth round. He became the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history. He was 21 years, 10 months, 3 weeks, and 5 days old. He was also the first Olympic gold medalist to win a professional heavyweight title.
Patterson vs. Johansson Fights
After defending his title a few times, Patterson fought Ingemar Johansson from Sweden. Their first fight was on June 26, 1959. Johansson won by knockout in the third round. He knocked Patterson down seven times. Johansson became Sweden's first World Heavyweight Champion. He was also the first European to beat an American for the title since 1933.
Patterson had a rematch with Johansson on June 20, 1960. Patterson knocked out Johansson in the fifth round. This made him the first boxer in history to win back the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. Johansson was unconscious for five minutes after the knockout.
They fought a third time on March 13, 1961. Patterson won again by knockout in the sixth round. In this fight, both boxers were knocked down. Patterson used strong body punches to wear down Johansson.
After these fights, Patterson defended his title against Tom McNeeley in December 1961. He won by knockout in the fourth round. However, he avoided fighting Sonny Liston. This was partly because his manager, Cus D'Amato, did not want Patterson to fight someone with connections to organized crime. Eventually, Patterson decided to fight Liston without D'Amato managing his business.
Patterson vs. Liston Fights
Many people thought Liston would win the fight against Patterson. Some famous boxers even picked Patterson to win. The fight also had social importance. Liston's connections to the mob were known. Some groups worried that a Liston victory would harm the civil rights movement. Patterson said that President John F. Kennedy also did not want him to fight Liston.
Patterson lost his title to Liston in Chicago on September 25, 1962. Liston knocked him out in the first round. Liston's size and power were too much for Patterson. Patterson did not use his speed well. He tried to hold Liston often. Liston hit Patterson with body shots and then powerful punches to the head. This knockout was one of the fastest in boxing history. After the fight, Patterson left the stadium wearing dark glasses and a fake beard. He wanted to avoid being recognized.
The rematch was delayed because Liston injured his knee. It finally happened on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. Patterson tried to become the first boxer to win the heavyweight title three times. But Liston knocked him out again in the first round. Patterson lasted only four seconds longer than in their first fight.
After Losing the Title
After these defeats, Patterson felt very sad. But he soon recovered and started winning fights again. He had important wins against Eddie Machen and George Chuvalo. His fight with Chuvalo was named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring magazine.
Facing Muhammad Ali
Patterson became the top challenger for the title held by Muhammad Ali. On November 22, 1965, in Las Vegas, Patterson tried again to win the world heavyweight title for a third time. He went into the fight with a back injury. Ali was clearly better in this fight. Ali also made fun of Patterson during the fight. He called Patterson an "Uncle Tom" because Patterson refused to call him Muhammad Ali. Ali also criticized Patterson for speaking out against black Muslims.
Ali did not try to knock Patterson out quickly. Instead, he mocked and punished Patterson throughout the fight. The referee finally stopped the fight in the 12th round.
End of a Great Career
Patterson remained a strong boxer. In 1966, he went to England and knocked out British boxer Henry Cooper in four rounds.
When Muhammad Ali lost his title, the World Boxing Association held a tournament. Patterson fought Jerry Quarry to a draw in 1967. Four months later, Patterson lost a close decision to Quarry in a rematch. In his third and final attempt to win the title again, Patterson lost a controversial decision to Jimmy Ellis in 1968. This was despite Patterson breaking Ellis's nose.
In September 1969, he divorced his first wife, Sandra Hicks Patterson. She wanted him to stop boxing, but he still hoped for another title shot.
Patterson continued to fight. He defeated Oscar Bonavena in a close fight in early 1972. At age 37, Patterson had his last fight. He was stopped after seven rounds due to a cut eye in a rematch with Muhammad Ali. This was on September 20, 1972. He never officially announced his retirement.
Life After Boxing
After retiring from boxing, Floyd Patterson became good friends with Ingemar Johansson. They visited each other every year. Patterson also served two terms as the chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.
Patterson lived in New Paltz, New York, with his second wife, Janet Seaquist. They had two daughters, Jennifer and Janene. He even ran the Stockholm Marathon twice with Ingemar Johansson. He also completed the 1983 New York City Marathon.
His adopted son, Tracy Harris Patterson, became a world champion boxer in the 1990s. Floyd trained him for part of his career. They are the first father and son to win world titles in boxing. Floyd also trained Canadian heavyweight Donovan "Razor" Ruddock for some of his fights.
The football field at New Paltz High School was named "Floyd Patterson Field" in 1985.
Death
In his later years, Patterson suffered from Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer. He passed away at home in New Paltz on May 11, 2006, at the age of 71. He was buried at New Paltz Rural Cemetery.
Famous 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."
- 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."
Images for kids
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Floyd Patterson in January 1962
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Patterson in 1957
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Ingemar Johansson knocks out Floyd Patterson and becomes boxing heavyweight champion of the world, June 26, 1959.
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Patterson tried his hand at acting. He is seen in this 1968 The Wild Wild West episode as a landowner who is in danger of losing his property.
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Floyd Patterson's grave.
See also
- List of heavyweight boxing champions
