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Floyd Patterson: A Legend Who is Still Alive in Our Hearts and Minds
SAT May 13, JASPREET PANCHHI - Former heavyweight champion (55-8-1, 40 KO’s) Floyd Patterson died on May 11th, 2006 aged 71. The Hall of Fame fighter was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and prostate cancer.
Patterson was born on January 4th, 1935 in Waco, North Carolina and was raised in Brooklyn. He was the third of eleven children. At the age of 14, the American stepped into Gramercy Gym, which was led by Cus D’Amato. Two years later in 1951, D’Amato prevented Patterson from stepping into the professional boxing world.
In 1952, the American emerged the middleweight Olympic gold medallist at Helsinki, Finland. Patterson won his first professional fight on September 12th, 1952 and in 1953, he was named “Ring Rookie of the Year” by the New York Boxing Writers.
At the age of 21, Patterson knocked out Archie Moore in the fifth round and in doing so, he became the youngest ever world heavyweight champion – a feat which was not surpassed until Mike Tyson beat Trevor Berbick in 1986.
Despite losing the title against Ingemar Johansson on 26th June, 1959, the American went on to beat Johansson in the rematch, which was crowned Ring Magazine’s “Fight of the Year” in 1960. By doing this, Floyd became the first fighter in history to regain the title. Patterson defended the title twice more before Sonny Liston floored him in the first round in two successive bouts.
In 1965, Patterson, who was trained by Dan Florial, beat George Chuvalo in Ring Magazine’s “Fight of the Year”. Later that year, he unsuccessfully challenged Muhammad Ali for his World Heavyweight title in the Convention Centre, Las Vegas.
Soon after Ali was stripped of the belt, Jimmy Ellis beat Jerry Quarry to gain the vacant WBA Heavyweight title. On 14th September, 1968, Patterson was on the unfortunate side of a fifteen-round split decision in Sweden against Ellis.
In what proved to be his last fight, Patterson was stopped by Mohammed Ali on 20th September, 1972, at the Madison Square Garden in a bout for the NABF Heavyweight title. The fight was stopped due to the swelling coupled with visible cuts around the eyes of Patterson.
Patterson, who has and a wife and four children, soon after ran an amateur boxing club before becoming the Chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. He resigned from this post on April 1st, 1998.
The fact that Patterson has received so many rewards reflects his stature and credentials as a man and as a fighter. He was not only awarded the "Pioneer of Excellence Award" from the World Institute of Black Communications in 1986 and the "Setting A Good Example Award" from President John F. Kennedy in 1961, Floyd Patterson was also elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1976.
Floyd Patterson was a record-breaker, an ambassador for the sport of boxing and a man – these are qualities which command respect. He has instilled a bright light into boxing and into our hearts. The light is still shining.
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