Floyd Patterson vs. Harold Johnson

Ive always said that if Patterson stayed at 175 he could have written his own ticket. That includes Moore and Johnson. Id pick Patterson by stoppage over Johnson and would even go so far as to say it would be a right hand over the top that Johnson never saw coming.

 

I agree with Klompton at any stage of Floyd's career with reservation only due to how mediocre he looked against small heavy Jimmy Ellis. Ellis was not the consomate boxer Johnson was and was sloppy in their bout which I scored a draw. Still I find it likely Patterson would find the ko shot.

 

Patterson was shop worn by the time he fought Ellis in my opinion.

Floyd of 1960 knocks Ellis out in my opinion

 

Patterson's speed and power is just too overwhelming.

Johnson's best shot would have been to spoil a green Patterson before he won the title.

 

I see Johnson as having a better chance than you guys do.

I would rate Patterson having a slight edge, let's say 6-5, off his performance against Moore. Johnson actually fought more tough men in my estimation, and the gap in performance isn't that wide.

I don't see very many guys on Patterson's resume that he defeated that Johnson wouldn't be likely to defeat also. Johansson? Really hard to rate him as other than blowing out Machen and Patterson, he managed to win fights but often looked ordinary.

Johnson would have been a great test for Patterson or Ingo. Too bad he didn't fight them.

 

The way Johnson ate right hands from Paul Andrews, Archie Moore, and Billy Smith I would let him get anywhere near Ingo if he were my fighter.

 

I don't agree.

Three of Johnson's five stoppages were by injury (Walcott), a cut in his last fight when he was 43, and the bizarre Mederos fight.

Moore only stopped him after Johnson went 54 rounds (four times to a full decision)

and then Billy Smith with an early round overhand right. These things happen.

Johansson?

He looked awesome against Machen and in the first Patterson fight,

but went the full distance with fighters like Uber Bacilieri, Joe Bygraves, Hans Friedrich, and Archie McBride,

and went into the 13th against Joe Erskine and Franco Cavicchi.

Johnson outpointed Machen and certainly would be my big favorite over any of Johansson's other opponents except Patterson.

For me, this is just not an out fight,

but one which would be very interesting in gauging Johansson's class.

 

To me, this just says Johansson wasn't as inspired against lesser fighters as he was when he stepped up to fight the best.

When he fought the top two heavyweights, he blew them away.

It's not like he blew out the nobodies and struggled with the best when he finally stepped up.

I don't see it as a negative at all.

Patterson-Harold Johnson would've been a very exciting bout. From what I've read, Johnson's people wanted the fight in 1961, but Patterson wasn't interested. Then Johnson was offered an opportunity in 1962, but Johnson had other fights scheduled.

Had Patterson defended against the light heavyweight champ Johnson in 1962, and avoided the top contender Liston, I don't see how that would've helped his (Patterson's) cause at all.

Liston deserved a shot more than Harold Johnson did.

 

Go back and watch just how susceptible Johnson was to right hands. Maybe he had improved by the time Johansson came along but in the 1950s he was getting caught. Guys like Andrews just didnt have enough savvy to follow it up. Johansson wouldnt need to follow it up.

 

Johnson was a counter puncher but Floyd was so fast he would have difficulty capitalising on Floyd's making the fight.

 

..this match was talked about a lot at the time...but most boxing followers said there's no way cus would put ffloyd in against johnson..fighters like that guy from cut-and shoot and a fighter making his debut in the pro ranks were opponents more to cus' liking.

 

"When he fought the top two heavyweights, he blew them away"


He also got knocked out twice don't forget that

 

Ahhh thank you

 

Oh please.

Harold Johnson didn't do anything to be considered for a heavyweight title shot against Patterson until he squeaked by Eddie Machen in 1961. By that point, Patterson was preparing to fight Ingemar for a third time and Sonny Liston was the guy banging down the door.

Harold Johnson was an afterthought.