If Patterson wins Ellis fight, (Frazier next). An experience, motivated Patterson with the chance to regain the Heavyweight Title against a "power puncher" Frazier more Floyd's size. Frazier can be hit and hurt early, and Patterson just the type of guy that might do it. Who wins in February 1970.
Agreed. And just who wants to get their guy eating that left hook Smokin Joe hit Ellis with back then? Patterson isn't getting an undefeated 1970 version of Frazier out of there. Instead, he's the guy suffering the brutal ko and I think Floyd's press on the gaspedal style would see him getting hit like a Bob Foster or Ellis did. Right in range for that hook and that's not where he needs to be. Trouble is that's the zone he has to be in to land anything himself.
Although I'll agree that Joe would be too much for Floyd at that point or, perhaps, any point you mentioned February 70? That's a year and a half after the Floyd-Jimmy s**** in Stockholm. Floyd would have been 35 yrs. old! Ellis did nothing from the Floyd fight until Frazier in Feb. 70; I think a Cooper 2nd WBA defense was on the table at Webley in the Spring of 69 but that fell thru. My gut tells me Floyd, had he got the nod against Jimmy, would have fought a Quarry 3 in 69 maybe after a 'tune-up', Martin? Spencer? (overrated). Who knows? Interestingly, had Floyd got the nod against Quarry in the tourney, I think he would have dispatched Spencer and fought Ellis in Oakland in EARLY 68 for the WBA title. Bottom line? Joe would have been too much for Floyd at that stage but he's not going to be on his face with the ref counting 8-9-10 yer out!
btw, Frazier would have devastated Floyd inside of 4. Heck, it might have even been a "count to 10 job", to make mcvey happy. :happy
Interesting question, I don't now. But I just don't see it happening. I feel strongly that Frazier would have overwhelmed Floyd in just a few rounds. Frazier in that short time frame from roughly '69 to '71 was a really impressive fighting machine. btw, it is my understanding that MSG tried to match Floyd and Joe as Frazier's first fight post-FOTC. Floyd passed on the deal. I suspect he knew what was likely to happen.
Geez o pete do you want to throw the aging ATG to the lions??? He would have been 36 by then! And the fact was at the time that he wanted a second fight with Ali; plus in his final comeback, which didn't start until a full two years after the Ellis fight, he (in the pundits eyes) didn't warrant a top shot until he beat a solid contender (which he did in Feb. 72 against Bonavena) He went out with class against Ali, won rounds; one judge had it even after six. He wouldn't have beaten Ali but I'm not so sure he would have been stopped either. That eye that was closed in that one was a result of his 1st comeback fight in Sept. 70 against Devil Green who butted him and tried to make it worse by rubbing against it in clinches. With Gil Clancy in Green's corner? Way to go Gil. :twisted: I've gotten so sick of this matchup nonsense. The Klit boys destroying Dempsey. Yeah, they would have done it but let's put the Klit boys, circa post-Tsarist Russia, against a 21st century Dempsey. I just get upset when I read yet another Patterson trash thread.
Patterson has no chance. He can't avoid the freight train slowly moving his way. Not a first round ko but certainly within five rounds. Floyd just can't take the punches Frazier throws for long and he does not have the artillery to keep Joe honest. Nobody "destroys" prime Dempsey.
