If Patterson had faced Zora Folley in 1959?

Harris actually looked the better contender after Machen and Folley drew. With an official title eliminator both parties usually sign a contract that the winner meet the champion. The winner.

Let’s say, Patterson took either Machen or Folley after their unresolved eliminator. Which one does he pick? Whatever one he picks the manager of the one who wasn’t picked will argue his fighter has as much justification. That the contract demanded a winner and therefore a redoing of Machen v Folley before Floyd can fight anyone else. It’s not going to happen.

A champion cannot put his title on hold because there was no resolved outcome of an eliminator!

Let me tell you, if Machen had of knocked Folley out in sensational fashion or had Folley knocked Machen out in sensational fashion Harris never would have got a title fight.

Brian London was still rated higher than Machen and Foley who also lost their last fights.

Please remember when Patterson was ready to fight, all of the top contenders had lost their last fight apart from Cooper and Ingo.

What about Cooper! He won his last fight and was rated higher than foley, Machen and London.

 

Please provide concrete proof

Which one does he pick? The one whose rated number 1!

What title eliminator did Roy Harris win to secure his title shot against Floyd Patterson? Looks to me like he sat on home and did nothing

If there is so resolved outcome of a title eliminator, the champion must still defend his title against the number 1 rated contender. Not number 3 rated.

Tell me, did Harris defeat either Machen or Folley to earn his shot?

Chokelab, now you are spinning in circles. In one thread, you claim Patterson fought London as a “tuneup” and Machen and Folley were too good to fight as a tuneup. Now in this thread you are cleaning “London is rated higher than Folley and Machen”, so by your logic if London were rated higher wouldn’t that mean Folley or Machen should have gotten the opportunity instead as a TUNEUP?

Cooper was well deserving of a title shot. Patterson didn’t give him one.

 

Just to prove chokelab wrong,

I want the entire forum to pay attention to this

Chokelab said “London was rated higher than Folley and Machen” at the time he fought Patterson

London fought Patterson in May of 1959

Here is RING Magazine February 1959

Champion Floyd Patterson

1. Ingemar Johansson
2. Nino Valdes
3. Zora Folley
4. Henry Cooper
5. Willie Pastrano
6. Archie Moore
7. Eddie Machen
8. Brian London
9. Sonny Liston
10. Mike Dejohn


So London was BEHIND both Folley and Machen

 

Not according to the NBA..They had Machen and Folley BEHIND your freind Brian London.

National Boxing Association –
(as of January ?, 1959)

Champion: Floyd Patterson
1. Ingemar Johansson
2. Brian London
3. Nino Valdez
4. Zora Folley
5. Willie Pastrano
6. Eddie Machen
7. Henry Cooper
8. Roy Harris

 

Look there are guys that will defend that crap forever but the bottom line is Patterson fought pathetic opposition by the design of D'Amato, a classic his end justifies any means self-righteous screwball .. yes the sport is scummy but all he did was his own series of manipulations for his own end .. that being said Patterson suffered because Floyd was a warrior who would fight anyone if left up to him and who did go on the defeat far better opposition post title , including a dominant win over Machen, than he ever did as champ ..

 

Wrong again!!!

London lost to Cooper in January of 1959 and moved way down

Here are the NBA rankings February 1959

Champion Floyd Patterson

1. Ingemar Johansson
2. Nino Valdes
3. Henry Cooper
4. Zora Folley
5. Willie Pastrano
6. Eddie Machen
7. Brian London


Here are July 1 1959 NBA rankings


Champion: Ingemar Johansson

1. Floyd Patterson
2. Henry Cooper
3. Zora Folley
4. Sonny Liston
5. Roy Harris
6. Eddie Machen
7. Alonzo Johnson
8. Charlie Powell
9. Brian London
10. Joe Erskine

 

Agreed...it’s pathetic how posters are trying to defend Patterson’s title defenses...

All soft handpicked opposition by damato meant for Floyd to hang on the title as long as possible

 

This top 7 looks bogus. Valdes #2 when he did not beat a single one of the other guys? Cooper beat Folley, Valdes lost to Folley. Valdes lost to Machen. Why is Valdes above Machen, Cooper and Folley?

London had climbed above Machen and Folley in the NBA rankings when he beat Pastrano. Machen and Folley deservedly dropped behind Brian London when Folley lost to Cooper and Machen was demolished by Ingo around the same time as London stopped Pastrano.

 

Stop making up lies. Your boy London got smoked by Cooper in January 1959 and moved way down while Cooper moved up to number 3

 

And why do you continue to ignore RING magazine rankings? Do you do that because it doesn’t suit your agenda?


Even in your NBA rankings, London still dropped way down after his loss to Cooper.

Nice try squirt

 

During the four years he was champ and not contracted to fight a certain fighter (as he was with nr 2 ranked Ingo in 1961) he fought three nr 1 ranked contenders and one nr 3 ranked contender.

If that is pathetic opposition, how many champions had clearly better?

 

Read this

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=uvwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6130,3858396&hl=en



Some quotes from this article titled "Its high time patterson was exposed to physical hazzard" Dec 8 1961 by The Telegraph

"Cus D'Amato, was making noises indicating patterson was preparing to run back to his hole again and continue to hide from Liston and other worth while challengers."

"Damato indicated that he preferred Henry Cooper, another soft touch, as his next opponent"

"This now raises the big question, how much longer are the Dizzards who run the beak busing business, or are supposed to conduct it, going to tolerate the gall of the young man who clutches the heavyweight championship and his presumptious manager? This cautious yet bold, alliance has defied authority, broken all the ordinary rules of fair play and outraged the comparatively few fight fans remaining, with their evasion of opponents who might do harm to the doughty title holder."

“If D'Amato objects to Liston as a foe for the pure Patterson because of Sonny's alleged underworld connections, there are three other good fighters around despite what the champion and Cus the Mus have done. It's time to stop this nonsense-Patterson boxing nobodies."

"Eddie Machen, has been knocking for several years at the door behind which Patterson has been lurking. Harold Johnson is highly regarded. Doug Jones is a solid puncher, which probably barns him automatically from a shot at the heavyweight crown."


“Asked of whom patterson would fight if not Liston, little napolean DAmato, still full of cloak and dagger said 'if i told you, you'd know, and I might not get to him.' It is logic like that which brought patterson and Damato to the top and has enabled them to keep the title-against blokes like hurricane jackson, pete radamacher, roy harris, brian london, mcneeley. Gun Shy Cus will go down as the greatest of managers."

"Cus Damato parlayed Floyd Patterson into millions of dollars without once knowingly exposing him to physical jeopardy.“

 

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=uvwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6130,3858396&hl=en

Backs up what you’re saying

 

Valdes was rated number 2 by both RING and NBA in early 1959....deal with it . Valdes had a dominant 57-58

He defeated RING magazine number 3 Harold carter by knockout, twice beat top 10 mike Dejohn, knocked out undefeated joe Erskine in 1 round, knocked out top 10 rated Johnny summerlin, and beat Wayne bethea


"Cuban heavyweight Nino Valdes stopped Johnny Summerlin's bid for a possible shot at champion Floyd Patterson with a 5th round knockout last night. Valdes' manager, Bobby Gleason, immediately shouted he would post $5,000 and demand Patterson face the giant Cuban. Summerlin had just staggered Valdes with a right in the middle of the 5th round. The punch stung Valdes into action. Valdes leaped in and pounded Summerlin furiously with both hands to the head before crashing home a right and walking over the falling Summerlin. Summerlin tried to climb to his feet but tumbled back to the canvas and was trying to rise again when referee Johnny Weber tolled the final count." -United Press International

• Summerlin led on two out of the three scorecards through four rounds
• Detroit promoter C.W. Smith claimed he had assurances befor the bout from Cus D'Amato, Patterson's manager, that Summerlin would have been considered for a title fight had he won

 

Floyd fought better opposition once he was free of both Cus and the title.D'Amato has this saintly image as the man that wouldn't give in to the mob.He was mobbed up himself. Not defending against IBC boxers meant he could cherry pick from the likes of McNeeley and Harris.