How tall was Floyd Patterson really?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by barberboy2, May 18, 2019.



  1. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Size does not make a difference, like they say, it's the fight in the dog. You might fight some tall clumsy oaf, who has clodd hopper feet, that he trips over when trying to land a punch. Look at almost God Mike Tyson, he was not a tall man, but in his prime he could beat many tall fighters today. Patterson was listed as 6"0 ft, but he beat many tough fighters in his era, and the 1st to regain the World Heavyweight Title from Ingemar Johannson, on June 20 1960, by KO 6. Ingemar could hit, if Eddie Machen were alive today, he would probably say so.
     
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  2. The Undefeated Lachbuster

    The Undefeated Lachbuster I check this every now and then Full Member

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    Tyson defo 5'10, some speculate 5'9

    almost all pictures of Marciano and Patterson depict him as larger than Patterson
     
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  3. GOAT Primo Carnera

    GOAT Primo Carnera Member of the PC Fan Club Full Member

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  4. GOAT Primo Carnera

    GOAT Primo Carnera Member of the PC Fan Club Full Member

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  5. Entaowed

    Entaowed Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    You are kidding again, correct?
    No report has Rocky over 5' 11" & it is unlikely he was even the 5' 10 & a 1/2" that he was listed at.
    Ali absolutely DWARFS him-more than Frazier-in their mock fight & face off.

    That is a terrible picture to judge anything by.
    People are slouching, & old men lose height, like Louis.
    Patterson in particular is bent over.

    You have Marciano WAY taller than Patterson, which is absolutely absurd.
    At most he was almost as tall as Patterson.
     
  6. choklab

    choklab cocoon of horror Full Member

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    To be fair to Primo, I don’t think there can be much difference between Rocky and Floyd. How can their be? Not only is Patterson clearly shorter than every six footer he was ever photographed with but Floyd is even shorter than Joe Frazier.
     
  7. Sting like a bean

    Sting like a bean Well-Known Member banned Full Member

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    I’ve said this before several times, but I repeat it whenever the subject of Tyson’s height comes up: I once knew a guy who met Tyson and had a photo to prove it, and he said Tyson was as best he could tell exactly tall as I am. (I’m five-ten on the nose.) The photo the guy had of them standing together seemed entirely consistent with his recollection of Tyson’s height, if not entirely conclusive. (Photos can be very misleading.)
     
  8. barberboy2

    barberboy2 Member Full Member

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    I totally agree with the Leonard height I’m 5’9 and met him years ago and he was shorter than me.
     
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  9. Entaowed

    Entaowed Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    Choklab what I said indicated that they are not far apart in height.
    But Primo said something entirely distinct from what you addressed:

    "I´d say Rocky was at least 3-4 inches taller than Floyd, prob. about 6'0 3/4", nearly the height of Louis".

    That is a large difference any way you slice it.
    And even if Floyd was ~ 5' 9" (shorter than i thought, but possible...)
    No way is Rocky much taller as he said.

    He had Rocky almost 6' 1": you know anyone ever who suggested Marciano could even be 6'?
     
  10. choklab

    choklab cocoon of horror Full Member

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    Either way, like Rocky, Patterson was never 6 foot in his life.
     
  11. steve21

    steve21 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Of course, without a tape measure and the guy standing still, it's hard to truly tell how tall anyone is ... but Floyd seemed to carry himself small; maybe it was insecurity, not wanting to draw attention to himself, who knows. But I think we all known larger than life guys based as much on appearance as actual measured dimensions (I've heard often how people underestimated how big Ali was until they met him in person) - the opposite can be true as well. Among boxers, I heard broadcasters mention how much smaller Frazier (after the first Foreman KO) and Hagler looked after their losses ...
     
  12. ThePainMan

    ThePainMan Member banned Full Member

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    Size doesn't matter. Then why is there weight classes in boxing? Wouldn't based of what you are typing 140 pound guys could beat 230 pound guys as long as they have "fight" in the dog?

    Mike Tyson was a heavyweight. He was just a shorter heavyweight. Then you realize there is no height classes in boxing. There are weight classes. Floyd Patterson on the other hand was a light guy. The average "heavyweight" during Patterson's reign was much smaller than today. Floyd Patterson was destroyed when he faced a 6'- 1/2 210 pound Sonny Liston. The same thing would happen to Patterson if he faced Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, Wladimir Klitschko ect.

    Anyway Patterson was probably 5'11 or so. Maybe even shorter.
     
  13. choklab

    choklab cocoon of horror Full Member

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    That isn’t the issue.

    The issue is was Floyd six foot or not.

    Even if he was as heavy as Andy Ruiz and there was a dispute over his claimed height.... oh
     
  14. Entaowed

    Entaowed Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    I never denied that, & indicated this is true.
    It is just you defended something in good conscience that someone sais; but got what he claimed wrong.

    Anyway, you are a very good poster. I hope you continue & stay away from flame wars & take no bait for malicious exchanges.
     
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  15. DiamondGloves

    DiamondGloves New Member Full Member

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    In this photo they look roughly the same height if not Tyson a touch taller ............ yet Tyson clearly training is likely wearing boxing shoes which are basically flat.

    Floyd on the other hand wearing normal clothes and jeans is going to be wearing shoes giving him a 1.5 - 2" extra in height.

    Tyson is 5'10 this has been confirmed even on "Celebrity heights" so taking away Floyd's shoes your looking at him being 1-2" shorter than Tyson placing him exactly where I have him at 5'8 1/2 to 5'9 max.

    The rule is with most fighters to take off 1-2" in their recorded height because in boxing most of the time their measured while wearing trainers / footwear.

    Its very rare for a fighters height to be recorded properly with no footwear.

    I tested this myself, I'm 5'11 but with my trainers on I had a reading of 6'0 1/2 so that would likely even more get rounded up another 1/2 inch to 6'1 on the announcement giving me a full 2" taller false listing.
     
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