Don’t have to necessarily be on the outside jabbing all night for that to be considered boxing. Paterson utilised his strengths and there were moments when he could “box on the outside” but he had very fast hands and at the weight his reach was too short to be flicking the jab out all night long. But he did have some nuisances to his game.
Yes he actually was an excellent boxer. The peek a boo style & an explosive left hook. He never would have gotten as far as he did, top 10 for what 17 years? With a size disadvantage if he could not box-& well.
Where do people get the idea that Wladimir Klitschko isn't a skilled boxer but Hank Armstrong is? It's ludicrous. Armstrong kept wading in where you don't need any skills whereas Wlad, holy Lord, he was an amazing boxer with more skill than anyone. He needed a telescope to see all his opponents during a fight. My goodness. Man alive. All Patterson does is this weird non-boxing thing where he just jumps in there and starts...throwing punches? Like what? That is not what boxing is about. It's like Jimmy Young used to say "True boxing is about seeing the target, knowing it is there, and having the restraint to let it go. Boxing is purity. The purity of restraint and abstinence. A master never hits a target. But he always sees it and recognises its true beauty, to leave it undisturbed."
Shavers, Ellis, Bugner are all decent names, obviously he nearly beat Foreman and was up on the scorecards against Ali
Patterson was 190lbs and was blown up at 190lbs Quarry was 200lbs against Lyle and that was his natural weight, Quarry was much bigger naturally than Patterson and Quarry himself beat Patterson
What has this have to with that what I stated? That Quarry was not a mover like Young but still beat Lyle? And an old Floyd got the better of Quarry over two fights according to most observers. He also did better against Ellis than Quarry did. In his 30's he was probably better than a prime Quarry.
Because Quarry is naturally much bigger than Patterson that's why he had success fighting like that, and Patterson wasn't old at all, when he was 37 he had success against Ali, he didn't even look washed up at that age, 32 definitely isn't past prime if you haven't taken much damage as Patterson hadn't
Shavers, Ellis and Bugner what a roster How could Patterson compete he only beat Bonavena (Better then Lyle) Quarry (Score the fight tell me he lost) and Ingo twice. He beat better, he beat guys who beat Lyle and was an infinitely better boxer.
I'm not saying Patterson didn't have skills, he definitely did, I'm saying he didn't have backfoot counterpunching skills, Mike Tyson had skills for example, he couldn't fight off the backfoot
Lyle was 2 years older than Bonavena, and Lyle was definitely better than Bonavena, better boxer and bigger puncher
*sigh* Context, Lyle started boxing late look at the points they were in there career when it happened. Oscar had started in 64 as a pro Lyle started in 71.