It's almost unheard of where two atg's prime or close to it fighters meet and one completely obliterates the other. Especially when considering the fighter that got obliterated was the favorite to win the fight. (If I remember right) The Foreman vs Frazier fight was a worse massacre. Patterson was seen as a little shaky well before the Johansson fight. So yeah it was a surprise, but when factoring in Patterson's weaknesses not so much.
Although Joe was going downhill, Foreman nearly ended his career here, and had Joe in horrible shape. Patterson was also genuinely hurt against Johansson, but most of them were knockdowns from being off balance than being hurt at the moment. Foreman-Frazier way more brutal to me. Plus Floyd came right back. He beat Johansson months later. Frazier launched a slow and somewhat impressive comeback that basically lasted four fights.
Patterson just got caught. Sometimes that happens, you just get lit up because the other guy is also a professional fighter that is trying to win. Patterson got caught but won the next two. Frazier was convenient because he was no longer where he once was and, if you had seen his first fight with Quarry, you could see how he could have problems with Foreman. Foreman had people around him that were good at figuring probabilities.
I guess one way of looking at it is, Foreman-Frazier always pans out a disaster for Joe no matter how good of condition he's in. Patterson-Johansson can go either way depending on if Floyd isn't zoned out or not. If he's not, he probably beats Johansson consistently.
Foreman vs Frazier What Joe Frazier knocked down six times is massacre, but getting Joe up six times is a feat; unbelievable. I don't know who else would get up from six Foreman's demolition. Greater success than all of Fury's uprising.
In terms of the power of the punches and the otherwise more than resilient chin it dented, I would say Frazier v Foreman. However, thanks to an errant ref, Patterson v Johansson was pretty ugly for it resembling a “mugging” more than a fight after an initially powerful punch put Floyd down. HUGE credit to both Floyd and Joe who both incredibly saw those fights through on their feet, not counted out -
George Foreman vs Joe Frazier was bad, it won me $20.00 on the night of Jan 22 1973, George even lifted Joe off the ground, decked him 6 times before referee Arthur Mercante Sr ended the beating. Floy Patterson vs Ingemar Johansson on June 26 1959 was bad because of the knockdowns and because Ingo left Floyd helpless.
I voted Ingemar vs Floyd. Patterson was simply brutalized that night. Disgraceful corner job imo but that said Joe was also destroyed by a peak Foreman. Both were yo yo’d but Floyd’s condition was more distressing to see but it’s a marginal pick. Both were very sad sight’s seeing two good men and fighters beaten up so.
