Floyd Patterson vs these light heavies

It’s not without significant risk but I think he beats them all. Patterson’s punching power is chronically undersold.

 

Patterson might have a real issue if Bob Foster started landing flush on him. He wasn't the most durable. And Roy Jones at his best would have been really, really rough for anyone around his weight.

But, by another way of thinking, shred him down to 175, and Patterson is basically a LHW Mike Tyson. Blinding fast, big power, real skilled. He was a well above average puncher at HW. Assuming his power stayed at 175? He'd be absolutely lethal. He's certainly got a shot at running the table in this hypo.

 

Patterson surely would've been an ATG at light heavy. But I don't know if he could beat Gene Tunney.

 

My guess is that Floyd Patterson beats them all...and I believe he also beats Gene Tunney.

 

I can’t see him beating Tunney (talk about under-rated) but I think if he gets off the deck seven times with Johansson, he can probably survive a scare or two & KO Foster.

 

He beats them all with ease except Foster.
He would survive 2 knockdowns but would get up and KO Foster even harder than Ingemar.

 

He would beat RJJ tho, Patterson would be one of the hardest punchers he ever faced with great defense and speed.

 

Floyd would win them all. Repeating my constant refrain, he’s horribly underrated here because of the two Liston debacles and because of Cus’ caution in selecting his early opponents.

 

He could really hit, & at LHW he would be astonishingly dangerous when you pair that under-rated power with the lower weight class & what I consider to be the fastest hands in Heavyweight championship history.

Throw in his big heart, good stamina & the reduction in chin fragility on account of the lower weight & you’ve got a killer.

 

Are we talking about Floyd as he existed at light heavy — the guy who lost to Joey Maxim — or some mythical projection of what he’d have been if he had stayed at that division a number of years (presumably, at some point, outgrowing the division and having to cut a lot of weight to maintain 175)?

Because the Floyd who existed at 175 isn’t running through that punch without taking some lumps.

 

I’m assuming a more seasoned Patterson who cuts weight long enough to have a run at LHW.