Floyd Patterson batters Brian London

I think he would do fine in todays heavyweight division. He would certainly be holding some kind of belt.

 

I'm an Indy native and I've always wanted to see this fight. How it wound up in Indy I'll never know. My dad and my uncle were at this fight tho they sat a ways back from ringside. I was only 5 and didn't get to go.
Floyd was my first sports hero; dad was always telling me how great he was. A sports bar buddy of mine for the last 6 or so years who loves baseball and boxing was at that fight near ringside (wish I could spot him). He said he sat right behind Tony Zale and that Ingo was there with his girlfriend snapping pictures like a madman during the fight.
Interesting that Floyd, who often took his time between title defenses, jumped in against Johannsen barely a month and a half later!

 

Face it, Floyd was too small to be competing against guys like Liston and Ali..today he would be a natural cruiser..and would probably retire undefeated as champion in that division. I think the little seen London fight was Floyd's best defense in both terms as champion. A brilliant performance..I've always wanted to see that fight, and oddly enough, it was FP's pearl performance.

 

I disagree. If Admasek, Jones, Toney, and Haye could bump up and break the top 5 in the heavyweight division, than Floyd could too. Floyd would use modern benefits to his advantage and bulk up to around 215lb. Floyd was much better than Haye and Admasek, old fat Toney, and Jones. Floyd fights at heavyweight and beats everyone today except Wlad.

 

On the form of that London fight I could see Floyd cleaning up on those guys too, but I think Vitali too would be too big for him. FP kayos Jones especially..Jones would have been startled to fight a guy with hands as fast as Floyd's.

 

Vitali Smitali. He is 38 years old, slow, and ready for retirement. A young fast fighter like floyd would eat him alive. See Archie Moore fight.

 

Completely irrelevant comparison. Vitali isn't 5-11 and 180 pounds.

 

I was comparing them in age, not size. Floyd is too fast for an old slow sloppy fighter like vitali

 

He would never get inside the octopus arms of Vitali. He would methodically be outmuscled and inelegantly clubbed until it was over in 6.

 

He doesn't need to be inside.
I've said this about Tyson too. He explodes at mid range and hangs on until the reff breaks it. Maybe he won't need to hang on because Patterson is more mobile then Tyson, and lighter. He will back off once Vitali gets close enough. I certainly think he would be able to slip that jab of Vitali, at his peak, that bobbing and weaving was just about as good as it gets.
Floyd also would consistently beat Vitali to the punch, and then slip out of the way. Even Floyd at 37 (?) could avoid Oscar Bonavana's best punches, despite that knockdown in the first.
I doubt Vitali would beat Floyd.

 

You're wrong on this one SQ49, Vitali would tko Floyd...too big..way too big.

 

Floyd would definitely ko Haye.

 

Size is not important as you guys think. Vitali never had to deal with such a skilled and fast handed and footed fighter like Floyd. The Vitali of today would hit air all night. Too slow, sloppy and predictable to get Floyd.

 

:good