Is Floyd Patterson a top 20 HW

When he was champion, yes. But 50+ years have passed. I have him just outside the top 20.

 

Yes. Top 20 is fair. He was a gold medalist, one of the youngest champs of all time, the first to regain the lineal title, ranked for something like 12-15 years, and beat a handful of notables. anywhere from 15-20 is reasonable.

 

Yes Patterson was a great fighter. Won the title back by knockout having lost it by knockout, that's a real turn around. He was actually the best heavyweight in the world from 56-59, people go on about patterson not fighting Foley and machen but when they were #1 and #2 they fought an eliminator and drew so Patterson defended against #3 Roy Harris because the #1 spot was undecided. In fact Floyd did beat machen. I think Patterson was the second best heavyweight of the 1950s and the third or fourth best heavyweight of the 1960s. That must count for something.

 

I like Floyd. His style is very pleasing to watch and he was a true class act. Playing Devil's advocate for a moment, Ring magazine in their 1998 holiday edition placed Floyd at 21 just outside the top 20. Since that was published three heavyweights have come along that warrant inclusion into the top 20 heavies. For me two are no brainers in Wlad and Lennox. And one strong candidate in Vitali.

Floyd's first title reign was very soft.
I think he is borderline Top 20.

 

Floyd was never a real heavyweight, so all he accomplished is, to me, even more impressive. Whether he's top 20 or not doesn't matter to me, because he was smaller than just about any heavy he ever fought, and was competitive until nearly 40

 

I agree. I think Floyd was even smaller than listed which is all the more incredible. Imagine if he had of been around during the later era's where guys no bigger than Floyd was were able to bulk up?

 

patterson would ko foster brutally

 

If Floyd Patterson and Jeremy Williams swapped places, how do you think each one would have done against the other man's opponents?

 

If Patterson is top 20, than Mike Tyson has to be top 20. Is this fair to say?

 

Mike Tyson is easy top 20. An argument can be made for top 10.

 

Easily, Tyson has to be at least close to top 10.

Yes he faded & lost legacy fights. But he was extremely dominant for several years, & Head to Head matchups have to be a big part of the equation. Due to size & strength-with the speed & technique-he easily beats Patterson in this category.

 

Agreed.

 

If two Liston's (where Sonny said he'd NEVER hit anyone harder) and Ingo 1, when he landed his Bingo RIGHT ON THE JAW, translate to 20 fighters who 'could' have knocked him "senseless", I might wonder if you're not from another planet!

 

Jowcol is dead right,Floyd was never flattened, even against the mighty Liston, he was up just after 10. Ingo couldn't keep him down, yet the Swede flattened Machen, Cooper and Richardson.
If Patterson had such a glass Jaw, how come Ali, Durelle, Chuvalo, Bonavena, Cooper, Machen, Moore, Quarry, Ellis all good punchers, failed to knock him out.
Apart from, this it is disrespectful to denigrate or sneer at any boxer for having a weak chin, something he is born with. These men have more courage fighting despite this handicap than any amount of fighters with iron jaw reputations

 

Foreman , Smith , Douglas , Tucker , Witherspoon , Thomas , Berbick , Lewis , Holyfield , Bowe , Valuev , McCline , Grant , Golota , Tua , Corrie Sanders , Corey Sanders , Henry Akinwande , Sam Peter , Maskaev , Rahman , Bruno , Wladimir Klitschko ,


And these too : Bert Cooper , Michael Moorer , Mark Wills , David Bey , Mike White , James Broad , Mike Williams , Greg Page , Dee Collier , Lionel Butler , Nate Tubbs , Brian Nielsen , Lance Whitaker , Kirk Johnson , Joe Mesi , Carl Williams , Nick Wells ,


Of course there are yet others whom not many would argue against, like Ernest Shavers, Mac Foster, Mike Weaver , Michael Dokes , Larry Holmes ,
Gerry Cooney , Ross Puritty ,


Of course my question about swapping Floyd Patterson with Jeremy Williams went unanswered. Want to speculate about swapping him with Leon Spinks ?