Floyd Patterson defeats Jimmy Ellis on Sept 14 1968 for the WBA crown, who's next?

Fair point.

 

3 weeks after stopping number one contender, Jackson.

 

I don’t see how that matters. I’m not saying Floyd never fought top contenders — I’m saying that a man with zero professional fights is not in any way qualified to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world in his debut and that Patterson/Cus cheapened the most important (at least at the time) single championship in all of sport in the entire world by doing so in a blatant cash grab.

It’s disgraceful.

Like by comparison, Ali had a non-boxing exhibition with Inoki — he didn’t hand him a freaking title shot. If he had, it would have been a disgrace even if he had beaten Frazier, Foreman and Norton in the same day a week before.

 

If it hadn’t been for Castro, it could have happened again with Ali and Stevenson.

 

I think Floyd would try to find a way to get Liston in the ring again. I'm not sure he could get that promoted, really. Failing that, a rematch with Ellis seems probable to me.

 

You sadist you! lol

 

Liston would certainly have been a possibility - by this time his suspension had been lifted by the WBA and he was back in the ratings at #4. For a while it looked like he would get a shot at Ellis in 1969.

Patterson was keen to redeem himself for his performances against Liston in 62 and 63. After Liston's death he said they'd been planning a third meeting for 1971.

 

I would say he probably rematches Ellis. If Floyd wins that, I would expect him to try to set up a third Sonny Liston Fight before he would almost be forced by popular demand to fight Joe Frazier. I would have expected Floyd to do better against Sonny in a third fight at that time, but I still think a Patterson victory would have been unlikely, unless Floyd can go deep enough in rounds for Sonny to gas. That would take some doing, and I just cannot picture it happening.

 

Liston was number 4? I'm very surprised. I didn't know this thanks. Out of curiosity who do you think wins a third bout Liston or Patterson? I seem to be the only one favoring the latter, (understandably).

 

Probably Brian London.

 

It was pretty high, but Liston was coming off a dominant win against 5th ranked Henry Clark so it made sense. I think at this point enough time had passed and his aura of menace had dwindled to the point where people were starting to regard him with some affection. Reportedly when he finally regained his licence to box in California there was a spontaneous standing ovation in a packed hearing room.

As for how this fight would have gone, I'm happy to admit I'm not sure. My guess is that Patterson was never elusive enough to beat an opponent with such advantages in reach, power and toughness. Liston would have been slower than he was in 1963 of course, and I wouldn't expect another first round blowout, but Patterson was getting along in years himself. Nearly beating Quarry and Ellis isn't enough to make me think he could get his revenge.

 

The crazy thing is during the actual fight vs Ellis is that Floyd might’ve backed off a bit anyway due to how busted up Ellis was. There was even one point during the fight when Floyd hit Ellis with several half hearted body shots in a clinch - but then Floyd rubbed the area he’d just hit with his glove as if to say sorry and wipe away his “wrong doing” - I’ve never seen any fighter do anything like that -