What If Floyd Patterson Hadn't Gone With Cus?

I think he would have become a kind of SRL at LHW or MW. He would have boxed more from the outside. His Style would be more slick, more measuring, more counterpunching. He would have gained something (standard all around boxing skills), but lost something on the other hand (explosiveness). He would not have been able to compete at elite HW level without an effective attacking style. If he hadn't been able to establish an outside boxing style, he probably would have continued to rely on his power and explosiveness. He would have shown us many spectacular knockouts in lower weight classes similar like RJJ.

You can actually guess when you see the early fight clips of young Floyd. Cuz and Floyd first met around 1952. *EDIT: 1952 may be wrong. Other sources say 1949. But i saw 2 fights clips from 1951 and i could not spot Cus in his corner but another cornerman. Another source i read was they met in the gym 1949, but without an information if they worked together since then.

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Floyd Patterson would have been stripped of his title in 1959, he would have not met mandatory challenger Ingemar Johansson or maybe he would have met Ingo and several more dangerous challengers such as Cleveland Big Cat Williams, (sorry Choklab) Eddie Machen, who was still in his prime, not like in July 1964, or even Sonny Liston a bit sooner. Cus D Amato was a really good mentor and teacher but he did shield Patterson a bit too much. I believe he did this because of lack of mental maturity and confidence on Floyd's part, he was shielding his fighter much like a parent shields a weaker child until he starts to believe in himself. Cus was very streetwise, knew the ins and outs of the crooked elements of pro boxing in the late 1950's and early 1960's. Fighters like Liston and guys like Ernie Terrell were led by underworld figures like Frankie Carbo and Blinky Palermo, without Cus, Patterson would have been mauled by those figures of organized crime, Cus protected Patterson from people like them.

 

I’m not sure what might have changed if anything with another trainer. But I think Cus did a good job with him as it was. Floyd had a very successful career in my opinion.

 

Remember, Cus had Patterson from the very beginning in 1949 right after after he left Wiltwyck School, a reform school for "emotionally disturbed boys," to which his parents had sent him for a two-year stretch. He was one of 11 children. He was only 14 years old, had never done any boxing, and by his own admission was totally lacking in self-esteem. He needed a lot of nurturing, and Cus took the time and care to give it to him. I think it is possible that we may never even have heard of Floyd Patterson but for Cus D'Amato. Cus taught him everything he ever knew about boxing and about being mentally tough in the ring. Floyd was very impressionable, and had he started out with someone other than Cus, any number of things might have derailed his career before it started and kept him from developing into the great fighter which he later became.

 

He had a lot of success when he didn’t fight with so much abandon. He was reckless unrightfully so. As a LHW I think he’d be somewhat greater, maybe?

 

Great post - I think, given Floyd's personality, Cus may have been the best thing that happened to his boxing career. I know it's always a trainer's job to manage his fighter's psyche (Ali lucked out with Dundee, who knew exactly how and which buttons to push with Muhammad's ego), and maybe someone else could have done it - but few knew the ins and outs like Cus.

 

Cus was perfect for Floyd. Just as Angelo Dundee was for Ali and Yancey Durham and Eddie Futch were for Frazier.

 

I kinda wish Patterson would become the greatest LHW of all time instead of going heavy.

 

A very good post. Floyd Patterson did lack self esteem, remember after his knockout loss in June 1959 to Ingo, he started using his fake beard and dark glasses as a disguise.

 

I concur with those who think Cus was very important to Patterson, he got the psychology side of things sussed before it became popular in our sport.

 

Quoting @janitor Floyd is the last person you want to be smaller then.

 

Cus was a good host to me and even had what I’d call a shrink session with me where he concluded I was just complaining