Best Names Floyd Patterson Beats, In The Lightheavy Greats?

Fair enough. We can agree to disagree on the eye test.

Bob Foster is a LHW all time great. He lost to Doug Jones. Johansson and Machen are better than Jones and Patterson beat them. Triangle theories aren't definitive, but that allied with his destruction of an Archie Moore who was roughly halfway through his astonishing decade LHW reign, are indicators Patterson warrants being in the discussion of how he would do vs great LHWs.

 

I get your point, fair enough. It can be hard to make those comparisons because boxing can be so time sensitive. All fighters are different, with different stories. Some peak early, some hit their stride late. We are also not sure if there may have been legit reasons for why and when they lose, (out of shape, loss of interest, personal problems, or talent related and simply got beat fair and square).

It's true, Patterson should not have campaigned at heavyweight and should have been a LHW. Getting KO'ed by Liston doesn't necessarily prove a glass chin, but it's just my gut that he would have been exposed in the same manner at light heavyweight. He fought all squared up and was right in front of opponents. I don't see him as the talent some of you do. Against punchers like Ezzard Charles, Bob Foster, Michael Spinks... no way, not a chance, but that's just my opinion. I think his manager matched him with a lot of washed up has-beens on the way up and I can't use that as a measuring stick.

 

Fair enough. That sums up our respective views fairly.

I agree Charles, Foster and Spinks would be dangerous to Patterson at LHW or HW. I disagree Patterson would have "no chance" against them, but like I say, that's where our views differ.

 

I agree .. not sure if he could have made light heavy as I remember in his autobiography he detailed how hard he struggled to make weight to fight Maxim to the point of seriously draining himself but assuming he could peak at 175 opposed to 184 or so he'd have to have been a top ten fighter in the division ...

 

Well, in 1956, Floyd Patterson was the #1 Light Heavyweight Contender and Archie Moore was the Light Heavyweight Champion ... when they fought for the vacant heavyweight title.

Patterson only weighed 182 (a handful of pounds over the light heavy limit). Archie was actually heavier at 187.

Archie was very motivated to become heavyweight champ. He had a smaller opponent, who was a fellow light heavy, who was so young. The deck was certainly stacked in Moore's favor.

Still, Floyd destroyed Archie in five rounds. And Floyd was only 21.

So I don't think Archie would've done much better if he'd dried himself out and they came in at 175 and fought for the light heavy crown instead.

Patterson still beats him. So I'd say Floyd beats Moore. And, at 21, who is coming in the years ahead that would beat Floyd at light heavy? Patterson already beat Yvonne Durelle handily.

Does Harold Johnson beat Patterson? That would be a fun fight. Does Jose Torres, Willie Pastrano or Dick Tiger beat Patterson? I don't think so.

Floyd might reign until we see Patterson-Bob Foster in 1968 (the year Floyd fought Jimmy Ellis). Floyd was in the 180s for that fight against Ellis, too. And he was still pretty good.

Who knows, if he'd remained at light heavyweight, Floyd may have been the Joe Louis of the Light Heavyweights, holding the title for a dozen years or more.

Anyway, Archie Moore, Harold Johnson, Willie Pastrano, Jose Torres, Dick Tiger, Bob Foster ... those would be some pretty big names.

 

He came in seven pounds under the limit against Joey Maxim. He weighed 168. (Maxim was two pounds over the limit at 177). Floyd was 164 in his next fight.

I think you're mistaken that he struggled to make the weight.

 

Interesting , I was pretty sure I remembered reading about his horrible bout of making the weight from his early book Victory over Myself but I could be wrong and have it confused with another bout or the book and the facts have a conflict ... wish I had a copy but likely lent it out a while back and never got it returned ... oh well , thanks for the feedback.

 

He was a growing boy! I think he eventually would have had trouble making the l-h limit, so his time window to beat all those guys in hypothetical fights would have been narrow. His best fighting weight topped out well above 175.

 

Exactly as I see it! Floyd could potentially beat anyone of the ATGs imo, but Charles, Prime Moore, Spinks & several others would probably beat him, I guess. There is so much greatness in the LH division, one could add Greb, Langford, Fitz and other old timers who would certainly be a threat to beat Floyd. There's way too many great fighters in the division it's mind boggling.

 

Just in case you missed it, you may have this thread interesting, it certainly backs up your point about the historical depth of talent at LHW - https://www.boxingforum24.com/threa...sus-other-traditional-eight-divisions.697323/

 

Thanks! Just threw a post in there.

 

I think he would be an ATG at light heavyweight, I'd pick him over anyone except for Michael Spinks and Bob Foster, and maybe Qawi, but Qawi is my favorite at light heavyweight.

 

this. In addition I think Qawi, and Foster I see as the greatest threats to Patterson. Qawi v Patterson would be a marvelous fight.

 

That would be a real good one. Patterson just might outslick Qawi.