Could Floyd Patterson have been the best LHW ever?

No.

For one, neither at Light-Heavy or Heavy, would Patterson beat Tunney, to name just one of the great 175lbers.

 

He would not have been the GOAT but he’d have been damn good.

 

Floyd just didn't have the whiskers to be the best at 175 but he would have caused problems for anyone and everyone.

 

Not.
The competition is too strong; Tunney, RJJ, Hopkins, Moore, Rosenbloom, Ward, Bivol, Beterbiev, Spinks, Charles, Langford, Greb, Foster, Loughran, Lewis, Conn...

 

Patterson if he’d kept the punching power he had as a heavyweight could easily hold his own in that crowd.

Again, Patterson is eternally dismissed/disrespected on this forum.

 

Depends. If he could comfortably make the weight consistently while performing well there he might have been very good. Still it’s a tall order to claim that he’d be the best in just about the most competitive division of all time

 

Not a chance

 

Not better than Charles. No.

 

It's just that you can't keep the same punching power when you drop from 190-2oolbs to 175lbs. That is the reality; it has nothing to do with:

 

A few thoughts on Patterson: A.J.Liebling quoted Abe Attell saying he never met a top fighter "who wasn't a conceited son of a *****". Then Liebling mentions that Patterson was "a vain fellow" who "craves admiration". I think Liebling was on the money. I mention this after just re-watching Patterson vs. Bonavena. The fight was held in 1972 in sold-out Madison Square Garden, where Floyd was always warmly received -- and although it wasn't much of a bout you can see Patterson trying his best to excite the crowd. That was always important to him, to be thrilling for the fans. He was a beautiful fighter to watch -- and yes, for all the talk about what a gentleman he was, he was a vain performer. And if you don't think he could be vicious, have a look at what he did to Hurricane Jackson in their second bout.

 

most at the top have the physical potential they lack the mindset and the education.

 

Seems very reasonable, if he could have made weight for his whole career. If he could, who would have beaten him before he retired? And if he retired as unbeaten champion after a 16 year reign, surely that would have given him a case for GOAT.

 

The two questions are if he can make weight throughout his career and see off the challenge of Foster. If he can do these things, big if of course, then I think he's in the GOAT discussion.

If it would even be a discussion. A 16-year reign backended by wins over Moore and Foster is hard to top.