Could/would Patterson have taken the title from Marciano?

Quite a terrific observation there Suzie. I agree, I feel Marciano looked solid against Moore defensively. He was pitching a lot to trouble Moore but still used defense while engaging at him mercilessly.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IarF6X5ylNc[/ame]


1:25-1:41 particularly on the second video.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w1Hxuo6Cik[/ame]


The only thing, though, is his reflexes weren't at his all time best. Of course, he had slowed down a little physically. But his defense was looking solid against Moore.

I think Floyd goes by 5. Way too much pressure and firepower to deal with.

 

One thing we have to remember is that Moore was almost 40 years old and his legs were almost gone. After the first few rounds he couldn't get out of the way anymore and as the fight progressed it began to look like two kids in a schoolyard flailing away at each other. Rocky didn't have much snap left in his punches..He was simply winging as many shots as he could at a rather stationary Moore. Sooner or later Moore would fall. Patterson on the other hand would've had his 21 yr old legs with plenty of bounce and stamina in them plus an extremely fast pair of hands to complement them. He wouldn't be a stationary target for Rocky to flail away at. He would be in and out in his bounding hopping way and Rocky's slow hands would find air most of the night. Plus add to the fact that Rocky wasn't the power puncher he was a few years before. He became more of a swarmer, trying to wear the other man out through attrition rather than power. Against a young Patterson this wouldn't work. I don't think he would be able to catch him.

 

Hell no. No way Patterson handles the nonstop power punching attack of Marciano for 15 rounds. It would be a fun fight though, but I think Rocky gets him.

 

Moore wasn't a worn out 40 year old though, he was as fresh as most 30 year olds when he fought Marciano. Patterson's style was to come at you bobbing and weaving, which would play right into Marciano's hands. Marciano might not have been the 1 punch KO artist he was prior to the Walcott fights, he still hit plenty hard, definitely hard enough to hurt and drop Patterson. I don't see Floyd being able to stay away for 15 rounds.

 

No, even D'Amato knew it. There were no plans to let Flyod fight Rocky, it was not till Rocky retired that Floyd was moved up seriously to heavyweight. Cus would have waited till Rocky was a bit older, and started showing it. Maybe 58 or 59, and even then, look what happened in some of Pattersons defenses--ko'd by Johanson, knocked to floor by that guy having first pro fight. I can't see him beating marciano even then.

 

In 1955 Patterson weighed just 166 pounds and he did have a couple of heavyweight fights during that year against Archie McBride, Jimmy Slade and Dave Whitlock.

When Rocky officially retired in April 1956, Patterson was already weighing around 185 pounds and fighting regularly at heavyweight. About a month later he fought Hurricane Jackson to establish himself as a top contender for the heavyweight title.

 

Oh, come on not this story. Floyd was knocked out three times, 2 times by an atl puncher. Why do Tyson, Lewis and so on not get half as much talking about having a bad chin as Patterson does. Beeing floored can have many reasons as long as you aren´t knocked out it does not mean you have a bad chin.

 

This article in Sports Illustrated from January 30, 1956 mention Patterson's plans and ambition for fight Marciano, perhaps before the year is out :

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1131139/1/index.htm

This article below, from Sports Illustrated from April 16, 1956 - before Marciano announced his retirement (on April 27) - calls attention to Floyd Patterson as a leading heavyweight contender, and D'amato is quoted as saying :
"If Marciano retires no one will recognize a champion unless he fights Patterson first. [Markson agrees that this is so.] As for Marciano, I knew six months ago that Patterson was ready for him, and he's better now than he was then."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1130818/1/index.htm

 

True. Marcinao did not look sharp at all vs Archie Moore. Rocky had some back issues. If the back was acting up, Patterson would have a chance at the upset.

 

I don't think Cus was being 100% there. He was trying to hype Floyd up, and I'm willing to be if Marciano offered Floyd a shot Cus would have turned it down.