D'Amato, and trainer Dan Florio believe Patterson beats Marciano

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Few oldtime fight managers can look at a young heavyweight without experiencing an unsettling sense of despondency; if hope suggests a dozen reasons for believing the tyro will become a walking gold mine, experience supplies 100 for suspecting he will not. Apprentice pugs are constantly the prey of their own doubts and fears; both their confidence and their reputations must be built as carefully as a pousse-caf� and can be destroyed by one damaging fight. Even if the aspirant has a reckless appetite for brawling, he may never get past the seventh grade of his education for the ring, or may be kayoed by the Demon Rum. Nonetheless, it is now as clear as anything can be in the future books of boxing that a lithe young Brooklyn Negro named Floyd Patterson—who celebrated his 21st birthday this month by challenging Rocky Marciano—will be the next heavyweight champion of the world.
This does not mean that Patterson—who was the boxing star of the 1952 Olympic Games at the tender age of 17—can be expected to demolish Marciano this week or the week after. In The Ring's year-end ratings for 1955, in fact, Patterson is not even listed among the heavyweights (although he is considered the No. 1 challenger for the light heavyweight crown). His own handlers, until recently, have been tormented by the ghastly suspicion that he might quit growing before he weighed 175 pounds, and might thus be stranded forever just out of reach of big gates and big money. But despite this and despite his youth, Patterson could very well end up facing Marciano in the ring before 1956 is out and, in doing so, could inspire one of the biggest gates of modern times.
He has, in the last few months, demonstrated a heartening tendency to keep on getting bigger. He weighed 178� pounds, trained fine, in December, and was nudging 180 pounds last week—only five pounds short of the weight at which big men are classically considered at their most efficient. He has always been an exciting fighter and one with rare natural talent. But he has also shown an awesome capacity for improvement—in nine fights last year, all won by knockouts or technical knockouts, he proved himself an increasingly finished and balanced technician in the ring. In his last bout he so outclassed the fifth-ranking heavyweight, Jimmy Slade (now reduced to ninth place as a result), that the referee stopped the chase in the seventh round.

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"THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY"
To Floyd Patterson, at the moment, the future seems faintly hazy but delightful. He hopes to buy his father and mother a house in the suburbs and to get his younger brothers and sisters out of the slums; he also hopes to make a million dollars and buy a farm. "I want to raise horses," he says. "I'd like to have a farm and animals."
But before him stands the bulky figure of Rocky Marciano. "I've thought of how I would fight him," he says. "He looks sloppy in the ring. But he is a good fighter, a real good fighter. There are lots of ways you could fight him. I could make him miss—but Joe Walcott made him miss for almost 13 rounds. I think there is only one way. They say Marciano is the fighter who can't be hurt. But if you want to beat him you have to fight him and make him back up. I think of Rocky Marciano a lot." He smiled, faintly. "Maybe," he said, " Rocky Marciano thinks of me."

 

To fragile ?

Ingemar Johansson wasn't some weakling. Patterson didn't do so bad against him. Maybe a best out of 3 is needed.


I think it depends on when this fight occurs.

The older Marciano gets, it could sway into Patterson's favor. Although a guy like Marciano, the way he hits and his pressure...makes things interesting.

Now a younger Marciano...that's a thing for fantasy fights. That Marciano is tough to beat. but remember, its not like he had an easy time with some of his opponents.

But if Marciano hung around for a little bit more...or especially years after when he originally retired... we have to consider this and what Patterson could possibly do.


But anyway...

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I can't remember if it was in a book or an article I read that said it was more about the Mob control situation than anything else.

There was a big thing with Marciano, the belt, and the mob control of it. And Cus was trying to break that up.



Rocky retiring when he did makes you question some things. Was it because he was tired of the sport or was it something else ?

The control of the title is interesting. It's shady.

 

Well then what do you say about the opponents he fought...Charles, Walcott, Moore, and Louis...and their age and wear and tear ?

But yes, I think it was smart to leave when he did. Get in and get out even if it is a short reign. More boxers should follow this. Its smarter and certainly healthier for them. Maybe not so good for fans though.

As far as mob control, I read different things so its hard to tell what's what.
At one side, Marciano and his manager wanted nothing to do with Mob control. But on the other side, it was only that they didn't want to give money or control over Marciano's career to the mob. No throwing fights or payoffs.

I don't know. Shady times when Frankie Carbo was around.
Even if you don't want to be directly involved, they can be indirectly involved.


The matchup is interesting, especially at this point. Marciano worked more with accumulation punching to batter his opponents down for the win. We can go through a number of his fights where opponents, not really known for their ability to take a punch and have been KO'd prior, and not much men for size...took his shots until they finally succumbed. And with his style, wide swinging and off balance at times....I wonder how the younger, faster, sharper, more skilled boxer like Patterson, would arguably have more stamina than the much older quality opponents Marciano faced...with his combination punching...could possibly do. And if he catches Marciano, specifically early like both Walcott and Moore did.... ?
It's all interesting. Marciano can be caught and can be hurt.

But what most would think of in this match is that Rocky goes in and starts nailing Patterson and gets his KO. Could be.

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I think it had more to do with fighting as a HW than a more suitable division like LH. By the time Floyd got to the HW division...it was starting to be a new era of Heavyweights. Sonny Liston was on his way and then of course all those that followed. This was no longer the division we saw just prior with a bunch of LH's that could pose as HWs.

A bit dramatic: Floyd was dropped by Radamaker {HW Gold Medalist} but I don't recall him being knocked down again until he fought Johansson who was a known puncher. And then of course Big Sonny Liston. So where is this notion that everyone was knocking him down?

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True: Shady sport; shady business; shady times. Although maybe not with the mob, I don't think D'Amato was so clean on things either. He was seen as a bit of a shady character as well.







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It's a good reason to leave. If you want to retire, retire. Leave on your own free-will. I recommend that.

But at 32, and one fight/win away from 50 wins. I don't know. It could have been an accumulation of reasons: Manager problems; wear and tear/age; hunger no longer there; up-coming competition. It's not like he retired right after Moore. There were some months in-between to think some things over.


How do you know Cus was going to keep Floyd away from Marciano?

Patterson was on the rise and time wasn't on Marciano's side. D'Aamato was building Patterson up to be the next HW Champion. Maybe Cus saw an opportunity like Marciano had with his HOF opponents that were no longer fresh.
It wasn't like he was blazing through everyone. He had a lot of tough fights.
Charles was past his best and gave a great fight in the first fight. Walcott was out-boxing him until the very end. And Moore, took a beating but knocked Marciano down early (just like Walcott did). So Marciano was human and could be hurt. Charles had him hurt as well.

So there is always a chance. Especially for a young hungry fighter who doesn't have the wear and tear, has good stamina, good boxing skills, fast extremely fast with punches/combinations, and packs KO power in both hands...who could also take it to Marciano instead of letting Marciano have room to tee-off. You go after him before he gets you. Any mistake Marciano makes he can get countered.

I was just wondering what Patterson's team was seeing. Maybe they "saw something"

Patterson can be taken out by Marciano. I don't doubt that. But I wouldn't count out Patterson as the years went on. Late '56-57. Marciano could still have been around (but retired). He would have been 33 years old towards the end of '56. Fighters have still fought past that. And if I recall a tidbit from what D'amato thought, he thought it would be a huge money fight (which was of interest and the reason why he pushed Patterson to the HW $cene).

Was he on the decline or going to decline like many fighters do in their 30's...yeah, probably. And maybe this is what Patterson and his team saw they could take advantage of.

But who knows. I thought it was just interesting.




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