Floyd Patterson - Best Tyson Oppenent He'd Beat?

People always credit him for fighting at a size disadvantage but the topic of steroids is rarely mentioned. We don't know how many of Tyson's opponents were users. I suspect more than a few. We don't know about Mike, either, do we? After all, you can't say Mike was a clean living athlete. He used cocaine which is grounds for suspicion that he might've used other substances designed to make him stronger, faster and more powerful. Mike didn't give a crap about ethics or sportsmanship, that much is obvious. Lewis, Holyfield, Tucker, Douglas, Thomas, Ruddock, Botha et al -- who's to say? I believe Spinks was clean and I think Floyd beats him. I would be surprised if Larry Holmes used steroids. He certainly didn't look like he did! Prime Floyd vs past prime Larry shapes up as an interesting battle.

 

Bone crusher and Bruno ?? Would have to go very careful !!!

 

I've always liked Floyd Patterson. One of my favorites.

But Mike Tyson was A LOT better than Floyd Patterson. Like Floyd Patterson was a lot better than Jose Torres.

The styles may be similar, but Jose isn't beating a lot of guys Floyd Patterson fought. Same with Floyd and Mike.

Floyd certainly beats none of them faster than Tyson did. Maybe he outhustles Berbick over the distance and grinds out a points win.

Berbick may be the best. Trevor had some rough outings here and there. Who knows?

But I think even guys like Carl Williams give Floyd a really bad time, like an older Carl did with Tommy Morrison (who was also much bigger than Floyd but had a similar style).

Just a different era.

 

Larry Holmes. Specifically, the just out of retirement, no tune-up fights, coming off a losing streak Larry Holmes who faced Tyson. There were other guys who were better fighters on the night they fought Tyson, but a win over an ATG who was not even close to done with his career counts for something, and I think Patterson would get it here.

The ones I think Patterson is just not going to get past are Holyfield, Lewis, and Ruddock. Not that Patterson couldn't outbox Ruddock -- Patterson is a far higher caliber of fighter -- but I'm not betting on any chinny dude over Ruddock. He's got a solid chance against the others.

 

Re:
Floyd Patterson - Best Tyson Oppenent He'd Beat?
"Best" is an interesting term. If by "best" we mean fighters who beat Mike Tyson (so from Iron Mike's perspective), we have Evander Holyfield (twice), Lennox Lewis, James Buster Douglas, Danny Williams, and Kevin McBride. Of those, I think Floyd could probably have beaten the last three, but the Douglas who beat Mike would have been a very interesting fight, and I am not altogether sure about that one. (I have never been completely sure how much of that loss was Mike's situation, and how much was Buster's.)