Floyd Patterson: Underrated, Overrated, or Perfectly rated?

From what I've observed on this site I'd say he's underrated by most. Many think because of his ko losses to Liston anyone with power could beat him and I don't believe that's the case. Top 20 sounds right

 

Rated about rightly at heavyweight but lb for lb gets underrated. As a smaller, older fighter he did well in the heavyweight scene of the late 60s / early 70s. He did well against Chuvalo, Machen, Quarry, Ellis, Bonavena and 70s Ali (at 37yo) - all after he had lost the title the second time.

Trivia question. Three fights after he challenged Muhammad Ali in 1965, a fight which showcased courage he had shown vs Johannson but which the Liston fights brought into question), Floyd fought a guy called Bill McMurray. My question is: What's Bill's other fistic claim to fame?

Anybody know? Anybody care?

 

I voted for underrated, because I think that there are some impressive statistic to his resume, that tend to get overlooked.

The period over which he was operating as a top ten fighter is insane.

 

1953
Archie Moore, Champion

1. Harold Johnson
2. Joey Maxim
3. Yolande Pompey
4. Danny Nardico
5. Jimmy Slade
6. Gerhard Hecht
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8. Alex Buxton
9. Willi Hoepner
10. Paul Andrews

1954
Archie Moore, Champion

1. Joey Maxim
2. Paul Andrews
3. Harold Johnson
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5. Oakland Billy Smith
6. Gerhard Hecht
7. Marty Marshall
8. Yolande Pompey
9. Willi Hoepner
10. Bob Satterfield

1955
Archie Moore, Champion

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2. Yolande Pompey
3. Gerhard Hecht
4. Willi Hoepner
5. Chuck Spieser
6. Joey Maxim
7. Harold Johnson
8. Albert Finch
9. Charles Colin
10. Dave Whitlock

1956

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, Champion

1. Tommy (Hurricane) Jackson
2. Archie Moore
3. Harold Carter
4. Willie Pastrano
5. Eddie Machen
6. Bob Satterfield
7. Ingemar Johansson
8. Bob Baker
9. Zora Folley
10. Wayne Bethea

1957

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, Champion

1. Eddie Machen
2. Zora Folley
3. Willie Pastrano
4. Roy Harris
5. Pat McMurtry
6. Nino Valdes
7. Mike DeJohn
8. Wayne Bethea
9. Alex Miteff
10. Ingemar Johansson

1958

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, Champion

1. Ingemar Johansson
2. Nino Valdes
3. Zora Folley
4. Henry Cooper
5. Willie Pastrano
6. Archie Moore
7. Eddie Machen
8. Brian London
9. Sonny Liston
10. Mike DeJohn

1959
Ingemar Johansson, Champion

1. Zora Folley
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3. Sonny Liston
4. Henry Cooper
5. Eddie Machen
6. Billy Hunter
7. Roy Harris
8. Mike DeJohn
9. Joe Erskine
10. Alex Miteff

 

1960

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, Champion

1. Sonny Liston
2. Ingemar Johansson
3. Eddie Machen
4. Zora Folley
5. Henry Cooper
6. Mike DeJohn
7. Robert Cleroux
8. Alex Miteff
9. Dick Richardson
10. Joe Erskine

1961

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, Champion

1. Sonny Liston
2. Eddie Machen
3. Zora Folley
4. Alejandro Lavorante
5. Robert Cleroux
6. Ingemar Johansson
7. Cleveland Williams
8. Henry Cooper
9. Cassius Clay
10. George Logan

1962
Sonny Liston, Champion

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2. Cassius Clay
3. Doug Jones
4. Ingemar Johansson
5. Zora Folley
6. Cleveland Williams
7. Robert Cleroux
8. Billy Daniels
9. Archie Moore
10. Henry Cooper

1963
Sonny Liston, Champion

1. Cassius Clay
2. Doug Jones
3. Ernie Terrell
4. Cleveland Williams
5. Zora Folley
6. Eddie Machen
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8. Karl Mildenberger
9. George Chuvalo
10. Brian London

1964
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Sonny Liston
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3. Ernie Terrell
4. Cleveland Williams
5. George Chuvalo
6. Zora Folley
7. Karl Mildenberger
8. Roger Rischer
9. Eddie Machen
10. Doug Jones

1965
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Ernie Terrell
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3. George Chuvalo
4. Karl Mildenberger
5. Zora Folley
6. Amos Lincoln
7. Thad Spencer
8. Doug Jones
9. Hubert Hilton
10. Brian London

1966
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Ernie Terrell
2. Zora Folley
3. Thad Spencer
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5. Karl Mildenberger
6. Joe Frazier
7. Oscar Bonavena
8. George Chuvalo
9. Johnny Persol
10. Manuel Ramos

1967
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Joe Frazier
2. Thad Spencer
3. Jimmy Ellis
4. Manuel Ramos
5. Jerry Quarry
6. Oscar Bonavena
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8. Eduardo Corletti
9. Karl Mildenberger
10. Ernie Terrell

1968
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Joe Frazier
2. Jimmy Ellis
3. Oscar Bonavena
4. George Chuvalo
5. Sonny Liston
6. Jerry Quarry
7. Leotis Martin
8. Manuel Ramos
9. Alvin (Blue) Lewis
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1969
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Joe Frazier
2. Jimmy Ellis
3. Jerry Quarry
4. Leotis Martin
5. Mac Foster
6. Sonny Liston
7. Oscar Bonavena
8. Al Jones
9. Henry Cooper
10. Gregorio Manuel Peralta

 

1970
Joe Frazier, Champion

1. Muhammad Ali
2. George Foreman
3. Oscar Bonavena
4. Jerry Quarry
5. Mac Foster
6. Henry Cooper
7. George Chuvalo
8. Sonny Liston
9. Jose Ibar Urtain
10. Jose Luis Garcia

1971
Joe Frazier, Champion

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Jerry Quarry
3. George Foreman
4. Oscar Bonavena
5. Mac Foster
6. Jimmy Ellis
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8. Jose Luis Garcia
9. Jack Bodell
10. Joe Bugner

1972
Joe Frazier, Champion

1. Muhammad Ali
2. George Foreman
3. Jimmy Ellis
4. Ron Lyle
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6. Ernie Terrell
7. Jose Roman
8. Joe Bugner
9. Ken Norton
10. Jose Luis Garcia

 

McMurray, cut Foreman’s eye in sparring. Causing postponement of the Ali fight in Zaire by a month.

 

I don't rate him.

 

In one. Nice one, crixus.

 

m

Incredible consistency, over a 20 year period. 1953 a world rated lightheavy weight, a matter of months after winning Olympic gold, aged 17 at middleweight.
The 3 points “losses” and sole draw were all controversial, especially the Ellis fight.
Thanks for listing his yearly rating, covering his career, a great deference aid.

 

Typo deference, read reference!

 

Often wondered if result would have been the same, had Foreman not been cut. Remembering the reports that came out about the, then sullen champion, mooching about, bored, waiting for it to heal, while Ali felt quite at home, lapping up his “homecoming!” experience.
Just another “what if” thought.

 

As for my chronology of his ranking, I do not draw many firm conclusions, except that he had an inhuman level of consistency.

I just ask you to give it a second look.

That is the best argument in his favor, that I can manage.

 

Overrated a bit, IMO. Patterson was at about the same level as the other 2-3 top guys throughout most of his tenure, but he was consistent, lucky, and remained at that high level for a very long time.

Peak Patterson probably couldn't have held the belt in the era that came after him. He barely held onto the belt in his own, and might have had even more trouble if he'd faced more top guys. His performance against Rademacher (for example) is what you'd expect from a contender having an off night. Norton, Povetkin, etc. It would've looked a lot odder from someone like Ali or Foreman.

I very much admire Patterson, though, because he was a smaller heavyweight who achieved a lot of what he did because he was brave and consistent. Very skilled as well. Beautiful to watch. Seemed a good man, too.