Floyd Patterson V. Muhammad Ali (1965)

Fair enough, that's his prerogative.
Problem is, it looks shabby to the observer, and is unprofessional.

 

I think the 1965 November fight in Las Vegas was the stolen 'Gorgeous George'
version of Muhammad Ali.

He seemed to enjoy being boo'ed and hiss'ed at.

As Gorgeous George once said to a young Cassius Clay, "I would rather be
hated by 9999 people, than liked by 'one',,".
As long as they're buying tikets.

 

Ali did actually say he didn't carry Patterson.

"I didn't carry him. I hit him so many times I got tired. I had to rest so I'd be sure I'd last 15 rounds. I hit him my best punches and he didn't fall. No one can say he has a glass jaw"

 

'While he was seeking to humiliate Floyd Patterson, Ali only succeeded in
ennobling him",,,,,,by Gilbert Rogin

Floyd Patterson was staying at the Hotel Thunderbird (Sonny Listons favorite place)

Muhammad Ali, at the Stardust Hotel and Casino.

Floyd Patterson's doctor, Dr. Michael Blatt, had stated that Floyd had actually
dislocated a disc in his back, a week before the fight.

After the fight, in which Floyd Patterson would not offer up any excuses, he just stated that he would do better next time.

For Ali, he said because of the rain tonight, I could not see the Mother of Planes
above me, which he knew was hovering in the sky above Las Vegas, those of which he had seen in the past.
According to Elijah Muhammad, the Muslim leader, this is the plane that will 'destroy'
all the 'white devils'.

 

Floyd Patterson was knocked down in sparring by Mel Turnbow,
2-weeks before the fight.

Odds went from 14-to-5 for Ali, to 3-to-1 for Ali.

Mel Turnbow got a $1000 bonus for the knockdown.
It was a straight right hand, square on Floyd's jaw.

After the fight, The Dunes Hotel, had a big sign that was worded with 'Go Go Go Patterson'.
This was the second time they put up that sign. The first time, was back in July 1963,
when Floyd fought Sonny Liston.

The sign installer and crew were asked, if they would ever be required to place that large sign up again.
The man in charge said we have been ordered to 'burn it', on orders from The Dunes management.
No one wants Floyd Patterson here again.

OUCH!!!!

 

I don't think he carried him either. But I actually like his punching, even though I see your point. I think he choose that flurrying mode because of Patterson crouching style and because he had a deep respect for Floyd's speedy counters, even when he was that groggy. Had he held up and looked for cleaner openings and used proper leverage he could have done more damage much also left himself more open.

Against an easier taget like Williams he used more proper power punching. In the rematch in '72 he again uses mostly flurries to stop Floyd (on TKO, without having him down) while he used proper, hard punches to stop guys like Quarry and Lewis in the same year. And then against the more elusive target of Bob Foster he reverts to flurries and arm punching. But against big guys like Foreman and Lyle he once again picks out the big guns.

I like this diversity in Ali, although I would for Floyd's sake rather have seen him go in the trenches and knock Floyd out with power punches.

 

It looks like Muhammad Ali could have taken Floyd out of there anytime after the
4th round.

But he enjoyed torturing Floyd in front all of his Hollywood Buddies,,,,, Frank Sinatra,
Joey Bishop, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford (Rat Pack Guys).

It looked like Floyd was trying to Knock-out Ali for all of his fans.

The guy just should have boxed, stick-and-move.
Take the 15-Round decision loss, and move on.