http://www.archive.org/details/FloydPattersonVsDonGrant http://www.archive.org/details/FloydPattersonVsWillieTroy http://www.archive.org/details/FloydPattersonVsJoeyMaxim http://www.archive.org/details/FloydPattersonVsJohnGibson http://www.archive.org/details/FloydPattersonVsClaytonJones And, one from 1972. http://www.archive.org/details/FloydPattersonVsPedroAgosto
Patterson looked to be stiff against Maxim going by the available footage but it's amazing to see the progression from that skinny kid to the laser fast fully developed athlete of the Willie Troy fight. Marciano's commentary is interesting in this as well. Even though he's a bit removed from it he's still looking for weaknesses in Pattersons style which makes me wonder if he was 100% sold on retirement at that point (knowing that his commentary may have been recorded long after the fact) with a view to a fight down the track. Still after hearing Rocky talking about Patterson after this and the Moore fight (that I've seen elsewhere) Rocky seems to be a big admirer of Floyds natural gifts of speed and reflexes.
Joey Giardello gave Willie Troy quite a beating the year before. I have that fight somewhere on DVD. I think Patterson could have stayed down at light-heavyweight most of his career. He could have developed into a more rounded fighter against 175 pound opponents. He was 166 pounds and just turned 20. I think he was rushed into the heavyweights too soon, but it made sense at the time because he would have had to fight the same guy to win the 175 crown as he did to win the HW crown anyway !
I'm an admirer of Marciano as a commentator his asides on the Basilio/SRR fight, and the Satterfield/ Baker one are gems,imo.
