Frank Bruno vs. Floyd Patterson

Patterson was poor against Liston but he was still the best heavyweight in the world at that point so how can he be a poor champion? The worst title holders are the ones who are not regarded as the best in the world as champion. Regardless of how Patterson came to be word heavyweight champion, regardless of defending against a pro debutant Floyd was still at one point in history rightly regarded as the beat heavyweight in the world. So he did not defend against machen? Ingo knocked machen TFO! then patterson knocked ingo TFO! However poor Floyd was against Liston, Patterson was the man to beat because he proved it. Liston has a huge fan base on this forum. Many put sonny in their top 5, and 95% of it is based on what he did to patterson. For that to be possible Floyd has to be one heck of a champion.

 

Very good.

I think some underate Bruno on this forum. What Bruno didn't have was the killer instinct in the big fights and what Patterson didn't have was the confidence to beat Liston. Patterson was scared and awful against Liston, but you have to give Sonny the credit for doing the job and beating the man in front of him. The fight might have lasted a lot longer if Floyd brought some confidence to the fight and boxed Sonny instead of fighting him.

This would be a big fight for both men and unless Bruno can somehow put fear into Floyd to get him off his game, he's getting out-boxed over 12 round with his own sure moments in the fight.

 

I credit liston for beating the best heavyweight in the world in one round, but that one round showed it went all Listons way and patterson did not get out off the blocks. Floyd was not floyd, he did not want to be there.Yes it was him and patterson deserves to be down graded for being poor but nobody can say Liston beat the best patterson or a good patterson anymore than Ali beat a good or best Liston second time around.

Floyd and Bruno share simularitys in that both felt the presure of a nation on their shoulders and effected both in the ring. Patterson was overwhelmed with having to fight for "decent America" and bruno had the presure of being the first british heavyweight champion in a century. Floyd has the pedigree here because he delivered a sensation to knock out ingo an unbeaten champion, considered a superstar, who had previously knocked him out. Frank never did anything like that at world level. In most cases a fighter who knocks out an unbeaten champion becomes a great fighter. Bruno was a great talent on a gerry cooney kind of level.