Gene Tunney Challenges Floyd Patterson?

This style is all wrong for Tunney. He really could shine against the Demsey's and Heeney's, but the speed of Patterson does not bode well for a Tunney win. However, Patterson would have to be really on his toes against a very thinking fighter. There couldn't be any leaping left hooks against Gene. He is just the man to find a counter to that fast but amateurish move. It was Floyd's speed which allowed him to get away with that. I think Floyd's speed gets him to a 15 round decision win, with maybe a hiccup or two along the way.

 

I'm fairly confident picking Patterson. Though I don't think it'd be a shutout.

 

Tunney has the brains, skill, punch, conditioning and chin to score a tko over Floyd.

 

Tunney has a live chance here, but I'd likely go with Floyd Patterson on this one.

 

Tunney was not some forty yer old fighter getting by on his third and fourth skill sets .. Tunney was an outstanding fighter , extremely fast himself with a much longer reach who in my opinion would stop Floyd.

 

Patterson over tunney....cmon

 

from the 'Old" Moore fight thru Ingo 3, who did Patterson beat that was better than prime Tunney?

 

I do not know why Patterson is favored by most here.
I could see a case for either man.
But what is Patterson's big advantage?
Not size, & what is the stylistic edge?

I heard no real details yet.
Patterson may be faster in sudden blows.
Tunney was terrific at countering.
That Floyd had most trouble with big sluggers does not suggest a great boxer could not beat him.

Tunney was essentially "modern", & extremely tough.
He was MUCH more experienced than Floyd here.
Near the very end of a 65-1-1 career!

He lost exactly once, to an absolute legend of a swarmer who injured him in the opening seconds-the alcohol his corfner gave him between round did not help. Then beat Greb every other time. Correction: he also drew with him once.

Tunney would suffer when outsized against top competition.
He *might* lose to prime ATGs his size-but likely only swarmers.
Why would Patterson be favored here?

 

I'll go with my first thought on this , Tunney by UD.

 

Tunney retired at his absolute peak. Robbing fans of truly assessing his career at heavyweight. What we do have of him however, bodes very well for him.
1. He looks really good on film.
2. A quick look at his resume and it shows he was routinely outclassing solid competition of the era - several trial horses and fringe contenders that Tunney faced were Bartley Madden (Tunney made absolute quick work of him knocking him out in 3 rounds. Madden was almost a Dempsey opponent and footage exists of him lasting the distance with Wills)
Johnny Risko the Cleveland rubber man. Risko was a tough out for most and had many wins over fighters of the era despite ending up with over 40 losses in his career. According to all reports Tunney dominated him. Charley Weinert who held wins over Sharkey and Firpo was ko’d In just 4 rounds.
He savagely beat up Heeney and Carpentier. Heeney was never the same. He ended Gibbons career and he likely knocks out Dempsey in the rematch if the bout was scheduled for 15 or more rounds.
Tunney was the truth. Fast hands, fast feet, smart and iron will. Patterson would have his hands full. His speed could see him through but I think Tunney’s retirement actually prevented us from seeing someone that may have truly been an atg top 10 heavy. His body filled out perfectly in the division increasing his strength but not diminishing his speed or power.

 

What you are talking about here is a very inexperienced Floyd Patterson who weighed 182-1/4 pounds. He is nowhere near the fighter he would become after 1960 when he had four more years experience and had beefed up to 190 plus pounds. I think people are looking at Floyd through the rose-colored glasses of his mature years. That Patterson, I believe, may have been able to defeat the 189-1/2-pound Tunney who fought Dempsey in 1926, but not the earlier Patterson. Remember that up to the time Floyd met Ancient Archie for the vacant title, the only then-ranked heavyweight Patterson had fought was Tommy Jackson, who was probably one of the poorest excuses for a top-rated heavyweight contender in boxing history.

 

Very close fight.
Even if Tunney lost, I bet he would win a rematch, though.

 

Eras aside, 'styles make fights'. Tunney great! Floyd somewhat lesser great! I'll take Floyd on a UD again, Eras aside.
Same reason I feel a focused Floyd would have bested Jimmy Young, Eras aside.
Despite Gene's savvy and semi-power to say he would have KO'd Floyd?? Geez o pete give me a frigging break!
My $0.02
Sidebar: Gene could have copped a UD, definitely.