Let's say instead of taking on the gooftroopers like Harris, London, Radamacher, McNeeley.....he took on the much better/higher rated fighters like Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Nino Valdes? I will give you a timeline 11/30 1956: Archie Moore KO 5 7/29 1957: Hurricane Jackson TKO 10 8/22 1957: Eddie Machen????? 8/18 1958: Nino Valdes????? 5/1 1959: Zora Folley???? 6/26 1959: Ingemar Johansson TKO'd by 3 6/20 1960: Ingemar Johansson KO 5 3/13 1961: Ingemar Johansson KO 6 12/4 1961: Cleveland Williams???? Who does Floyd lose to? Can Floyd run the table? If Floyd did run the table, how far up on your All time Heavyweight list would you place him? Who is the biggest threat to Floyd on this list?
I think he wins them all but Cud didn't agree! I'd place him much the same as I do now, just behind Charles, Walcott, Schmeling, Sharkey and above the likes of Braddock, Burns, Carnera, Willard.
UD over Machen TKO over aging Valdes KO/TKO over Folley (Patterson dropped by a counter right hand) Williams could beat him. I know there are people who feel Williams is heavily overrated and I definitely would not put him in Patterson's overall class, but as a style match-up he is quite difficult for Floyd. He came out fast, threw bombs and had quite a lot of size on Patterson. Unlike Liston, Patterson could not really afford to take the fight to Williams without risking a KO loss himself. I think it would have been a war. One possible outcome of course is that Patterson manages to outbox him for a decision but Williams was quicker than the likes of Chuvalo or Bonavena. I believe Patterson would have to call forth all his intensity and willpower in an effort to overcome Williams. No less than his very best would do.
Patterson had some great strengths and some great weaknesses, lets face it he was dropped in almost every fight but he always had the potential to drop and stop a guy with his fast,fast hands and above average power. That being said Patterson got dropped and KO'd by INGO who could punch but not a master boxer, Floyd also got dropped by Pete Radamaker in Pete's 1st fight and Roy Harris and others. Floyd could beat all of them but he could also lose to all of them. He lost to Ingo but beat Ingo... Floyd was above the lower tier Champs but below the tier below the top 5 to 15...If he fought Archie Moore 5 times, he may not win them all,in fact I doubt it... he did beat Ingo in 2/3
If Williams fought Floyd like the first round of Cleve's first fight with Liston, he would stop Patterson quick. But, if he lays back, then Floyd would probably win by UD.
Agreed, I think he beats most of the men mentioned with maybe one of them being a stylistic problem for him, but I don't make very much of it.. Floyd was better than any of those guys.
Beats them all. And while Williams has a chance, it´s not more than a puncher´s chance, he simply wasn´t that good. His career proves it.
I would pick Floyd against all of them, but he could drop dec's to Machen and get caught by Williams.
The question is...Can he beat them all without trying to blind them with special chemicals? I say yes. Definitely.