Moore-Patterson highlights with a very appreciative commentary by Marciano

4. It's a great thing that Marciano decided to take up commentary, since it allowed us to get more of a sense of his personality before his untimely death.

 

Was there ever a Cus D'Amato trainee who didn't have a very good jab? :think

 

Cus D'Amato made Patterson and ruined him at the same time. He did well by clearing a quick path for him to the heavyweight title, but once he got him there he didn't know what to do with him. He was overbearing and too protective. He made him be so dedicated to his peekaboo style that he became trapped within it, and didn't develop into as versatile a fighter as he could've been. Cus was also so insistent that Patterson should stay away from certain contenders that Patterson basically developed a phobia of them.

Once Patterson had been separated from Cus for a couple of years, the real Floyd began to come out. He took on Eddie Machen, one of the guys that Cus had convinced him that he couldn't beat, and then beat him decisively. He began to depart from his peekaboo attack style and develop into a more well-rounded boxer; that enabled him to hang in some hard fights with rugged fighters like Chuvalo and Bonavena. He fearlessly ducked no one and acquitted himself well against everyone, win or lose. He even gave Ali a pretty decent fight all the way at the age of 37, in his last fight.

 

Patterson will always be remember for his devastating losses, but he is an underrated fighter. Had he stayed at 175 he might very have been one of the best there ever was. His hand speed was just terrific and he packed a whallop. He was too small for a heavyweight given the period in which he fought.

 

Brilliant show by Patterson. His handspeed is ridiculous, and his head movement is fantastic in this fight.
Loved the Marciano commentary as well, you can tell he was a real lover of the sweet science.

 

i think marciano was impressed as he struggled against moore and patterson did amazing.

 

I've always thought of Patterson more as a natural LHW, and believe he'd have fared very well against any of them throughout history, from Charles to Spinks to Foster, etc.

 

Patterson would have been a beast had he competed at LHW. I am a fan of his and love watching his fights with Moore, Ingo and his contending journey through the 60's and early 70's.

 

He was a Light Heavyweight for the first portion of his career before moving up.

 

Patterson looked excellent in this one his handspeed is amazing and to think he is so young, agree with others had he stayed at 175 he would have been one of the true greats at that weight. Although he did achieve greatness at heavy youngest ever champ and first ever two time champion.

 

If the young Floyd had stood in front of Rocky, he would have got knocked out.

The mid-sixties Patterson would have fared better IMO.

 

Hmmm why do so many rate Patterson so far below Moore P4P? Nonsensicle!! Even if Moore was past prime there it was a pure domination and Patterson was also an ex-LHW of around the same size. Another reason that the HW title is vastly underrated P4P, its the hardest to win.

 

I know. But had he stayed at LHW and developed, he would have been a beast.

 

Floyd couldn't have stayed at 175. He was that ''tweenie''. By the late fifties he was a natural 185-190 where he basically remained thruout his career. (He was 188 for Ali in his last fight in 1972). IMO his power and stamina would have been dimished has he tried to remain at 175...
my $0.02