Did Patterson catch hell for not beating the count when he was knocked down? Although he was taking a brutal beating, it seems that a champion would've tried a little harder to keep his title. A la Frazier.
I wouldnt imagine so. One right sonny hit him with would have KO'D a lot of people. Floyd was a brave guy, i dont think his integrity would have been questioned
He was getting up in both losses to Liston when the referee finished the count, and would have made it with a barely slower cadence. After all the knockdowns he'd previously sustained, and what Ingo did to him in their first bout, I'd be surprised if he caught the flack Charles took earlier for losing the title on a single punch. (Ezzard's knockout loss was interpreted at the time by at least one boneheaded writer as evidence of boxing's decline. This short sighted bozo claimed he couldn't remember the last time the heavyweight championship changed hands on one shot, conveniently forgetting that Louis did just that to Braddock.) The greater issue with Floyd was how he tried to tackle Liston, not with the same smarts he later used to deal with Chuvalo.
No knock on Floyd,,,,,,,, But Sonny was one mean motherf***er entering that ring in Chicago. Sonny was mad at the whole world, the 'white cops', Floyd's former manager Cus D'Amato, Floyd himself, and the promoters, Championship Bouts, Inc. Plus, a scathing article was just written about him, claiming him 'just too damn mean to be a Heavyweight Champion' Joe Triner, chairman of the Illinois State Boxing Commission, stated that Floyd 'froze' in the dressing room before the fight. He visited with Floyd in his dressing room before the fight, and he stated Patterson was already in a 'daze', 'and he looked every bit of a fighter knowing he was going to get creamed'.
Il D, i know your not knocking Floyd and your right, sonny was in prime nick that night but couldnt Joe Triner's opinion be up for a different interpretation? Maybe Floyds concentration in getting into fight mode could have gave him that 'daze' impression? I dont know myself, im just throwing it out there. What i do know is Floyd was a bit of a slow starter and practically all of his knockdowns (if not them all) came very early in a fight. Im not suggesting any other outcome as sonny was determined that night, again just throwing it out there. Tell me this, has there ever been anything definite proving Floyd leaving an arena with a disguise after being KO'd? I find this hard to believe myself. Your pretty clued up on the era, so what have ya heard?
It was New York Times writer, Gay Talese Who wrote, Floyd Patterson drove back home from Chicago to New York, donning a fake mustache and sun-glasses. He was an honest writer, so it was assumed it was true.
Years later, when Sonny was asked to comment on that fight. He did say, that he was extremely upset with Floyd Patterson, because though Floyd did accept the challenge, Floyd did give Sonny the once-over on money. Floyd Patterson received 55% of the ancillary rights, and 45% of the 'live gate'. Patterson got a $2,000,000 guarantee, plus additional revenue. The ancillary fee's came to $4,500,000+, which netted Floyd about $2,300,000 and another 45% of the $800,000 'Live gate', giving Floyd a fight purse of about $2,700,000. Sonny Liston got only 12% of the closed circuit gross-net, his fight purse was $307,000.
In one of the many interviews/articles about Patterson in the S.I. vault, Floyd himself freely admits to wearing a false beard disguise after the disasters with Liston...not sure if he did it after both ko's, but he describes in one lenghty article that he did don a false beard.
With all the money in the bank, nice family, beautiful home and investments, Floyd could have easily cashed it in after Sonny Liston II in 1963. But, he was a true warrior, and continued as the 'underdog'. And damn near got a shot at Joe Frqzier in 1972.
