I know it's been talked about over and over but...I watched it again a few days ago. As a 15 year old that day I broke a patio chair after hearing the decision. But, as I've posted before, I don't see it as a robbery like I initially did as the old axiom says "you have to TAKE it to the Champion to win"; along with Floyd's oft passivity in that fight, I might agree with that in retrospect. When I watched it a few days ago, I got a piece of paper and scored the rounds being extremely biased towards Ellis (totally biased). I had Ellis winning 6-5-4. Four even rounds is a bit much but that's how it seemed to go. Valen scored it 9-6 Ellis. IMO Ellis clearly won rounds 1-3-(15 even tho Floyd was kicking his arse for the first half) Patterson clearly won rounds 4-6-13-14 (with a KD in the 14th which Valen scored a 'slip'?) So Valen probably scored rounds 2-5-7-8-9-10-11-12, 6-2 for Jimmy? Had Ali stayed active Patterson wouldn't have had a chance for being a 3-time champ but his effort in the Ellis fight warrants respect unlike Ali's (IMO) Spinks quinella. At the least, their fight coulda/shoulda been called a draw! Not to mention, at the time of the decision, Ellis looked like a bloody, eyes closed, gargoyle whereas Floyd was unmarked. My $0.02 Comments?
I did not see the bout live. I interpret the film as a close win for Patterson. Floyd outboxed Ellis most of the fight.
Well wrote. I had the fight a draw and going over the film there were rounds as you said that could be scored even, those would be the game changers but I haven't been able to give them to either one. In a fight that was Floyd's to win he just didn't put it up a gear often enough.
I watched the entire Patterson-Ellis fight live as a 16 year old. Stormed out the house I was so pissed. Floyd got robbed and I felt bad for him. Calling the knockdown a slip was ridiculous. From what I have read elsewhere, Valen and Dundee were apparently good friends. There should have been three qualified, unbiased officials scoring the fight.
It was reported at the time that Valan and Ellis were seen having breakfast leading up to the fight, which any ref should know is taboo even if it was innocent. Valan was a funny sort. If there are two decisions that always get mentioned as one of the worst it is always Ellis-Patterson and Wepner-Terrell. In both cases Harold Valan was the sole judge.
Patterson was robbed IMO. People who disagree always report to his inactivity but was Ellis THAT active that his activity level trumped all of the hard punches Patterson was landing? I dont think so. IMO Patterson was the better general, had better defense, landed the harder punches, did more damage, etc. I, to this day, cant see how anyone could have voted for Ellis.
I didn't watch it Live and I haven't sat and watched the tape in ages. But, if I recall correctly, Patterson woke up in around the fourth/fifth round, after a flat start. From thereon, he was the more impressive; better looking work; did more damage and was in control for most of the fight. I can barely recollect anything Ellis did to get the nod.
I think referee Harold Valan was foolish and wrong back then and I still think so today. Yeah, I'm a biased Floyd Patterson fan as all my past posting evidence shows, ....and I agree with my buddy @jowcol that Floyd could have picked it up and gotten it in 1st gear, but I cannot, for my life see Ellis winning. Just another case of scoring bias for the defending champion...apparently a "perk" of a defending champion.
