Editing Floyd Patterson (section)

==Professional career==
Patterson turned pro and steadily rose through the ranks, his only early defeat being an eight-round decision to former [[light heavyweight]] champion [[Joey Maxim]] on June 7, 1954, at the [[Eastern Parkway Arena]] in Brooklyn, New York.

===Championship===
[[File:Floyd Patterson 1957.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Patterson in 1957]]
Although Patterson fought around the light heavyweight limit for much of his early career, he and manager Cus D'Amato always had plans to fight for the [[Heavyweight]] Championship. In fact, D'Amato made these plans clear as early as 1954, when he told the press that Patterson was aiming for the heavyweight title.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Weston |editor-first=Stanley |title=The Best of the Ring |publisher=Bonus Books |year=1996 |location=Chicago |page=183 |isbn=1-56625-056-0}}</ref> However, after [[Rocky Marciano]] announced his retirement as World Heavyweight Champion on April 27, 1956, Patterson was ranked by [[The Ring (magazine)|The ''Ring'']] magazine as the top light heavyweight contender. After Marciano's announcement, Jim Norris of the [[International Boxing Club]] stated that Patterson was one of the six fighters who would take part in an elimination tournament to crown Marciano's successor. ''The Ring'' then moved Patterson into the heavyweight rankings, at number five.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Daniel |first=Dan |title="I Won't Be Back," Says Marciano |journal=The Ring |volume=84 |issue=8 |pages=90–91 |date=August 2005}}</ref>

====Patterson vs. Moore====
After beating [[Tommy Hurricane Jackson|Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson]] in an elimination fight, Patterson faced Light Heavyweight Champion [[Archie Moore]] on November 30, 1956, for the World Heavyweight Championship. He beat Moore by a [[knockout]] in five rounds and became the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history, at the age of 21 years, 10 months, 3 weeks and 5 days. He was the first Olympic gold medalist to win a professional heavyweight title.
[[File:Ingemar Johansson and Floyd Pattersson 1959.JPG|right|thumb|[[Ingemar Johansson]] knocks out Floyd Patterson and becomes boxing heavyweight champion of the world, June 26, 1959.]]

====Patterson vs. Johansson I, II & III====
After a series of defenses against fringe contenders (Hurricane Jackson, [[Pete Rademacher]], Roy Harris,<ref name=tloftphrs>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oSZYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FPcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5771%2C3592396 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Tale of the tape |date=August 18, 1958 |page=15}}</ref> and [[Brian London]]), Patterson met [[Ingemar Johansson]] of Sweden, the number one contender, in the first of three fights. Johansson triumphed over Patterson on June 26, 1959, with the referee [[Ruby Goldstein]] stopping the fight in the third round after the Swede had knocked Patterson down seven times. Johansson became Sweden's first World Heavyweight Champion, thus becoming a national hero as the first European to defeat an American for the title [[Joe Louis|since 1933]].

Patterson knocked out Johansson in the fifth round of their rematch on June 20, 1960, to become the first man in history to regain the [[Undisputed Champion|Undisputed]] World Heavyweight Championship. Johansson hit the canvas hard, seemingly out before he landed flat on his back. With glazed eyes, blood trickling from his mouth and his left foot quivering, he was counted out. Johansson laying unconscious for five minutes before he was helped onto a stool.

A third fight between them was held on March 13, 1961, and while Johansson put Patterson on the floor, Patterson retained his title by knockout in the sixth round to win the rubber match in which Patterson was decked twice and Johansson once, in the first round. Johansson had landed both right hands over Floyd's left jab. After getting up from the second knockdown, Floyd abandoned his jab and connected with a left hook that knocked down Johansson. After that, Patterson came on with a strong body attack that wore down Johansson. In the sixth round, Johansson caught Patterson with a solid right. But the power in Johansson's punches was gone. Patterson won the fight in the sixth round by knockout.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://boxingmemories.com/2011/03/11/the-10-greatest-heavyweight-fights-of-all-timefloyd-patterson-vs-ingemar-johansson-3/ |title=The 10 Greatest Heavyweight Fights of All Time, Floyd Patterson vs. Ingemar Johansson 3. |publisher=boxingmemories.com |access-date=2011-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812201816/http://boxingmemories.com/2011/03/11/the-10-greatest-heavyweight-fights-of-all-timefloyd-patterson-vs-ingemar-johansson-3/ |archive-date=2011-08-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

After the third Johansson fight, Patterson defended the title in [[Maple Leaf Gardens|Toronto]] on December 4<!--, 1961,--> against Tom McNeeley and retained the title with a fourth-round knockout.<ref name=dfdsti>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=07BeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=py8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4012%2C583736 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Patterson defends his title |date=December 4, 1961 |page=6}}</ref><ref name=pkodg>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1LBeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=py8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4018%2C729123  |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Patterson knocks out dead-game McNeeley in fourth |date=December 5, 1961 |page=8}}</ref> However he did not fight number-one contender [[Sonny Liston]]. This was due in part to Cus D'Amato, who did not want Patterson in the ring with a boxer with [[American Mafia|mob]] connections. As a result, D'Amato turned down any challenges involving the [[International Boxing Club|IBC]]. Eventually, due to a monetary dispute with [[Jimmy Jacobs (handballer)|Jimmy Jacobs]], Patterson removed D'Amato from handling his business affairs and agreed to fight Liston.

====Patterson vs. Liston I & II====
{{Main|Sonny Liston vs. Floyd Patterson|Sonny Liston vs. Floyd Patterson II}}

Leading up to the fight, Liston was the major betting-line favorite, though ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' predicted that Patterson would win in 15 rounds. [[James J. Braddock|Jim Braddock]], [[Jersey Joe Walcott]], [[Ezzard Charles]], [[Rocky Marciano]] and [[Ingemar Johansson]] picked Patterson to win. The fight also carried a number of social implications. Liston's connections with the mob were well known and the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People|NAACP]] was concerned about having to deal with Liston's visibility as World Champion and had encouraged Patterson not to fight Liston, fearing that a Liston victory would tarnish the civil rights movement.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=boyd/080508 |title=Esquire covers commemorate boxing's prime |work=ESPN.com |date=May 8, 2008}}</ref> Patterson said [[John F. Kennedy]] also did not want him to fight Liston.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-champ-floyd-patterson-dies-at-71/ |title=Ex-Champ Floyd Patterson Dies At 71 |date=May 11, 2006 |work=CBS News}}</ref>

In [[David Remnick bibliography|David Remnick's]] book, ''King of the World,'' he calls Patterson a "sensitive" champion. Patterson was very open about his fears and feelings going into a fight, which was new behavior in the world of boxing. He was regarded as a very polite, well-mannered, and likeable champion. This contrasted the media's portrayal of Liston, whose mob ties and criminal history made it easy to paint as the villain of the fight. In the media, Patterson was painted as the good guy, and Liston was the antagonist. This rhetoric surrounded the fight, raising the stakes and putting pressure on Patterson to retain his title.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Remnick |first=David |title=King of the world: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero |publisher=Random House |year=1998 |isbn=0-375-70229-6 |location=New York |pages=3–25}}</ref>

Patterson lost his title to Liston in Chicago on September 25, 1962, by a first-round knockout in front of 18,894 fans. The two fighters were a marked contrast. In the ring, Liston's size and power proved too much for Patterson's guile and agility. However, Patterson did not use his speed to his benefit. According to ''Sports Illustrated'' writer Gilbert Rogin, Patterson did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. Liston battered Patterson with body shots and then shortened up and connected with two double hooks high on the head. The result at the time was the third-fastest knockout in boxing history.<ref>Gregory, Sam. [https://web.archive.org/web/20050210024913/http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/705/sonny-liston-facts/ "Sonny Liston: The Facts"]. thesweetscience.com</ref> After being knocked out, Patterson left [[Comiskey Park]] in Chicago wearing dark glasses and a fake beard for the drive back to New York. After the fight, questions were raised on whether the fight was fixed to set up a more lucrative rematch. Overnight, Patterson seemed to lose his public support as a result of his swift knockout.<ref>Rogin, Gilbert (October 8, 1962) [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1147918/index.htm "The Facts About The Big Fight"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123125852/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1147918/index.htm |date=2010-11-23 }}. sportsillustrated.cnn.com</ref> Despite the defeat, Patterson received $2 million, to be paid over 17 years.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 26, 1962|page=1|title=Patterson's $2-Mil. 'One-Night-Stand'|last=Arneel|first=Gene|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1962-09-26_228_5/mode/2up?view=theater|access-date=May 3, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

The rematch was set for April 1963; however, Liston injured his knee swinging a golf club and the fight was delayed three months to July 22<!--, 1963-->. It was the first million-dollar purse with both fighters receiving $1,434,000 each.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Guiness World Championship Boxing Book|last=Morrison|first=Ian|year=1990|publisher=Guiness Publishing Limited|page=151|isbn=0-85112-900-5|url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldcha0000morr/page/150/mode/2up?view=theater&q=gate|access-date=May 3, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> In Las Vegas that night, Patterson attempted to become the first boxer to win the heavyweight title three times, but Liston once again knocked him out in the first round. Patterson lasted four seconds longer than in the first bout. The Liston fights were the only times Patterson was actually counted out in his 20-year professional career.

===After the title===
Following these defeats, Patterson went through a depression. However, he eventually recovered and began winning fights again, including top victories over [[Eddie Machen]] and [[George Chuvalo]]; the Chuvalo match won ''The Ring''{{'}}s "[[The Ring magazine Fight of the Year|Fight of the Year]]" award.<ref>{{cite news |title=On This Day: Floyd Patterson and George Chuvalo clash in unforgettable non-title fight |url=http://www.boxingnewsonline.net/on-this-day-floyd-patterson-and-george-chuvalo-clash-in-unforgettable-non-title-fight/ |work=Boxing News |date=February 1, 2018 |access-date=July 16, 2018}}</ref>

==== Muhammad Ali ====
{{Main|Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson}}

Patterson was now the number-one challenger for the title held by [[Muhammad Ali]]. On November 22, 1965, in Las Vegas, in yet another attempt to be the first to win the world heavyweight title three times, he went into the fight with an injured [[Sacroiliac joint|sacro{{shy}}iliac joint]] which worsened after the first round and greatly reduced his mobility in a bout in which Ali was clearly dominant.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2006-05-11-floyd-patterson-obit_x.htm |work=USA Today |title=Ex-heavyweight boxer Floyd Patterson, 71, dies |first=Chuck |last=Johnson |date=2006-05-11 |access-date=2010-05-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/11/23/archives/patterson-refuses-to-use-back-spasm-as-alibi-in-game-but-losing.html | title=Patterson Refuses to Use Back Spasm as Alibi in Game but Losing Fight; INJURY IS EVIDENT IN FOURTH ROUND | work=The New York Times | date=23 November 1965 | last1=Decker | first1=Bill }}</ref> Ali called Patterson an "Uncle Tom" for refusing to call him Muhammad Ali (Patterson continued to call him Cassius Clay) and for his outspokenness against black Muslims.<ref>Hauser, Thomas (November 2, 2003) [https://web.archive.org/web/20070316002449/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1072751,00.html Ali: The Legacy]. ''The Guardian''</ref> Before the match, Patterson had said:

<blockquote>"This fight is a crusade to reclaim the title from the Black Muslims. As a Catholic, I am fighting Clay as a patriotic duty. I am going to return the crown to America."</blockquote>

Ali hit Patterson repeatedly with jabs from the second round until the referee stopped the fight in the 12th round.<ref>Schwartz, Larry [https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00242468.html A Great Champion]. ESPN.com.</ref><ref>[https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Muhammad_Ali_vs._Floyd_Patterson Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson]. Boxrec</ref> In the post-fight interview, Ali praised Patterson for being able to take punches and said Patterson's age counted against him.

==== End of career ====
Patterson remained a legitimate contender. In 1966 he traveled to England and knocked out British boxer [[Henry Cooper (boxer)|Henry Cooper]] in the fourth round at Wembley Stadium.

[[File:Floyd Patterson Wild Wild West 1968.JPG|thumb|upright=1.15|Patterson tried his hand at acting. He is seen in this 1968 ''[[The Wild Wild West]]'' episode as a landowner who is in danger of losing his property.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0748555/ |title="The Wild Wild West" The Night of the Juggernaut |publisher=IMDb |access-date=July 16, 2018}}</ref>]]
When Ali was stripped of his title for refusing induction into the military, the [[World Boxing Association]] staged an eight-man tournament to determine his successor. Patterson fought [[Jerry Quarry]] to a draw in 1967. In a rematch four months later, Patterson lost a controversial 12-round decision to Quarry. Subsequently, in a final attempt at winning the title a third time, Patterson lost a controversial 15-round referee's decision to [[Jimmy Ellis (boxer)|Jimmy Ellis]] in Stockholm, in 1968, despite breaking Ellis's nose and scoring a disputed knockdown.

In September 1969 he divorced his first wife, Sandra Hicks Patterson, who wanted him to quit boxing, while he still had hopes for another title shot.

Patterson continued on, defeating [[Oscar Bonavena]] in a close fight over ten rounds in early 1972.

At age 37, Patterson was stopped after seven rounds with a cut eye while still competitive in a rematch with Muhammad Ali for the [[North American Boxing Federation|NABF]] heavyweight title on September 20, 1972.<ref>[https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Muhammad_Ali_vs._Floyd_Patterson_(2nd_meeting) Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson (2nd meeting)]. Boxrec</ref> The defeat proved to be Patterson's last fight, although there was never an announcement of retirement.