Editing Floyd Patterson (section)

====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.