A Tribute to Floyd Patterson: Born 81 Years Ago Today

By Dave “Mythical” Siderski

Let’s take a minute to celebrate the birthday of legend Floyd Patterson, who was born on January 4, 1935 in Waco, North Carolina. Patterson captured Olympic Gold as a Middleweight in the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. Floyd scored a shocking 5th round upset knockout victory over the legendary Archie Moore on November 30, 1956, becoming the [then] youngest Heavyweight champion in boxing history. After defending four times, he lost the title to Ingemar Johansson by 3rd round TKO in June 1959. Patterson destroyed Johansson in the rematch, becoming the first man ever to regain the Heavyweight championship. Two knockout losses to Sonny Liston appeared to finish him as a factor in the Heavyweight division.

However, he would remain relevant for the next decade, challenging two more times for the Heavyweight crown. Patterson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us. Suffering from Alzheimer’s and Prostate Cancer, Floyd Patterson passed away May 11, 2006 at the age of 71, leaving an indelible mark of the history of the sport of boxing.

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