Floyd Patterson Was Much More Than a Humble Boxing Champion
New York Amsterdam News › August 10, 2009
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Summary
Three years later, while in the U.S. Army at Fort Belvoir, Va., I wasn't surprised when the plodding Ingemar Johansson of Sweden claimed [Floyd Patterson]'s crown by penetrating his peeka-boo stance and flooring him seven times in the third round. The night also was memorable for me because I watched the bout on big-screen closed-circuit TV at the post theater with the late Sgt. Tommie "Sarge" Johnson, who gained lasting fame as coach of the great 1976 U.S. Olympic boxing team. As we sat down, Sarge predicted that Floyd would be KO'd, and that the same thing would happen if he ever fought [Sonny Liston].
It was after the first of these devastating losses that Floyd's fragile personality began to register with me. He was so humiliated that he left Chicago's Comiskey Park wearing a phony beard and dark glasses. Years later, Floyd said he apologized to President John F. Kennedy for his showing with the words that defined his fine sportsmanship: "The title is not worth anything if the best fighters can't have shot at it. And Liston deserved a shot."A few weeks later, my wife, Janice, and I attended a blacktie affair at the Seagram's Building on Park Ave. honoring Floyd's long-time friend, legendary actor James Cagney. Sponsored by his Children's Fund for troubled youth, the highlight was Floyd pushing the wheelchair-bound, 84-year-old Cagney into the room to receive the Floyd Patterson Medallion for exceptional contributions to young people. When Floyd spotted me, he graciously stopped and introduced us to the white-haired, smiling Cagney.See the full content of this document
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Floyd Patterson Was Much More Than a Humble Boxing Champion
"Just be careful, son. You're solid as a rock but you may have a glass heart" - Guy Kibbee, "Sunday Punch" (1942)
Those of us who grew up in the newspaper business know bad news sells. Our readers want to know the worst when it happens. And those of us who grew up loving the fight game kno...See the full content of this document
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