Too bad Machen didn't do as well against Floyd himself. Funny how in his best fights he still loses. The only losses Floyd sustained were to world champions, with the exceptins of Ellis & Quarry, & Ellis had the WBA title.silkov wrote:bill.lockhart wrote:Patterson got a $250,000. guarantee put up by Rademachers backers
for the fight. A lot of loot back in 1957. Thats why the fight happened.
Machen & Folley were not fighters that had a lot of drawing power. Technically sound boxers with decent punching power. Perhaps a cut above Roy Harris, but that's about it. The tuth is, D'amato could make as much or more money with less risk vs. Rademacher, Harris & London.
Everytime Machen or Folley got close to a title shot, they lost fights that would have created a public demand for a showdown with Patterson. That demand would have created more $ for Patterson & D'amato would have had to accept their challenge. Machen & Folley fought to a draw in April 1958. In the fall of 58 Johannson stopped Machen & Cooper beat Folley. This trend continued for the balance of their careers.
Those are the facts. Machen & Folley have no one to blame but themselves.
I wish they had fought Floyd back then too. Floyd would have licked them both. Macjen & Folley are both made out to be a hell of a lot better than they really were because they didn't get title shots in their prime. They couldn't win when they had to.
Well Machen did a hell of a lot better against Liston than Patterson did... the fact that they suffered the odd defeat here and there was because that they were fighting other top contenders (including eachother) most of whom were all ducked by Patterson...
I thought Floyd won both, do you?
Machen & Folley had spottier records. They could be very erratic. You had to be pretty good to beat Floyd Patterson. Patterson never lost to guys who weren't of the top calibre. The other two, on occassion would.