BoxRec

After losing to Ali in 72, Floyd considered returning as a L.H. with the intent to challenge Bob Foster. It never came about, but what if? Could he have won the L.H. championship at age 38 ?

bill.lockhart wrote:After losing to Ali in 72, Floyd considered returning as a L.H. with the intent to challenge Bob Foster. It never came about, but what if? Could he have won the L.H. championship at age 38 ?

In a normal course of events, Patterson would have gone after Archie Moore's lightheavyweight title.

And sometime later tried his luck as a heavyweight.

But the retirement of Marciano left an opportunity that was too great

and Patterson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history by KOing Moore with an amazing left hook.

Just before he died, Gene Tunney gave Patterson as an example of a fighter who won a title before he had finished developing as a fighter.

In contrast, Tunney gave the example of Archie Moore as a "finished product."

During the time Patterson was champion,

longtime ring commentator Don Dunphy said more than once that he thought Harold Johnson would have a good chance of beating Patterson for the title.

Bob Foster never fought any lightheavweights on the level of Archie Moore or Harold Johnson, but he sure cut a swath through what was put in front of him.

The fact that Foster couldn't stay in there with heavyweights, while Moore and Harold Johnson could, is not a good indication for his chances against them.

Johnson had a remarkable record against heavyweights, beating Arturo Godoy, Nino Valdez, Eddie Machen, Ezzard Charles, and several others.

Moore, in his older age, knocked Marciano down and gave Marciano a fight.

Could Foster stay in there for 9 rounds with Marciano? No way.

Could Foster beat Godoy, Valdez, Eddie Machen (in his prime), Ezzard Charles?

I don't think so.

Foster's problem when he went up to heavyweight was that

he couldn't take body punches from heavyweights

he had a fragile chin when hit by a real heavyweight

his own punch, which was great when he hit a 175 pounder,

was a just good when he was trying to compete in the heavyweight division.

And his own vulnerability to the offense of his heavyweight opponents insured his lack of success.

Foster was a tremendous puncher at LHW, but his adventures at 176 and up (the HW division was 176 and up then) were pitiful. While some men would say Foster could knock out HW's in the gym in sparring (Jerry Evans attests to this), he was knocked out by guys like Charlie Polite way before he ever fought Frazier and Ali.

Patterson was a better fighter after losing the title, but none the less, Patterson beat the better HW opposition, and as a LHW lost controversial decision to Joey Maxim. Patterson could get up off the floor to win, had the second fastest hands in HW history (least in the modern days) and surely would have weathered ANY storm Foster could throw at him.

No, Patterson cuts Foster to bits. Patterson by KO inside of 8 rounds, like he done against Johansson.

I have to go with Foster in this. Patterson hadn't been a lightheavyweight in 18 years. He would have had to lose about 15 pounds. This probably would have left him much weaker. Foster was starting to decline at this time, however he still should be able to win. A fight at heavyweight would have been a different story.

However a fight at 175 at this stage would almost surely go Foster's way.

I wouldn't be surprised either way in 73, though Patterson could still fight at that point. The weight drain might be too much though, as ambling said.

But if Patterson had spent his prime years at Light Heavyweight instead of Heavyweight he would have been one of the absolute best at that weight, like top 1-3 all time at 175. That version of Patterson could have potentially beaten any Light Heavyweight. Foster would have had the best chance though, and Ezzard Charles.

Just look what a young Patterson did to Maxim (in a robbery) and Moore at Heavyweight. The guy was a top 15-20 all time Heavyweight, but as a Light Heavyweight he would have been as dominant as Moore or Foster, or possibly more so.

Ambling Alp wrote:I have to go with Foster in this. Patterson hadn't been a lightheavyweight in 18 years. He would have had to lose about 15 pounds. This probably would have left him much weaker. Foster was starting to decline at this time, however he still should be able to win. A fight at heavyweight would have been a different story.

However a fight at 175 at this stage would almost surely go Foster's way.

I remember reading in World Boxing magazine at around that time, Floyd was going to try & take the weight off slowly & see how it went. Archie Moore seemed to be able to do it, but as you said 18 years is a long time. I never heard anything after that. Perhaps getting the weight off was too big a chore. Floyd was pretty lean as it was & another 15 pounds at age 38 wouldn't be as easy. Floyd said he was only interested in the record of doing it, & Foster could have the title right back if he wished. Still, it would have been interesting though. I think Floyd could have done it, but I'm terribly biased, Floyd was my hero.

Johnson had a remarkable record against heavyweights, beating Arturo Godoy, Nino Valdez, Eddie Machen, Ezzard Charles, and several others.

he also beat hall of fame heavyeight clarence henry, who the new york times described as "at the level of a walcott, marciano, charles"- 1952

HomicideHenry wrote:Patterson had the second fastest hands in HW history (least in the modern days)

Umm... Who was number one?