BoxRec

Ok guys, lets just say did not lose to Jimmy Ellis.

Instead of Ellis being KO'd by Frazier in 1970, lets hypothesise that instead
Patterson would go on to face Frazier in the middle of 1969.

Who do you think would win...and how do you think this fight would play out ?

I think personally it would be an exciting match. But I just saldy can not see Patterson beating Frazier at this stage. I am imagining a late fight TKO win for Frazier.

That being said, I would love to see a jabbing, rolling fast punching Patterson trading left hooks with a tenacious, body punching power hitter like Frazier.

Kym

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Frazier would have had way to much for Patterson. Early KO a la Sonny Liston...

..patterson was inactive in 1969....he would also been inactive after the first real exchange with frazier...first round maybe....no later than third...

DaveV17 wrote:Frazier was probably at his best in 69-70 and would be too much for Patterson. Patterson had nothing to keep Frazier off of him and Patterson was not durable enough to survive Frazier's offense.

Frazier was very active at that time, fighting about every 3 months against good competition. IMO, Frazier's best performance was the first Ellis fight. Some say that Frazier peaked in the first Ali fight, but Frazier had been mostly inactive prior to the first Ali fight, fighting only one complete round in the previous 13 months.

I agree Floyd would have been beaten, but still, I would loved to have seen him try. Floyd was offered the fight after beating Bonavena in 72. I have the tape of it, & Yancy Durham made the offer. Had Floyd got the decision vs. Ellis, I think this fight would have happened. Floyd would have had no choice to accept either that fight or a 3rd with Quarry with the winner getting Frazier. It would have taken all of Patterson's courage & skill to take Frazier past the 5th round. Frazier would have made him fight at a pace he could not have handled for too long. Frazier was at the top of his game. Floyd wasn't big or tough enough to take on the big punchers. Game yes, skilled yes, but a little out of his league. He never lost a fight to a man 190 or less as a heavyweight. He was big enough for his era, but his era was over.

I know Patterson was inactive for 1969, so was Ellis. Yet the winner of the Patterson-Ellis fights went on to face Frazier.

So lets say it happened in 1969...

I really can not see Patterson or many other champs from that era or any era beating the Frazier of the period. He was active, hard hitting and had a real tenacity that kept the fight moving.

Regardless of what round Patterson goes in, I would love to see the fight and just see how the two paired up inside the ropes.

Kym

yep frazier by a flogging

Patterson gets knocked out before the end of the 5th round. Awful matchup style-wise for Floyd.

AT that point in time?....Joe leaves Floyd looking like he fell into a meat grinder.

Frazier, for mine, clobbers ANY version of Patterson inside six rounds. In fact, I would say we'd have to get a post-Manila Frazier to even consider a PRIME Patterson beating him.

The Patterson of 1969 who was, truthfully, washed up at a time when Frazier was at his peak is in unimaginable trouble. Frazier in three or less.

Is there any doubt?

Patterson was a quality fighter, blessed with blistering speed & good skills, but I firmly believe that the Frazier of 1969 would have slaughtered him.

Floyd was not strong enough to keep Joe at bay.

He did have underrated power, but not enough to stop a man like Frazier in his tracks.

Joe often started slowly, so Floyd may have enjoyed some success early, but I think after Joe started to smoke, he would have stopped Patterson in about 6.

You have to wonder how history would judge Patterson had he spent his career at Light-Heavy. Sure, his bank balance wouldn't have been as fat, but his place in the boxing annals would've been dramatically boosted.

Patterson was a first-class fighter, but a second-class HW champion.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:You have to wonder how history would judge Patterson had he spent his career at Light-Heavy. Sure, his bank balance wouldn't have been as fat, but his place in the boxing annals would've been dramatically boosted.

Patterson was a first-class fighter, but a second-class HW champion.

Good point.

Patterson might have been the greatest Light Heavyweight that never was!!!

I don't know who I'd favour between a Light-Heavyweight Patterson & all the greats in that divison, Ezzard Charles, Billy Conn, Bob Foster etc.

You'd have to think Patterson would settle into the top 5 & maybe in fact surpass Charles as a 175lber. We'll never know for sure. Still, he finished up as a record-setter & a record-breaker at Heavyweight.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:I don't know who I'd favour between a Light-Heavyweight Patterson & all the greats in that divison, Ezzard Charles, Billy Conn, Bob Foster etc.

You'd have to think Patterson would settle into the top 5 & maybe in fact surpass Charles as a 175lber. We'll never know for sure. Still, he finished up as a record-setter & a record-breaker at Heavyweight.

Interesting one.

I believe that Patterson would have had a great chance against all the LHW greats in history.

He certainly would have been in the top 5 of great LHW had be fought in that division.

The only opponent who stylistically been a nightmare for him probably would have been Bob Foster.

It's probably strange that I should think this, as Patterson was a far better heavyweight than Foster ever was, but I just think Foster's power, his aggression & that jab of his would have been key.

I posted a thread earlier regarding the Foster-Patterson match

I think Patterson wins that one, but damned Foster would give
him a good fight.

Vs Frazier, I know Floyd would have no chance. But I would love
to see how Patterson would have fared against such a hard hitting
hooker lke Frazier

Kym