RIP Ingemar Johansson

[banjo]

Swedish Legend Ingemar Johansson died five minutes to Midnight January 30 2009 after a two week long struggle in the last phase of Alzheimers illness. The former Heavyweight Champion of The World was at his death 76 years and 4 month old. He was regarded as Scandinavia’s greatest fighter ever and held the undisputed World Heavyweight Championship 1959-1960; he also held The European Heavyweight Crown 1956-1959 and again 1962-1963.

[twenty six]

That's real sad.
Only debating his fight against Cooper on here a few weeks ago.
RIP.

[bennie]

Scandinavia's greatest ever fighter, Ingemar Johansson, passed away last night at the age of 76 from Alzheimer's.
The handsome, charismatic Swede with the freakish right cross went from ignominy, when he was disqualified in the 1952 Olympic heavyweight final in Scandinavia for "not trying", to celebrity, when he destroyed Floyd Patterson in New York in 1959 for the world heavyweight title (in the days of one world). Patterson was down seven times in the third round before referee Ruby Goldstein decided enough was enough.
Interestingly, Patterson had won gold in the same 1952 Olympics (at middleweight).
Johansson was a huge underdog against Floyd but knockout wins over Henry Cooper, Joe Erskine and Eddie Machen should have flagged some sort of a warning in the States. They didn't. They were tucked away in Sweden, and when Johansson arrived in New York and set up training camp at a swanky hotel, he appeared to spend as much time lounging by the hotel pool with a big-boned, striking woman named "Brigit" as he did raising a sweat in the gym. The press had a field day. Fighters the world over, raised on age-old theories that you trained in the most spartan of surroundings and abstained from any contact with women prior to a fight, were left severely depressed after "Ingo" took the title so easily. It is arguably the most one-sided world heavyweight title fight in boxing history.
Johansson possessed a solid enough chin and a good jab but his lethal right cross was simply out of proportion with the rest of his armoury (and his 6ft frame) and he could afford the odd day off in training. He destroyed the unbeaten Machen inside a round in 1958, dropping one of the toughest heavies of his era over and over again to force a decidedly late stoppage (shades of Patterson), and also had Patterson badly hurt in their second and third fights, before Patterson's greater speed, conditioning and natural ability took over in brutal fashion. The rubber match, incidentally, drew a crowd of 31,892 to the Miami Convention Centre.
Johansson came back to spark Dick Richardson in eight rounds but the Patterson defeats had taken something out of him and he retired in 1963 at the age of 30, a national hero in Sweden for the rest of his days, the last Caucasian to hold the undisputed world heavyweight title.

[Poncey]

What a shit month for Boxing. We have the death of three well-respected people and the Margo scandal. Roll on Feb.

RIP.

[WildWaylon]

I remember him winning the World title well, I was still at school at the time. It was such big news it was almost like the guy was British. Yes as Emmerson says, very sad month for boxing but at least he had a long life and enjoyed being at the top of his sport.

[SticknMove]

Blimey this is the first I've seen or heard of this.

I only ever saw clips and footage of him in action even though he was a big name within the sport. Obviously a quality fighter.

RIP

[states]

Terrible shame. RIP.

[Horse]

R.I.P.

[rob h]

RIP, very bad month for boxing.