Floyd Patterson

“The Gentleman of Boxing”

Boxing · Deceased

55-8-1RECORD

40WINS BY KO / TKO

15WINS BY DECISION

64PRO FIGHTS

Profile

Full name	Floyd Patterson
Nickname	The Gentleman of Boxing
Date of birth	4 Jan 1935
Died	11 May 2006
Nationality	American
Birthplace	Waco, North Carolina, USA
Based in	New Paltz, New York, USA
Weight classes	Heavyweight
Trainers	Cus D'Amato
Height	183 cm (6′0″)
Reach	180 cm (71″)
Stance	Orthodox
Years active	1952–1972
Status	Deceased
Pro debut	12 Sep 1952
Last fight	Loss vs Muhammad Ali, 20 Sep 1972

Details on this page were compiled from public information on 8 Oct 2026 (the record is as of that date).

Titles and honours

World heavyweight champion (NYSAC, NBA/WBA, The Ring) 1956–1959
Regained the world heavyweight title from Ingemar Johansson in 1960
Won the vacant heavyweight title by knocking out Archie Moore in 1956
1952 Olympic middleweight gold medalist

Background

Trained by Cus D'Amato, he won Olympic middleweight gold in 1952 and became heavyweight champion at 21 in 1956, later the first man to regain the heavyweight title.

Fight history

64 professional fights. Newest first.

Result	Opponent	Method	Round	Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	Muhammad Ali	TKO (corner retirement)	7	3:00	20 Sep 1972	New York City, New York, USA	For NABF heavyweight title
Win	Pedro Agosto	TKO	6	3:00	14 Jul 1972	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Oscar Bonavena	Decision (unanimous)	10		11 Feb 1972	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Charlie Harris	KO	6	2:31	23 Nov 1971	Portland, Oregon, USA
Win	Vic Brown	Decision (unanimous)	10		21 Aug 1971	Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
Win	Charley Polite	Decision (unanimous)	10		17 Jul 1971	Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
Win	Terry Daniels	Decision (unanimous)	10		26 May 1971	Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Win	Roger Russell	TKO	9	1:29	29 Mar 1971	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Win	Levi Forte	KO	2	2:20	16 Jan 1971	Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Win	Charley Green	KO	10	1:15	15 Sep 1970	New York City, New York, USA
Loss	Jimmy Ellis	Decision (points)	15		14 Sep 1968	Stockholm, Sweden	For WBA heavyweight title
Loss	Jerry Quarry	Decision (majority)	12		28 Oct 1967	Los Angeles, California, USA
Draw	Jerry Quarry	Decision (majority)	12		9 Jun 1967	Los Angeles, California, USA
Win	Bill McMurray	KO	1	2:37	30 Mar 1967	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Win	Willie Johnson	KO	3	2:05	13 Feb 1967	Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Win	Henry Cooper	KO	4	2:10	20 Sep 1966	London, England
Loss	Muhammad Ali	TKO	12	2:18	22 Nov 1965	Las Vegas, Nevada, USA	For WBC, NYSAC and Ring heavyweight titles
Win	Tod Herring	TKO	3	0:40	14 May 1965	Stockholm, Sweden
Win	George Chuvalo	Decision (unanimous)	12		1 Feb 1965	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Charlie Powell	KO	6	1:21	12 Dec 1964	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Win	Eddie Machen	Decision (points)	12		5 Jul 1964	Stockholm, Sweden
Win	Santo Amonti	TKO	8	2:25	6 Jan 1964	Stockholm, Sweden
Loss	Sonny Liston	KO	1	2:10	22 Jul 1963	Las Vegas, Nevada, USA	For WBA, NYSAC, Ring and WBC heavyweight titles
Loss	Sonny Liston	KO	1	2:06	25 Sep 1962	Chicago, Illinois, USA	Lost WBA, NYSAC and Ring heavyweight titles
Win	Tom McNeeley	KO	4	2:51	4 Dec 1961	Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Retained heavyweight title
Win	Ingemar Johansson	KO	6	2:45	13 Mar 1961	Miami Beach, Florida, USA	Retained heavyweight title
Win	Ingemar Johansson	KO	5	1:51	20 Jun 1960	New York City, New York, USA	Regained heavyweight title
Loss	Ingemar Johansson	TKO	3	2:03	26 Jun 1959	New York City, New York, USA	Lost heavyweight title
Win	Brian London	KO	11	0:51	1 May 1959	Indianapolis, Indiana, USA	Retained heavyweight title
Win	Roy Harris	TKO (corner retirement)	12		18 Aug 1958	Los Angeles, California, USA	Retained heavyweight title
Win	Pete Rademacher	KO	6	2:57	22 Aug 1957	Seattle, Washington, USA	Retained heavyweight title
Win	Tommy Jackson	TKO	10	1:52	29 Jul 1957	New York City, New York, USA	Retained heavyweight title
Win	Archie Moore	KO	5	2:27	30 Nov 1956	Chicago, Illinois, USA	Won vacant heavyweight title
Win	Tommy Jackson	Decision (split)	12		8 Jun 1956	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Alvin Williams	KO	3	1:58	10 Apr 1956	Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Win	Jimmy Walls	TKO	2	2:29	12 Mar 1956	New Britain, Connecticut, USA
Win	Jimmy Slade	TKO	7	2:05	8 Dec 1955	Los Angeles, California, USA
Win	Calvin Brad	KO	1	2:58	13 Oct 1955	Los Angeles, California, USA
Win	Dave Whitlock	KO	3	0:52	29 Sep 1955	San Francisco, California, USA
Win	Alvin Williams	TKO	8	2:28	8 Sep 1955	Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Win	Archie McBride	KO	7	1:46	6 Jul 1955	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Yvon Durelle	TKO (corner retirement)	5		23 Jun 1955	Newcastle, New Brunswick, Canada
Win	Esau Ferdinand	TKO	10	2:49	17 Mar 1955	Oakland, California, USA
Win	Don Grant	TKO	5	1:13	17 Jan 1955	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Willie Troy	TKO	5		7 Jan 1955	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Jimmy Slade	Decision (unanimous)	8		19 Nov 1954	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Joe Gannon	Decision (unanimous)	8		22 Oct 1954	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Esau Ferdinand	Decision (unanimous)	8		11 Oct 1954	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Tommy Harrison	TKO	1	1:29	2 Aug 1954	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Jacques Royer Crecy	TKO	7		12 Jul 1954	New York City, New York, USA
Loss	Joey Maxim	Decision (unanimous)	8		7 Jun 1954	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Jesse Turner	Decision (unanimous)	8		10 May 1954	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Alvin Williams	Decision (unanimous)	8		19 Apr 1954	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Sammy Brown	TKO	2	1:40	30 Mar 1954	Washington, D.C., USA
Win	Yvon Durelle	Decision (unanimous)	8		15 Feb 1954	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Dick Wagner	TKO	5	2:29	14 Dec 1953	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Wes Bascom	Decision (unanimous)	8		19 Oct 1953	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Gordon Wallace	TKO	3	0:52	1 Jun 1953	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Dick Wagner	Decision (split)	8		13 Apr 1953	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Chester Mieszala	TKO	5	1:25	28 Jan 1953	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Win	Lalu Sabotin	TKO	5	1:30	29 Dec 1952	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Lester Johnson	TKO	3	1:26	31 Oct 1952	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Sammy Walker	TKO	2	0:47	6 Oct 1952	New York City, New York, USA
Win	Eddie Godbold	KO	4	1:39	12 Sep 1952	New York City, New York, USA