After losing his shot at Jimmy Ellis’ heavyweight title on September 14, 1968, Floyd Patterson took the year 1969 off. In fact, he did not have a fight for two whole years, when he finally returned on September 15, 1970 against Charley Green at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Floyd won the ten round bout, which began a comeback that would see him fight seven times in 1971 alone.
His next opponent was Levi Forte at the Convention Center in Miami Beach on January 15, 1971. Patterson stopped him in two, and two months later stopped Roger Russell in Philadelphia in nine. He then reeled off three straight decision victories between May and Augus,t before knocking out Charlie Harris on November 23 in six rounds in Portland, Oregon.
Floyd’s next opponent was a real step up in competition, and he was up to the task by winning a decision over Oscar Bonavena on February 11, 1972 at Madison Square Garden. Five months later, Patterson stopped Pedro Agosto in six in Queens, New York. That set up what would be the last fight of his career, on September 20, 1972 against Muhammad Ali, befittingly at the Garden one last time.
The bout would be for the NABF championship, and it was never a contest. Ali toyed with the now 37 year old Patterson, before a cut eye ended it after seven. This would leave Patterson with a professional record of 55 wins, 8 losses, and one draw. After his retirement from the ring, Floyd would serve two terms as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991, and sadly passed away on May 11, 2006. One of the gentlemen of boxing, may he rest in peace.
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