Muhammad Ali vs Floyd Patterson 2

Former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali defeated Floyd Patterson for the second time at Madison Square Garden in New York on September 20, 1972, retaining the North American Boxing Federation heavyweight championship when Patterson was withdrawn after seven rounds of a scheduled 12. The official result was a retirement at the end of the seventh, brought about by cuts and swelling around Patterson’s eyes. Ali weighed 218 pounds and received a $250,000 purse. Patterson, conceding nearly 30 pounds at 188½, was paid $100,000.

Seven years had passed since their first meeting in Las Vegas, when Ali, then the world champion, stopped Patterson in the 12th round. Patterson had been handicapped on that occasion by a severe back injury, but Ali’s prolonged punishment and evident hostility made it an unpleasant contest. A proposed return in 1967 disappeared when Ali was barred from boxing. Patterson nevertheless remained active and, at 37, earned the rematch by outpointing Oscar Bonavena over 10 rounds at Madison Square Garden in February 1972. He entered with a record of 55–7–1, while Ali stood at 38–1 and was rebuilding towards another championship contest with Joe Frazier.

Ali used his advantage in height, reach and speed during the first two rounds. He moved around Patterson, scoring with the left jab and requiring the older man to lunge across a considerable distance. Patterson worked from his familiar crouch, looking to slip beneath the jab and release the left hook. He reached Ali occasionally with that punch, but the champion of the NABF title controlled the range. It was seldom held in position long enough for Patterson to follow with a combination.

The pace increased in the third round. Patterson began closing the distance more successfully and worked with greater purpose when he reached the inside. Ali responded with an overhand right which caught him cleanly near the ropes, then added further punches as Patterson covered. The former champion remained composed and continued trying to force Ali into a tighter contest, where the difference in reach would matter less.

Ali changed the manner of the fight in the fourth. For much of the round he threw comparatively little, bending at the waist, holding his chin forward and inviting Patterson to attack. Patterson obliged with hooks, but Ali avoided many of them by leaning and turning away. It was an unnecessarily casual passage from Ali, although it demonstrated the difficulty Patterson had in striking a moving target even when the distance appeared favourable.

Patterson continued to pursue through the middle rounds, attempting to hook from his crouch and work at close quarters. Ali tightened his guard when Patterson reached him, then resumed jabbing as soon as space appeared. There were no knockdowns, and Patterson was not overwhelmed as in their first meeting. He remained competitive, but the effort required to get past Ali’s left hand left him exposed to the right and to short hooks when he came upright.

The physical damage became serious in the sixth round. Ali landed a succession of hooks which produced swelling above Patterson’s left eye. The injury forced Patterson onto the back foot during the seventh, an unsuitable position for a shorter boxer who needed to advance to score. Ali continued to jab and direct punches towards the damaged area, and by the bell Patterson’s eye was closing. His face showed the effects of Ali’s accuracy, although he had remained on his feet and was still attempting to fight.

The ringside doctor examined Patterson between rounds, after which referee Arthur Mercante stopped the contest before the eighth could begin. Mercante had Ali ahead by six rounds to one. Judge Jack Gordon favoured Ali four rounds to two, while judge Tony Castellano had the contest level at three rounds apiece. The difference among the cards showed that Patterson had offered genuine resistance, but the condition of his eye made continuation unsafe.

The victory was Ali’s fourth defence of the NABF title and his seventh consecutive success since losing to Frazier in March 1971. Patterson never boxed again, although he made no immediate formal announcement of retirement. His final performance was not a repetition of the one-sided affair in Las Vegas. He competed with determination and had useful spells when he reached close range, but Ali’s advantages in size, movement and hand speed steadily marked his face and brought the contest to an unavoidable conclusion.

The first Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson fight was ugly viewing, partly because Patterson’s back injury left him almost helpless. Seven years later, Patterson was 37 but had rebuilt himself well enough to beat Oscar Bonavena and earn another chance. He remained popular because he was dignified, brave and technically sound, but he entered the rematch nearly 30 pounds lighter than Ali. That was a serious handicap against a man with Ali’s reach and speed.

Patterson actually competed better than many remember. From his crouch, he slipped inside and landed the left hook, forcing Ali to tighten his guard. But he had to cross too much ground before he could punch. Ali could score with the jab, step away and catch him with the right as Patterson came up. Ali’s messing about in the fourth round was unnecessary, but it showed how difficult Patterson found it to pin him down.

The fight was stopped after seven rounds because Patterson’s left eye had swollen shut, and I have no argument with it. A boxer who cannot see the right hand is in real danger, especially against Ali. Patterson was still willing, but willingness is not a defence. This was no disgrace and certainly not the humiliation of their first meeting. Patterson showed he remained a capable heavyweight, while Ali proved that size, timing and distance would eventually settle matters. It was the correct ending to Patterson’s final fight.