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Friday, 12 May 2006 |
American ex-boxing champion Floyd Patterson dies aged 71
American ex boxing champion Floyd Patterson, the first man to regain the world heavyweight title, has died at the aged 71 after suffering from Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer. He passed away at his home in New Paltz, New York on Thursday.
Floyd Patterson had won Olympic middleweight gold in 1952 before he became the youngest world heavyweight champion in 1956 when he stopped Archie Moore aged only 21 and he lost his crown to Ingemar Johansson in 1959 before regaining it in 1960.
Floyd Patterson was born in Brooklyn in 1935 and he overcame a period of teenage delinquency before learning boxing in reform school.
Former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier paid tribute.
"Floyd was a quiet guy, he was a champion," said Joe Frazier. "He was a hard-hitting guy. Floyd was a tough guy and he got the job done."
Ricky Hatton, who met Floyd Patterson when he was getting ready for his first fight in America in 1997, paid tribute from Boston, where he faces WBA light welterweight champion Luis Collazo on Saturday.
"Floyd was a gentleman and really polite and that is exactly what being a champion is all about," said Hatton. "A lot of boxing hearts have been broken today.
"As the first man to regain the world heavyweight title he was a history maker. As I try to write my first page in history here we are saying goodbye to a great champion."
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Last Updated ( Friday, 19 May 2006 )
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