Patterson, Floyd (1935-2006), an American boxer, won the world heavyweight championship at the age of 21 when he knocked out Archie Moore on Nov. 30, 1956. Patterson became the youngest fighter up to that time to hold the world heavyweight title. He fought Moore for the championship after Rocky Marciano, the previous champion, retired.
Patterson held the heavyweight title until 1959, when he was defeated by Ingemar Johansson. Patterson regained the title by defeating Johansson in 1960. Patterson lost the championship to Sonny Liston in a first-round knockout in 1962. Patterson tried to regain the heavyweight title three times but lost to Liston in a rematch in 1963, to Muhammad Ali in 1965, and to Jimmy Ellis in 1968. After losing to Ali again in a nontitle bout in 1972, Patterson retired.
During his professional career, Patterson won 55 fights, lost 8, and had 1 draw. He was one of the lightest heavyweight champions in boxing history, never weighing more than 200 pounds (91 kilograms).
Patterson was born on Jan. 4, 1935, in Waco, North Carolina, but grew up in the inner city of New York City. Patterson had a troubled adolescence and spent time in reform school, where he learned to box. In 1952, at the age of 17, Patterson won the gold medal in the middleweight class at the Summer Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. He then turned professional, first fighting as a light heavyweight. He fought as a heavyweight to challenge Moore for the vacant title. Patterson died on May 11, 2006.
