FLOYD PATTERSON

Floyd Patterson was a black African American professional boxer from the 1950s to the 1970s. He was the youngest man to win the world heavyweight title and the first heavyweight boxer to regain the title. He won the gold medal at the 1952 Olympic Games. He tried to win the heavyweight title a third time against Sonny Liston and lost, and several years later, he tried again against Muhammad Ali, and lost again. His achievements are all the more remarkable because he was basically a light heavyweight who fought heavyweights because of the greater acclaim given to that title. He was controversial at the end of his career when he insisted on calling Muhammad Ali "Cassius Clay", and Ali called him an "Uncle Tom"! He passed away in 2006 at the age of 71.