1960-07-26 — Page 9

SPORTSMEN IN THE NEWS

Floyd Patterson-he hit at history with all

the power of revenge

By SIMON KAVANAUGH

History was against it. They never come back.

For 60 years luminaries of the square ring had tried and failed

-tarnishing their records in the process.

Men like James J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, Jim Jeffries, Jack Dempsey, Max Schmeling, Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles.

But neither history nor the pundits could have taken into: account the full power of rc-. Venge.

and living, proof to his race that determination will al- way, win through,

"I was eightened at

first," Patterson recalls. "The gym was full of guys.

There was

Otherwise they might have given America's Floyd Patter-hardly enough space to walk son at least an even chance.

around. Guys boxing, jumping ropes, hitting speed bags, shadow boxing It frightened me a little."

For Floyd Patterson, the man they sold could never return is back-once again heavyweight champion of the world.

He became the first man of his division ever to regain the since boxers Started fighting with padded gloves.

crown

Savage revenge

He did it with two mar- derous hooks, delivered under 60 are lights in New York's crowded Polo Ground two murderous hooks charged with navage revenge.

They found their target on Sweden's Ingemar Johansson, the man who had toppled him off the throne almost exactly a year before.

But Johansson was only part of the pattern, the embodiment

of all the forces that t'rled to drag Patterson back.

Rewards

But he overcame his timidity and within six years becane heavyweight champion of the world, the youngest ever.

a com-

The title brought its rewards. The problem child from the slums bought himself fortable home in Saint Albans, Queens, where he lives with his wife, their four-year-old daugh- ler and his wife's mother.

He also bought another home for his parents

and younger in Mount brothers and sisters Vernon, New York.

No, it was not only Johans- son that Páttérzen was frhi- ing. It was the whole boxing set-up which now threatened to knock bim back into oblivion.

Patterson prepared.

While critics assailed him,

The only recreation he allow- ed himself

watching Was Westerns on. television, and occasionally watching Westerns In the cinema.

Against history

THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1960.

FLOYD PATTERSON

It could be

The rest of the time he spent training and struggling against) (09 himself, and against history.

No heavyweight had ever re- turned. Patterson determined to prove the exception.

And he did it by convincing was different himself that his try-again oid all the from others.

"Sir' Stanley

Stanley Matthews, CBE, will if the become Sir Stanley youngsters of South Africa get their way. "No heavyweight champion

Stanley, now back in Britain ever regained his title." he re- to train for the start of the new peatedly told himself and any- he one else who was around. "But soccer season, made a wonderful (Hurricane) they don't explain that so other impression upon rounds, Pele heavyweight ever had the chance loving youth of the Union during Rademacher in six, Roy Harris to negain it when he was only 35 his tour. in 12 and Brian London in 11-as I am." swelling his earnings by a con- servative million dollars.

He remains a humble man, In defence of his crown

Tommy stopped

in 10 Jackson

A life pattern that encom- parsed 25 years of struggle against overcrowding arid acute

But he was the least pub- poverty, overpowering shyness

licised of modern heavyweight| ad emotional Instability.

Johansson was at the receiv-champfors-until Johansson un-

crowned him a year ago. ing end, victim of cireum,-

And for a year he was stances.

víctim of speculation, mainly derogatory.

Thit fifth round which ended with Johansson sprawled on his back and Patterson doing a vic- tary g Is now history-to be

discussed and argued about for years to come.

But let there be no talk of Juck or Accidental purichies cal. about. Patterson's cold,

calated and détermined revenge.

Some of his punches missed. But the majority hit home. Each blow part of a master plan gimed at ending Johansson's eg and disproving boxing's most quoted maxim.

Humiliation

True Patterson had suffered the humiliation of a décisive defeat at the hands of Johans- son a year before. In three rounds the Swede had taught the Albertcan some fundamen- tals of the art of self defenco- and blasted him to the canvas Geven times.

The referee had stepped be- slop- tween the fighting men, ping the onslaught to save Patterson further punishment.

No man could maker such a defect without feeling the de- sire for revenge.

But in Patterson's case it was only part of the story,

Paterson's Lover-packed, re- venge which exploded at New York's Polo Ground in the re- turn fight had its roots in Waco, North Carolina,

The seeds were sown on January 4, 1993-the day Pat- tervon was born.

His boyhood was one of over- crowding, he was third of a family of nine boys girls,

Poverty

and two

His ddolescence was che ut poverty, his garbage collector father struggling to feed his cricket-team size family.

They-came north; looking for a better chance and landed in the Bestord-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Betone Patterson was ten, maladjusted and unable to read, his family had moved seven times,

From the beginning his in- stret was to escape.

He found an answer at Gramercy's Gymnasium on the south side of New York's 14th Street when he was 14.

Like all the children of Harlem, Paterson's herő vas Joe Louls, moriál King Pin heavyweight di : the world

Sports Diary

KAIDA Y SCAA,

Victoria: Po

the

the

scecer-

Now these youngsters have Charles had been 30 when he been the prime movers in having tried, Dempsey 32. Schmeling a letter sent to Britain's Prime 33, Jeffries 35 and Corbert 37.

Minister, Mr Harold Mecmillan, Wizard of Johansson's fate was sealed asking that the the day Patterson first believed Dribble become the first pro-

his own argument.

fessional footballer to receive And that was the day after the knightly accolade. his defeat a year ago,

Four D. Jones OND DARLING.

BY MADDOCKS

CONTROL YOURSELF {WOMAN, PICK AN IDIOT

OUT OF THAT LOT.

FERDINAND

NANCY

IT IS YOU THAT I DESIRE.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN BO HERE TO EARN A MEAL?

I'LL SEE

BRICK BRADFORD

4.

WELL, WE'RE ALL SET GENTLEMEN THE TIME-TOP WILL ARRIVE TOMORROW

I HAVE SOME WORK TO DO... IF

YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I'LL GET

TO IT!

~London Express Service).

GOTD IT, DARLING, GAFF HIM NOW! HE'S A LITTLE SMALL

BUT NEVERTHELESS SOMEWHAT ENCHANTING

OH,

AUNT FRITZI

I MUST RELAY I'LL HAVE TO. THIS INFORMATION USE AN OUTSIDE.

PHONE

Pare

British tennis not up to world's top amateur class after all

By IVUR YURKE

The awful truth reluctantly dawns on British topnis: Bobby Wilson, Billy Knight and Michael Davies are a mediocre trio who cannot competo EVER WITH the ordinary amateur talent in world tennis today:

there.

Waess the utter failure of, stccessful as their counterparts | Knight and Davies against the abroad. The fächtles ate 17-year-old American Ralston ind Mext:an 20-year-old Osuna

the final of the Wimbledon men's doubles and, more rekoni- ly, the British eclipse by The Italians in Dev's Cup.

Enough facilities

Thousands of hard and grass courts are avallible in public packs throughout the couhilky, spo There are a out 1,000 in thế! Greater London area alone compared with 458 in New York City,

are

the

The repeated failures at

In addition there England's top tennis “stars” make It abundantly clear that private clubs, with membership the Lawn Tennis Association, ranging from 20 to 150, which made a 'dreadful bloqmer in encourage their better players not, cashing in on Jaronday to compete in tournaments. Drobny's offer to couch the Davis Cup team.

Yet there seems no earthly reason why Brfish lawn tennis players should not be at least as

Husband-and-wife Olympic team

Husband-sud-wife teams are rare in sport, especially in the Olym- nio Games. However, there will be at least one such pair at the Bome Olympics next month.

They are Mr and Mrs H. Connolly, who will represent the United

States in the hammer-throw and discus event respectively. The male half of the team is, of course, the world-famous Harold, present Olympic champion and holder of the world record with a heave of 225 ft. 4 in.

His wife is the former Olga Fikotova who won the 1956 Olymple

gold medal for Czechoslovakia with 176 ft. 14 In

And there seems no reason why the Connollys should not do a famous winning double-áct in Rome to emulate the most Olymple husband-and-wife team of all-Emill and Dana Zatopek.-London Express Service,

“HAN, YOU GOT JUST WHAT YOU DESERVE; IT IS YOU WE HAVE TO THANK FOR

THIS MESS.

MY, BUT YOU HAVE

PRETT EARS

By Mik

By Erate Bushmiller

DO YOU STILL NEED

A FOURTH FOR

BRIDGE ?

By Paul Norris

THEY'VE PROCURED. THE.

·SERVICES OF PREASTLAND! AND BRICK BRADFORD.;. THE

· TIME-TOP ARRIVES TOMOREOV

I'LL SNIFFY SEND YOU

A MAN

A few do even more. Al- ready more than a dozen clubs boast floodlit courts, and one London club recently borrowed £2,000 from the Lawa Tenis Association to erect floodlights.

More enthusiasm

Beginning this winter these courts will come into constant use as the vente for a Flood- Hight League in which 60 terms from clubs in Middlesex · will compete.

can

For despite the fallure of our top players, the ordinary Englishman fed by Wimble don tennis coverage on televi- slon—is, developing an unpre- oedented enthusiasm for the game,

Keen players from 16 to 45

are time some

is chillenging chlet summer

So why this dick of class playera? A dimcuit question. But it boat time that the Lawn gentlemen wib rus the Tennis Association sat down and seriously set about trying to find the answer.

CHESS

by LEONARD BANDEN

Here is a position from actual play: White to more

Solution No. 5852 E

be found rushing home and win material from works, snatching a quick meal and hurrying on to court QKH, K-RA; 2 K-83, K—N to take advantage of the fading 3 ks mate. daylight hours.

London Express Service.

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