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Floyd Patterson: The Fighting Life of Boxing's Invisible Champion
Floyd Patterson The Fighting Life of Boxing's Invisible Champion Author:W. K. Stratton In 1956, Floyd Patterson became at age twenty-one the youngest boxer to win the title of World Heavyweight Champion and then, later, the first ever to lose and regain it. — Here, acclaimed author W. K. Stratton chronicles the life of ?The Gentle Gladiator??an athlete overshadowed by Ali?s theatrics and Liston?s fearsome reputation, and a civil... more » rights activist overlooked in the Who?s Who of race politics. From the Gramercy Gym and wildcard manager Cus D?Amato to a final rematch against Ali in 1972, Patterson?s career spanned boxing?s golden age and included an Olympic gold medal, bouts with Marciano and Johansson, and interviews by James Baldwin, Gay Talese, and Budd Schulberg. A complex, misunderstood figure?he once kissed an opponent at the end of a match?he was known for his peekaboo stance and soft-spoken nature. In the words of the renowned sportswriter George Kimball, Floyd Patterson is ?a refreshingly honest and even-handed deconstruction of the owner of the uneasiest head to wear a crown this side of Henry IV.?« less