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RIP Ingemar Johansson

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Double J, Jan 31, 2009.

  1. Double J

    Double J Active Member

    The former world heavyweight boxing champion (and SI's Sportsman of the Year in 1959) died yesterday at age 76.

    I was surprised to learn he only fought 28 times as a pro. His record was 26-2 with his only losses coming by KO to Floyd Patterson, the man he had dethroned with the help of "Ingo's Bingo," a fearsome right hand that was also dubbed "Toonder" and "the Hammer of Thor."

    http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/boxing/blog/2009/01/former_heavyweight_champion_in.html

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/7862330.stm
     
  2. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    He damn near killed Patterson in their first bout at Yankee Stadium -- 7 knockdowns in 3 rounds -- then Floyd came back to beat him twice.
     
  3. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    Floyd could take an ass whipping and Ingemar gave him a good one. Good call spnited.
     
  4. Double J

    Double J Active Member

    Ingo almost won the rubber match too - he knocked down Patterson twice in the first round, but Floyd won it in six.

    It would've been wild to see those three slugfests.
     
  5. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    I was 10 at the time of the first one... I remember seeing clips and wondering how Floyd even answered the ball for Round 3.
     
  6. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    Floyd was the energizer bunny before the energizer bunny was created.
     
  7. Toonder!
    RIP.
     
  8. Huggy

    Huggy Well-Known Member

    The leaping left hook Floyd used to starch Ingo in their rematch was one of the greatest punches in boxing history. I believe Johnansson was the oldest living heavyweight champ.

    That would now be Jimmy Ellis - or Ali if you don't recognize Ellis as a champ since he held the WBA version and was never universally recognized.
     
  9. Colton

    Colton Active Member

    Huggy: Not having seen that punch, how would you compare it to Marciano's famous shot on, was it Ezzard Charles?
     
  10. Double J

    Double J Active Member

    Ellis deserves to be recognized. He swept the WBA's eight-man elimination tournament, so it wasn't like he was arbitrarily selected. Plus he successfully defended the title once, against Floyd Patterson of all people.

    Which is interesting in itself - yes, Patterson was the first man to regain the heavyweight title, but after he lost it again he had three chances to win it a third time, each against a different man (Liston, Ali and Ellis), and he lost every one of them.
     
  11. waterytart

    waterytart Active Member

    Not a lot of world heavyweight champion/marathoners out there.

    RIP.
     
  12. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member


    Ah, the classic lose/win/win sequence, guaranteed to maximize interest and gate receipts.

    Somewhere, Frankie Carbo is smiling.
     
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