Ingemar Johansson, R.I.P.

[Per Andersen]

Wasn't it great as a kid listening to the big fights and the world series on the radio!?!

I did too, but it was the Oslo Games first, J-P fights later. Wasn't Johansson DQ'd for passivity at OG's? I should look it up at bambam's superb Olympic site.

Sure, Ingo was on the bicycle for two rounds against the gigantic Ed Sanders in the final before he was DQed.
The Swedish press did a number on Johansson because of that . He was called a coward and he was accused of having shamed Swedish sporting honors.
It took him years to live that down. He was only 19 at the time.

Ingo and Floyd became good friends after their three title fights. Floyd became very popular in Scandinavia and especially in Sweden. Years later Ingo and Floyd ran in a Marathon in Sweden.

[Pego]

Wasn't it great as a kid listening to the big fights and the world series on the radio!?!

I did too, but it was the Oslo Games first, J-P fights later. Wasn't Johansson DQ'd for passivity at OG's? I should look it up at bambam's superb Olympic site.

[observer2]

Re: Ingemar Johansson, R.I.P.

[A more interesting right was the one that took out Eddie Machen (available on youtube for viewing). Machen was a clever, defensive boxer and the end was totally shocking. It also probably ensured he never got a title shot.

Johansson said he kind of regrets the last punch because he would have a knock-out victory anyway.Johansson is commentating the You Tube clip himself for a TV show in the seventies.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_t ... die+machen
venue: Ullevi Gothenburg (same as T&F WC 1995)

[dukehjsteve]

Wasn't it great as a kid listening to the big fights and the world series on the radio!?!

Yes indeed... much different from today. My clearest memory of World Series and radio is 1955. I was a suburban NY kid so you can well imagine what it was like, year after year after year, with the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants all there ! Anyway in 1955 my memory is of being outside the junior high school, waiting for the buses home, with about 6 large clusters of kids listening to 6 different portable radios, hanging on every pitch, as Johnny Podres was finishing up a Dodger victory in game 7 over the Yankees. When that last out came, there were many shouts of joy and groans of disappintment.

[jhc68]

Wasn't it great as a kid listening to the big fights and the world series on the radio!?!

[catson52]

Re: Ingemar Johansson, R.I.P.

Former heavyweight champ, by virtue of one well-timed punch ( "the hammer of Thor" )

I listened to that first Ingo-Patterson fight on the radio and well remember not only how it ended, but Howard Cosell 's ( I think) classic very brief conversation with a still-woozy Patterson right after it ended:

Cosell: " Floyd, Floyd, what happened ?! "
Patterson: " It was the right."

I believe seven knockdowns in one round (Patterson). A more interesting right was the one that took out Eddie Machen (available on youtube for viewing). Machen was a clever, defensive boxer and the end was totally shocking. It also probably ensured he never got a title shot.

[dukehjsteve]

Former heavyweight champ, by virtue of one well-timed punch ( "the hammer of Thor" )

I listened to that first Ingo-Patterson fight on the radio and well remember not only how it ended, but Howard Cosell 's ( I think) classic very brief conversation with a still-woozy Patterson right after it ended:

Cosell: " Floyd, Floyd, what happened ?! "
Patterson: " It was the right."