PATTERSON HAS INJURED BACK Masterly Clay Hands Out Boxing Lesson

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30916, 24 November 1965, Page 23

PATTERSON HAS INJURED BACK Masterly Clay Hands Out Boxing Lesson

GV.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LAS VEGAS. Cassius Clay retained his world heavy-weight championship at Las Vegas yesterday when he battered the former champion, Floyd Patterson, to defeat in 12 rounds.

The referee stopped the bout after 2min 18sec of the twelfth round with Patterson, still on his feet, but unable to defend himself against the flailing fists of the 23-year-old champion.

Patterson, struggling to keep his feet under the influence of pain-killing drugs, afterwards said that he had injured his back during training last Wednesday and had been troubled by it after the third round of the bout.

Cassius Clay, fighting under his Black Muslim name of Muhammad Ali, proved to be a master boxer throughout the 12 rounds. But he could not finish off the courageous challenger, who was bidding to become the first man ever to win the title for a third time.

It almost appeared at times as though Clay was acting as a schoolmaster—or was carrying out his pre-fight threats of “punishing Floyd for all he has said about me.”

Ringside observers thought that Clay had been holding back, perhaps for the purpose of humiliating Patterson. The former heavy-weight champion, Rocky Marciano, commented: “I thought he could have opened up a little more. I thought ne had Floyd once or twice, but he just couldn’t get him.”

Clay used his long left jab with great effect in the earlier rounds and then started to punish the 30-year-old Patterson with sharp combinations of rights and lefts, mostly to the head, as Patterson appeared unable to move away from the blows. One Knock-Down There was only one knockdown, in the sixth round, and that came when a dazed Patterson put his knee down on the canvas after taking a flurry of blows—but only after Clay had moved a good five feet away. That was a mandatory count of eight, lengthened while the referee chased Clay into a neutral corner, but Patterson got up and fought on without trouble. The scorecards of the two judges and the referee, Mr Harry Krause, showed Clay far ahead on points when the i fight was stopped. ' Except for the first round, 'when Clay danced around the 'ropes without landing a [punch, the officials’ cards showed only two rounds even and one judge gave Patterson a round. Hard Uppercuts From the eighth round to the twelfth, Clay appeared like a teacher giving lessons to the tiring challenger. He kept Patterson off with a long left, putting increasing power into his punches as the bout wore on, and was also landing hard right uppercuts to Patterson’s head. Patterson was in pain and still almost out on his feet with a dazed look as his handlers almost carried him to his stool. But he still managed to wave to the

crowd, who cheered loudly for his game display of raw courage.

Clay, wearing his white robe with his Black Muslim name, Muhammad Ali, emblazoned on it, was booed as he left the ring. This was obviously for his previous bragging statements and his religious affiliation rather than for his ring display, for Clay showed that even if he does not have a devastating punch, he is a master of ring craft.

An out-of-breath Patterson said in the ring after the fight was stopped: “I don’t want to make any excuses. “I trained hard, very hard for the fight. I did everything to win it.

“I fought a very bad fight. I have had trouble with my back since 1954. It never bothered me as much as tonight.” The victorious Clay, asked by a radio announcer how he had knocked out Sonny Liston but failed to do the same to Patterson, said: “Liston kept coming in and Patterson kept backing away.”