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Remembering Swedish Boxing Legend Ingemar Johansson
Ingemar Johannson died in a Swedish nursing home in January 2009 at the age of 76. He'd lived in the nursing home in the Swedish coastal city of Kungsbacka since the mid'90's when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia, and had suffered from a tough case of pneumonia immediately prior to his death.
Johannson earned worldwide fame and superstar status in his native Sweden when he knocked out Floyd Patterson in'59. At the time, he was only the 5th heavyweight champion in history to be born outside of the United States. Johannson was a decided underdog heading into the fight, and made his victory even more improbable due to his lax approach to training. He was a fixture at Catskills nightclubs and bars during his training camp, frequently in the company of his comely blond 'secretary' or other attractive women. Patterson, meanwhile, was disciplined and regimented in his preparation for the fight.
While his training methods may not have been particularly disciplined, his performance in the Yankee Stadium fight made up for it. After a tentative first two rounds, Johannson floored Patterson with a quick right hand early in the third. As there was no 'three knockdown' rule in effect, Johannson would eventually knock Patterson down a total of seven times before referee Ruby Goldstein stopped the fight and awarded him the victory.
Johannson would hold the title for just under a year before he lost it back to Patterson in a rematch at the Polo Grounds in New York City. Patterson was the aggressor from the opening bell, and would eventually regain his title as he knocked Johannson out cold in the fifth round with a looping left hook. Johannson went down like he got shot, and took a ten count staring up at the lights with his leg twitching and blood dribbling out of his mouth. In the immediate aftermath of his victory, Patterson displayed the class of a champion as he was more concerned about Johanssons well being than celebrating his win. Patterson sat on the canvas with his fallen opponent cradling his head as medical personnel tended to Johannson. Floyd Patterson had just become the first man to regain the undisputed heavyweight championship, but his thoughts were with the man hed taken the title from.
Johannson would again face Patterson less than a year later, with the champ retaining his title via 6th round knockout after an exciting slugfest that saw both competitors taste the canvas. Eventually, however, Patterson's superior conditioning prevailed and he earned the victory. Johannson would fight only four more times after that, all in his home country of Sweden, before retiring for good in'63.
Patterson and Johannson remained close lifelong friends and would travel to visit each other every year until the American champion died in 2006. While it is commonplace today for former in-ring adversaries to become close personal friends(eg: Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosely, Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti), it was less common in the'60s. Johannson remained a big star in Sweden, occasionally appearing in movies and enjoyed good health well into his 60's when old age began to take its toll.
Johannson was married and divorced twice, and is survived by five children. Ingemar Johannson enjoyed rock star like status in Sweden during his title reign and remained a widely respected and admired sportsman throughout his life. He'll be remembered by the international boxing community for the vital role he played in popularizing the sport in Europe and Scandinavia.
Author Resource:-
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
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