Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson
Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson was a professional boxing match contested on November 22, 1965, for the WBC, NYSAC and The Ring championship.
Background
Patterson won the world heavyweight title in 1956, and became the first fighter to win it back in 1960. Patterson lost the title again in a 1962 fight against top contender Sonny Liston in a 1st-round knockout. In a 1963 rematch, Patterson lost again in the 1st round. Liston later lost the title to Muhammad Ali in 1964. Meanwhile, Patterson went on to win fights against top contenders Eddie Machen and George Chuvalo. Patterson was now the number-one challenger for the title held by Ali.The fight
Patterson suffered from a ruptured sacroiliac joint in his lower back which greatly reduced his mobility after the first round, and his corner worked on his back in between rounds to help reduce the pain. Ali relentlessly jabbed Patterson from the second round until the referee stopped the fight in the 12th round, giving Ali a TKO victory.A New York Times reporter described the fight as like watching someone "pulling the wings off a butterfly."