Gypsy Camp Blog

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Ingemar Johannson died at a nursing home in his native Kungsbacka, Sweden at the age of 76 early in 2009. No official cause of death was given, but Johansson recently returned to the nursing home after a difficult bout with pneumonia. Johansson had moved to the nursing home on the Swedish coast from Stockholm over ten years ago after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Johannson became a worldwide fistic superstar when he knocked out Floyd Patterson in the third round of their June 1959 fight to become heavyweight champion of the world. At the time, he was only the 5th champ to be born outside of the United States. He wasn’t given much of a chance going into the fight due to his lax training and frequent partying during the weeks before the bout.

His performance against the champ that night in Yankee Stadium shocked the boxing world”after a tentative first two rounds, Johannson floored Patterson with a short right early in the third. The champ never recovered and with no three knockdown rule in effect was knocked down a total of seven times before referee Ruby Goldstein called a halt to the proceedings and awarded the Swede the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.

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. Displaying the class for which he became famous, Patterson was less concerned about celebrating his victory as he was for the well being of his opponent.

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 1963.

Not surprising given the mutual respect shown during their heavyweight championship trilogy, 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, it was something of an anomaly in the 1960s. Johannson made a number of film appearances in Sweden, and spent time in South Florida every year. He remained in good health well into his sixties, running in marathons yearly until his physical ailments took their 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 will be remembered by the international fight community for his role in helping fuel the worldwide interest in the sweet science.

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