Boxing's Heavyweight Championship Lineage
Ingemar Johansson
1959
Johansson used a young Cassius Clay -- who later became Muhammad Ali -- as a sparring partner for his heavyweight championship fight against Floyd Patterson in 1959 at Yankee Stadium. The result: Johansson sent Patterson to the canvas a total of seven times in the third round to claim the belt and become the first Swedish boxer to hold the title.
Johansson's hold on the title didn't last, as he lost a rematch with Patterson a year later at the Polo Grounds in New York. Still, Johansson (26-2, 17 KOs), became a hero in his home country after the fight, working in movies and promoting fights. He continued boxing until his retirement in 1963.
Advertisement
ESPN Video
- 00:43
High schooler with Down syndrome sinks 3-pointer
Leslie County (Ky.) High School's Ethan Wolfe, who has Down syndrome, checks into the game and knocks down a 3-pointer.
- 02:04
Hurts surprises family with donation toward a new home
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts surprises a family, whose child is battling cancer, with a $30,000 donation to go toward a new home.
- 01:25
Ron Rivera rings the bell after final day of cancer treatment
Washington coach Ron Rivera receives an ovation as he walks down the hospital hallway to ring the bell after his final day of cancer treatment.
