A BRIEF LOOK AT FLOYD PATTERSON, ROY HARRIS

17.06 - Record: 55-8-1 with 40 KO's …. Born Jan. 4, 1935, in Waco, North Carolina, and was reared in Brooklyn …. A two-time world heavyweight champion (1956-1959, 1960-1962), who made boxing history multiple times …. The third of 11 children was taught boxing at reform school …. In 1949, he entered Gramercy Gym, which was run by Cus D'Amato. Two years later, he wanted to turn pro as a 16-year-old, but D'Amato would not let him. In 1952, he won an Olympic gold medal as a middleweight at Helsinki, Finland (one of five the U.S. would win) …. Turned pro on Sept. 12, 1952, won two more fights that month and was named "Ring Rookie of the Year" in 1953 by the New York Boxing Writers …. On Nov. 30, 1956, at age 21, he became the youngest world heavyweight champion -- a distinction he would hold until Mike Tyson came along -- by knocking out Archie Moore in the fifth round in Chicago .… When he won the title -- he succeeded Rocky Marciano, who had retired the previous April 12 -- he had lost only one fight; in his 14th start, he dropped a disputed eight-round decision to the clever and far more experienced Joey Maxim, a former 175-pound light-heavyweight champion ….

Made four successful defenses before going down seven times in the third round and losing to No. 1 contender Ingemar Johansson on a third-round knockout in New York on June 26, 1959 …. In Ring magazine's Fight of the Year, he became the first man to regain the crown by knocking out Johansson at 1:15 of the fifth round on June 20, 1960, in New York …. In their third fight in 22 months, he rallied from a knockdown to stop Johannson in the sixth round on March 13, 1961, in Miami Beach …. after one more defense, he was knocked out at 2:06 of the first round by Sonny Liston on Sept. 25, 1962, in Chicago …. He attempted to become the first man to win the world heavyweight title three times, but Liston once again flattened him in the first round, flooring him three times, on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas …. Went through a depression after that, often using sunglasses and hats to go out in public, but he recovered and began winning fights again, until he became the No. 1 challenger of the man who twice beat Liston, Ali. On another attempt to be the first to win the world heavyweight title three times, Patterson lost by 12th-round knockout to Ali on Nov. 22, 1965, in Las Vegas ….

Once Ali was stripped of the belt, Jimmy Ellis won the title. Patterson, in his third and final attempt at becoming the first to win the heavyweight crown a third time, broke Ellis' nose and cut his left eye, but lost a split 15-round decision on Sept. 14, 1968, in Sweden …. After losing in a rematch to Ali for the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) title on a seventh-round TKO on Sept. 20, 1972, in New York, he retired …. he ran an amateur boxing club, was a commissioner, and then, Chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission .… Resigned as chairman on April 1, 1998 …. Outside the ring, he received many awards, including the "Setting A Good Example Award" from President John F. Kennedy in 1961 and the "Pioneer of Excellence Award" from the World Institute of Black Communications and CBS Records in 1986 …. Elected into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 1976 … After leaving the N.Y. commission, he retired to his 17-acre farm, having left a legacy as an honest and loyal gentleman in a sport not known for many. He remained as columnist Red Smith said: "A man of peace whose life has been devoted to beating men with his fists.''

ROY HARRIS AND THE TOWN HE MADE FAMOUS

Overall Record: 31-5 with 9 KO's …. Born June 29, 1933, in Cut 'N Shoot, Texas - due to the exposure and notoriety he got from boxing, during the mid-to-late 1950's, he was credited with getting Cut 'N Shoot put on the Texas map …. Cut 'N Shoot either built its first or had to build a new post office because of his popularity as a boxer .... According to "The Sign," the population today in Cut 'N Shoot is 1,300 …. He is believed to be the only boxer to become a lawyer after fighting for the world heavyweight title …. Was a county clerk in Montgomery County for 28 years; began practicing law in 1972 -- he drew up the papers for Cut 'N Shoot to become incorporated .... Roy's office is actually in his house … He has been married 47 years and has six children (four boys, two girls). Five are college graduates ....

Hails from a fighting family of four boys and four girls. He and a brother, Toab, were the first to lace on the gloves. They got their first set by trading a guy some wild ducks .... At the time, he said, "we had never even heard of any type of other gear. No cup, no nothing, just gloves." …. Turned pro on April 26, 1955, and won his initial 24 fights .… A boxer known for good movement, he captured the Texas State heavyweight title with a 12-round decision over Buddy Turman on Nov. 28, 1955 …. Suffered his initial defeat in his first venture outside of Texas on Aug. 18, 1958, when he lost by 13th-round TKO to World Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson in Los Angeles …. Before challenging Patterson, he had averaged 6-7 fights a year. The match with Patterson was his first in nearly 10 months. The reason for the layoff and no tune-up bout? He says he joined the army (and became a captain) .... He cut a record, "Cut 'N Shoot, Texas" before his fight with Patterson; on the flip side of "Cut 'N Shoot, Texas" was a "religious song," but Roy didn't sing it. A "ghost singer did," he said .... A book "Cut 'N Shoot, Texas: The Roy Harris Story" was written by Robin Navarro Montgomery in 1984 ….

After losing to Patterson, he rebounded to win his next seven fights before losing three in a row, in three different countries, in 1960 - to Sonny Liston on a first-round TKO on April 25 in Houston, to Bob Cleroux on July 27 in Montreal and to Henry Cooper on a 10-round decision on Sept. 13 in London …. Says he defeated six of the top 10-ranked heavyweights to earn a shot at Patterson; and that he got cheated in his three-knockdown KO loss to Liston .... feels he should have defeated Patterson, too ... Retired at age 28 after losing by second-round knockout to Cleroux on May 23, 1961 ….

Harris did not exactly come out of nowhere, but he was close. Cut 'N Shoot is located about six miles east of Conroe (40 miles north of Houston) and is "where the men are tough, the horses are swift, and the women are soft and where we take a bath every Saturday night whether we need one or not! (or so the slogan goes) …. Almost all the kids who lived in the small settlement were involved in boxing. They were all rough and tough, even the girls. The Cut 'n Shoot boxing team did well each year in the Golden Gloves Championships in Houston … . In its earliest years, Cut 'N Shoot had a little red store, a fire station and an elementary school. Once it was incorporated, a town hall with a community park was built and a water system was developed …. Population statistics were not reported until the mid-1970s, when the number of residents was 50, although a sign on the highway in 1971 said the population was 300. By the mid-1980s, the incorporated community reported a population of 809 and had built a new city hall and post office. The community's population was reported as 903 in 1990 ….

There are several versions as to how Cut 'N Shoot got its name. The most popular was that it was named after a 1912 community confrontation that almost led to violence. The dispute came after Baptist and Methodist leaders decided to build a new community church and school building. The structure opened, it turns out, to all religious denominations to preach in, except for the Mormons and Apostolics. In July 1912, there was an Apostolic preacher that was invited to preach although it was rumored he visited saloons and danced. There soon formed two sides in the issue: one that thought he should be allowed to preach and one that thought he should not. Those that wanted to hear him arrived in their wagons and buggies and brought their lunches with the intentions of staying for the all-day meetings. They also must have anticipated trouble since they hid their guns and knives in quilts under their wagon seats. Sure enough, they discovered the door to the building had been locked. Soon the anti-Apostolic group arrived, declaring that the lock was jammed. This was the cue for all to grab their guns and an intense argument broke out. While each side hurled accusations and insults on the other, an eight-year-old son of one of the men became so frightened that he said, "I am scared! I am going to "cut'' around the corner and "shoot" through the bushes in a minute!'' The boy's phrase remained in residents' minds and was adopted as the town's name. Although no shooting occurred, both sides were fined for disturbing the peace, assault and the use of obscene language. The dispute smoldered between two of the men, however, for more than a year with each indicting the other. The judge in one of these trials asked a witness where the argument had taken place whereupon the witness replied, "I suppose you would call it the place where they had the cuttin' and shootin' scrape.''