Sweden\’s Heavyweight Boxing Champ 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 rocketed to international fame and rock star like superstardom in Sweden by virtue of his 3rd round knockout victory over Floyd Patterson on June 26,\’59 to become only the 5th heavyweight champion born outside of the US. Johannson was considered the underdog going into the matchup, and due to the perception that he wasn\’t training particularly hard entered the bout a 5/1 underdog. Johansson was frequently seen in Catskill nightspots during his training camp with his attractive young secretary in stark contrast to Patterson\’s disciplined regimen in preparation for his title defense.

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. 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 lifelong friends, and would travel to visit each other yearly until Patterson\’s death in 2006. Johannson made a number of film appearances in Sweden, and spent time in Miami every year. He enjoyed good health well into his 60\’s, until a variety of 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 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.

Ross Everett is a well known freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and deep sea diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.