Early Life as a Trainer and Floyd Patterson

After opening his first gym in 1930, Cus worked with many young aspiring boxers, searching for one that he could turn into a world champion. It was not until years later that his hard work paid off in the discovery of Floyd Patterson.

Cus worked with Patterson intensively, tutoring him in the peek-a-boo style. D'Amato's training helped Patterson capture the 1952 Olympic Gold Medal in the Middle Weight Division at seventeen years of age. Shortly after his Olympic victory, Patterson turned pro. During his early professional career, Patterson had fought as a light heavyweight, but after the retirement of heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, D'Amato announced that his fighter would be moving up to heavyweight in order to take place in the tournament to crown Marciano's successor. On November 30, 1956 Patterson beat Archie Moore and became the heavy weight champion of the world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCUkqyfUjTU

At twenty one years of age, Patterson was the youngest fighter ever to win the heavy weight championship. Much of the credit for this victory and Patterson's success as a fighter can be given to D'Amato whose peek-a- boo tactics are clearly visible in Patterson's victory over Moore (The link above is to that bout). Patterson would go on to fight tile defenses against fighters such as Brian London and Tom McNeely while Cus steered his fighter away from more legitimate challengers like Eddie Machen. Patterson lost his title to Ingemar Johansson of Sweden in 1959 but won it back in a rematch.

D'Amato would also not agree to a bout between Patterson and Sonny Liston, sighting Liston's underworld connections. D'Amato was always wary of corrupt organizations such as the International Boxing Club of New York (which was eventually found in violation of anti trust laws) and did not allow his fighters to be matched with anyone promoted by them. This decision kept Patterson away from some of the best competition. Eventually Patterson was able to pressure D'Amato into letting him fight Liston. Patterson wound up losing twice to Liston; both times by knockout. After the second loss to Liston D'Amato and Patterson went their separate ways. Patterson would continue to fight until 1972, fighting three more times in title bouts including one against Muhammad Ali. Patterson was not able to win and was therefore not able to be the first man to win the heavy weight title three times.

D'Amato took the young, somewhat troubled (Patterson had spent two years in reform school as a boy) Patterson and transformed him into a heavy weight champion. There is no denying D'Amato's profound influence on Patterson's career, from the unique boxing style taught by him to the managment of Patterson. An article published in Life Magazine describes D'Amato's giving spirit:http://books.google.com/books?id=rEEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=constantine+cus+d+amato&source=bl&ots=-pjVDCs6gj&sig=D5MK0cHfZtYPA3Kv-vRIbQKfk8U&hl=en&ei=xv7JS7KANMa78gas8Z2oCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CA4Q6AEwBDgU#v=onepage&q=constantine%20cus%20d%20amato&f=false D'Amato gave every boy that came into his gym the chance to train free of charge. For some like Floyd Patterson it would come to pay off. In would not be for many years until D'Amato found his next gem in the likes of Mike Tyson.