In the second round the balding apple-knocker from the Yakima Valley let loose a looping right, and it caught the champion, high on the cheek. For four satisfying seconds, the thin crowd in Seattle's Sick's Stadium sensed that it might be getting its money's worth. There was World Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson on the canvas. Perhaps this amateur challenger named T. Peter Rademacher had a professional punch after all. It was all so surprising that Referee Tommy Loughran was as flustered as Floyd. He forgot to count.
Patterson found his feet before Referee Tommy found his tongue. The 22-year-old pro (6 ft.,...