Though he had been struck in the years 1962 and 1963, and twice by Sonny Liston in the first round k. o., not stopped Floyd Patterson to fight. Probably because he couldn’t believe that he was a loser. He was, however, exactly describes the New York report legend Gay Talese in all clarity to the readers of the magazine “Esquire”, in 1964, his story about Patterson appeared.
Evi Simeoni
sports editor.
F. A. Z.
for Four days, Talese had crushed the Boxer, he had written 30 articles, in his training quarters, “Upstate New York” on a coffee table. After that, he wrote the history of “The losers”, one of the most famous American Sport coverage. Talese should have been the title that the editors of his Text had chosen, embarrassing. But it is sensitive reporters sometimes: Faced with the truth that speaks from your own texts, you feel almost something like guilt. Because you have dragged things to light that your conversation partner when you look in the mirror, by itself, is not so clearly seen. Or never want to see.
it was a planned exposure. Talese, in February, 88 years old, had it not made a principle to follow the natural Reflex of the sports reporters, to focus the view on the winner. “You learn from the failure,” he once said in an Interview. “The Lucky don’t need to explain.”
today Taleses Text in the German Translation, just-second-hand, but to find it in the original language on the Internet is not breathing to lose the pain of people can not afford. And the loses anyway. After the defeats against Liston in Patterson, Olympic gold medalist in 1952 in Helsinki and 1956 at the age of 21, the youngest heavyweight champion of the world of the story, something broke. He lost thereafter, up to a point winning all the important battles. After his defeat in 1972 in New York against Muhammad Ali by technical knockout in the seventh round, he finished his career. In old age he suffered from Alzheimer’s and prostate cancer. He died at the age of 71.
The all could not know the two men as they sat in 1963 together on the coffee table, and the Reporter tried, the heart of the boxer, according to all the rules of art to be exposed. He asked: How is it, if you k. o.? Patterson answered as best he could. Talese, the never used a Recorder, said: Wait, you can do better. So anyway, he described the conversation later. Patterson tried again. And once again. From the collection of his statements Talese built a monologue that is more than the original, a classic Reporter is usually as precise as possible. “He has not said all at the same time,” said Talese. “But he has said it.”
The result is fascinating. “You don’t feel bad, if one is knocked out,” it says. “Actually, you will feel even good. You will have no pain, just groggy total. You see, neither angels nor star; hovering rather on a soft shaft. As Liston hit me in Nevada, before it came to me four or five seconds, as all the spectators were suddenly in with me in the Ring, like a big family. After the Knockout you want to hug you love the most and kiss.“ But that was only the beginning. Shortly afterwards, you will feel pain and shame. “You wish for just a trap door, through which one ends up in the cabin, instead of the Ring to leave and the people face. Losing is the worst part.“
