Wins by KO 8 Division Heavyweight Wins 15 Martial art Boxing | Stance Orthodox Role Boxer Nationality American Name Pete Rademacher Total fights 23 | |
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Real name Thomas Peter Rademacher People also search for Giacomo Bozzano, Daniel Bekker, Lev Mukhin | ||
Floyd Patterson vs Pete Rademacher rounds 2 3 4
Floyd Patterson vs Pete Rademacher rounds 5 6
Thomas Peter Rademacher (born November 20, 1928) is a retired boxer who made boxing history by being the only man to fight for the world heavyweight championship in his first professional fight. Rademacher first began boxing as a form of rehabilitation during his recovery from rheumatic fever, which he contracted in military school.
Contents
- Floyd Patterson vs Pete Rademacher rounds 2 3 4
- Floyd Patterson vs Pete Rademacher rounds 5 6
- Amateur career
- Olympic results
- Professional career
- Personal life
- Later life
- References
Amateur career
In his amateur career, Rademacher had 79 fights, going 72–7. He won a series of tournaments, including the 1949, 1951, 1952, and 1953 Seattle Golden Gloves (he lost in 1950 to Zora Folley, who he would face several times in his career), and the US Amateur Championship as a heavyweight in 1953—avenging his earlier loss to Folley.
He captured the Chicago Golden Gloves, the All-Army championship, and the Service championship in 1956, before qualifying for the Olympic team. At the Olympics he captured a gold medal in the heavyweight division and served as the American flag bearer at the closing ceremony.
Olympic results
Rademacher also attended college, playing offensive line on the football team for Washington State.
Professional career
After winning the gold medal, Rademacher started saying that he would be able to become world heavyweight champion in his first professional fight. He made his belief public and was able to lure world Heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson into defending his crown against the debutant Rademacher. It is the only time to date that a fighter making his professional debut has challenged for the world heavyweight title. The bout was refereed by former lightheavyweight champion Tommy Loughran, who himself had contended for the heavy crown once, vs. Primo Carnera, in 1934.
Rademacher dropped Patterson in round two, but Patterson recovered and knocked Rademacher down seven times, defeating him by a knockout in round six.
Rademacher fought Zora Folley, Brian London, George Chuvalo, Buddy Turman, and the former world light heavyweight champion, Archie Moore. He lost to Moore, Folley and London but beat Chuvalo, Clark, and Turman. His last bout was with former world middleweight champion Carl "Bobo" Olson, whom he beat by decision.
Personal life
Besides boxing Rademacher was a successful salesman and inventor. He was president of the company Kiefer-McNeil that was started by a fellow Olympian Adolph Kiefer.
Later life
After retirement, he went into business at McNeil Corporation in Akron, Ohio. He retired as President in 1987. In 1996, he and two of his daughters helped carry the Olympic torch around the streets of Cleveland, Ohio.
Rademacher is active in local politics in Medina County, Ohio. He is also well known in northern Ohio for the gasoline-powered one wheel "unicycle" he rides in local parades.