Rademacher Says He Fought 20 Years Too Soon

Pete Rademacher says his idea of fighting world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson blossomed two decades too early.

Rademacher, after winning the Olympic heavyweight championship in 1956, made his professional debut against Patterson a little more than a year later. He stunned the champion with a second-round knockdown before losing in the seventh.

Patterson fought for a $250,000 guarantee. Rademacher had no guarantee at all in their Seattle bout in August 1957.

Mindful of the multimillion-dollar bouts of today, the 58-year-old Rademacher said, “I had a great idea 20 years too soon. The only regret I have is that there couldn’t have been the kind of media coverage back when I fought that there is now.”

Rademacher fought professionally for only six years. He retired in 1962 with a record of 17-6-1. He has not become a former boxing bum, despite his mediocre career.

Rademacher serves as president of a Medina, Ohio, corporation that sells swimming pool chemicals and swim equipment. He travels the nation, delivering speeches to businesses, churches and charitable groups on sales and motivation.