Tom McNeeley Jr. is shown shaking hands with Floyd Patterson before their fight in 1961, and working out in 1962.
Tom McNeeley Jr., 74; fought Floyd Patterson for heavyweight title
Tom McNeeley Jr. is shown shaking hands with Floyd Patterson before their fight in 1961, and working out in 1962.
For nearly four rounds in 1961, Tom McNeeley Jr. fought in the ring with heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson. Mr. McNeeley went in with 23 straight victories; he left with his first loss. “There were times he hit me so fast I thought the referee was sneaking me,’’ Mr. McNeeley told the Globe in 1994. The son and father of successful boxers, Mr. McNeeley lived for many years in Medfield and Newton, and died Oct. 25 shortly after moving to Hanover.
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