R.I.P. Pete Rademacher: Olympic Champ; Fought Floyd Patterson in his Pro Debut

Pete Rademacher, who won a gold medal in the heavyweight class at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics but would be best remembered for his “freak fight” with heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, has died at the age of 91.

Rademacher was raised in the Apple State of Washington where his family was in the apple business. He was a starting defensive lineman at Washington State University before joining the Army. He was assigned to Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, when he won his Olympic gold medal.

Rademacher made his pro debut against Patterson on August 22, 1957, at rickety Sicks Stadium, the home of Seattle’s Triple- A baseball franchise. Patterson was making the second defense of the title he won from Archie Moore.

The promoter of record was old salt Jack Hurley who was called a poor man’s Doc Kearns in the days when he travelled the country with Billy Petrolle, the Fargo Express. Hurley was assisted by local gym operator George Chemeres who managed “uncrowned light heavyweight champion” Eddie Cotton and would go on to train and manage Greg Haugen. Chemeres served as Pete Rademacher’s chief second.

Hurley was the promoter of record – he had the license – but the true promoter was Rademacher himself. With the assistance of Melchior “Mike” Jennings, a Georgia businessman, the scion of a Pittsburgh oil family, Rademacher formed a corporation and brought in a sufficient number of investors to guarantee Patterson’s $250,000 purse.

Rademacher started fast, although it would be more accurate to say that Patterson started slow. Pete won the first two rounds and actually scored a flash knockdown in round two. But his previous experience had consisted of three two-minute rounds and he quickly ran out of gas. Patterson knocked him down seven times in all before referee Tommy Laughran, the former light heavyweight champion, halted the carnage in the sixth round. The attendance was announced at 16,961 and the gate receipts at $206,556.52.

The fight was widely assailed as a travesty before the first punch was thrown. U.S. Congressman Kenneth B. Keating (R-NY) said, “the fight proves once again the crying need for a national boxing commission.” Patterson’s manager, Cus D’Amato, was ridiculed for taking the fight and more vituperation would be heaped on him the following year when he matched Patterson against second-rater Roy “Cut n’ Shoot” Harris.

Pete Rademacher was a late bloomer. He was 29 when he made his pro debut, seven years older than Patterson. He stayed in the game for five more years with his best year coming in 1960 when he defeated LaMar Clark, George Chuvalo, Kirk Barrow, and veteran Willi Besmanoff in consecutive bouts. But he was repeatedly betrayed by poor balance (Archie Moore knocked him down eight times in their 1961 encounter in Baltimore) and by a soft beard. He finished his pro career with a record of 15-7-1, but six of those seven losses were by TKO or KO.

In retirement, Rademacher settled in Medina, Ohio, near Akron, and worked as an executive with a company that manufactured swimming pool supplies. His wife of 57 years passed away in 2007. At the time of his death he resided in a veteran’s home in Sandusky, Ohio. He had been suffering from dementia for quite some time and his brain will reportedly be donated to science.

Pete Rademacher is survived by three daughters and grandchildren. We here at The Sweet Science send our condolences.

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