BOXING/Death of Floyd Patterson: Former world heavyweight boxing champion Floyd Patterson, who became the youngest boxer to gain the title when he knocked out Archie Moore in 1956 at the age of 21, has died. He was 71. Patterson, who had suffered from Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer, died at his home in New York.

Patterson, elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991, was small for a heavyweight and used a peek-a-boo style with his gloves held high in front of his face, using his speed to defeat heftier opponents.

He had three famed clashes with Sweden's Ingemar Johansson in a long career that stretched from his first great professional success against Moore through bouts against Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali.

"Of all the men I fought, Sonny Liston was the scariest, George Foreman was the most powerful, Floyd Patterson was the most skilled as a boxer," Ali once said.

Patterson was born in Waco, North Carolina, and raised in Brooklyn, New York.

After an amateur career that included Olympic gold as a middleweight in 1952, Patterson turned professional. On November 30th, 1956, he claimed the world heavyweight title vacated by the retirement of Rocky Marciano by knocking out Moore in the fifth round.

Patterson was the youngest heavyweight champion until 20-year-old Mike Tyson beat Trevor Berbick for the title in 1986. Patterson and Tyson were both trained by Cus D'Amato.

Following four defences, Patterson lost the title in 1959 when he was knocked down seven times in the third round, losing to Sweden's Johansson in New York.

One year later, Patterson became the first heavyweight champion to regain the crown when he returned to the Polo Grounds to knock out Johansson in the fifth round. He won a third bout against Johansson in 1961, stopping him in the sixth round.

He made one more successful defence before losing to Liston by a first-round knockout in 1962.

Patterson fought three more times for the heavyweight title. He was knocked out again in the first round by Liston in 1963, was stopped after a 12-round beating by Muhammad Ali in 1965, and lost a 15-round decision to Jimmy Ellis in 1968.

Patterson retired in 1972 at 37 with a professional record of 55-8-1. He later served as New York state athletic commissioner.

He is survived by his second wife Janet and his adopted son Tracy Harris Patterson.