AfterSetelah amenjalani seriessejumlah ofpertandingan untuk mempertahankan gelar dengan melawan beberapa penantang defensesagainstfringepapan contendersbawah (Hurricane Jackson, [[Pete Rademacher]], Roy Harris,<ref name=tloftphrs>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oSZYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FPcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5771%2C3592396 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Tale of the tape |date=August 18, 1958 |page=15}}</ref> anddan [[Brian London]]), Patterson metbertemu dengan [[Ingemar Johansson]] ofasal Sweden,theyang numberkala oneitu contender,berstatus insebagai thepenantang firstpertama. ofIni threeadalah fightspertandingan pertama dari tiga perjumpaan mereka. Johansson triumphed overmengalahkan Patterson onpada Junetanggal 26,1959,Juni with26 the1959. refereeWasit [[Ruby Goldstein]] stoppingmenghentikan thepertandingan fightpada inronde theketiga thirdsetelah roundpetinju afterasal theSwedia Swedeitu had knockedmerobohkan Patterson down seventujuh timeskali. Johansson becamemenjadi Sweden'spetinju firstSwedia Worldpertama Heavyweightyang Championmenjadi Juara Dunia Kelas Berat, thusdan becomingmenjadi apahlawan nationalnasional herokarena asmerupakan thepetinju firstEropa Europeanpertama toyang defeatmengalahkan anpetinju AmericanAmerika fordalam theperebutan titlegelar juara sejak sincetahun 1933.
Patterson knocked out Johansson in the fifth round of their rematch on June 20, 1960, to become the first man in history to regain the [[Undisputed Champion|Undisputed]] World Heavyweight Championship. Johansson hit the canvas hard, seemingly out before he landed flat on his back. With glazed eyes, blood trickling from his mouth and his left foot quivering, he was counted out. Johansson lay unconscious for five minutes before he was helped onto a stool.
