Swedish boxing champ "Ingo" Johansson dies

Swedish former world heavyweight boxing champion Ingemar "Ingo" Johansson died on Friday night, aged 76-years-old.

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Johansson, who became heavyweight champion of the world when he defeated Floyd Patterson to win the World Heavyweight Championship in 1959, died in his sleep at his home in Kungsbacka in western Sweden shortly before midnight.

Johansson was named Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" in 1959 and he was considered one of the greatest Swedish sportsman in history.

More than two million Swedish radio listeners tuned in as "Ingo" knocked out Patterson in the third round of their fight in Yankee stadium in New York City in what was to prove to be the highlight of his career.

He enjoyed a successful career as a heavyweight retiring in 1963 with a record of 26 wins, 17 by knock out, and only 2 losses, and in 2003 was named in Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.

In recent years Ingemar Johansson had been living in a home for those suffering from senile dementia. He died in the company of his son Thomas.