[4] Rademacher became the only person to challenge for the world heavyweight championship in his first professional bout when he faced Floyd Patterson in Seattle on August 22, 1957.

A former college football player at Washington State,[4][5] Rademacher took up boxing as a form of rehabilitation during his recovery from rheumatic fever, which he contracted in military school.

He made his belief public and was able to lure world Heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson into defending his crown against him in his professional debut.

The bout, at Sick's Stadium in Seattle, was refereed by former light-heavyweight champion Tommy Loughran, who himself had contended for the heavy crown once, vs. Primo Carnera, in 1934.

Rademacher fought Zora Folley, Brian London, George Chuvalo, Buddy Turman, and the former world light heavyweight champion, Archie Moore.