Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

Let's say Spinks takes his mandatory for the WBC heavyweight title, rather than rematching Ali. Norton coming of a close win against the dangerous Jimmy Young, while Spinks had just beaten a pretty diminished Ali in somewhat controversial fashion.

Does Spinks have a chance in this fight, or is his career destined to be a failure whether he rematches Ali or not?

Personally I feel Norton wins this comfortably by UD, but not as wide a margin as I feel many may think.

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

I see Ken stopping Spinks by the fifth round. Leon would put up a lively defence,but he would n't have the punch to hurt the stronger Norton.

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

Norton KO 1 ... a gross mismatch ...

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

Norton...period. I remember the politics surrounding this at the time...outrageous the way Norton was sidestepped in '78 by both Ali and Spinks.

As a huge Norton fan I was gutted at the time about this, and the injustice still rankles all these years later...instead of being the rightful linear champ, Ken Norton is remembered by some as the only HW champ neve to have (officially) won a title fight...

Grossly unfair on an excellent fighter, imo...

Norton inside 8 rounds - and that's possibly being generous when you think how Spinks was blasted out by both Coetzee & Holmes...I am not claiming that Kenny could crack with a single shot like Coetzee, but you get my drift...

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

I see what you mean. Ken could bang harder than Holmes. Although I was/am an out and out Ali fan,I also admired Norton and agree that it's a shame he never wore the linear crown.

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

:rofl

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

Norton beats down a wild Spinks in 1978 after 8 rds of heated action......

MR.BILL

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

How many pro fights at that stage would Spinks have had?

Fighting in his ninth pro fight.

His only hope would to be to jump Norton early and TKO him.....oherwise, Norton puts a mid round beat down on him.

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

Only thing " somewhat controversial" about the first Ali-Spinks fight is that one goon had Ali winning.

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

I like Spinks. He'd be riding high confidence-wise coming off of the Ali fight and by middle of 1978 or so Norton is sliding backwards.

Close but unanimous.

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

Interesting upset pick. Can you elaborate on it more?

Kenny was slipping quite a bit, but Leon was not a guy that was never ever the type to hold onto that title long. A loss was in the horizon.

There were plenty of tough matches for Spinks in 78 and he might be a .500 fighter if the names on the opponent list were; Norton/Young/Holmes/faded version of Lyle/Foreman out of retirement possibility because DKP was attempting it/Coetzee/Knoetze/Shavers.

Pretty much a mindfield for Spinks and a tightrope act for sure. Maybe Arum puts him in with a Bobick or a young Tate or Evangelista was another guy who got a lot of chances. Maybe even a Ledoux rematch. But that would make for 1 easy defense and that may very well have not been a soft title defense for Leon at the time.

I also happen to think a 78 version of Norton is in similar terrain after losing that tough fight with Holmes. Always, always, always watch out for the old heavies that have to dig real real deep in their previous fight. And Kenny did look bad against Middleton and Stephens for a while, let alone Zanon. So his recent form had not been good.

But stylewise, I think Spinks suits what Norton needs far more than some others at the time. Just as Norton suits the Spinks style a whole lot better than a 78 Holmes or a Shavers.

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

Excellent and dead on accurate post ...

Ali was terrified that Norton would get the first crack at Spinks, the rtitle shot he deserved ever since he was robbed v.s. Ali at Yankee Stadium ... Ali knew Norton would crush Spinks and that he'd have to go through Ken to ever regain the crown and that at that point in his career he had zero shot of winning such a fight ... it was boxing politics at it's worst the way contracts were violated and Ali was given the rematch and slapped and clinched his way to a dull decision over a pathetic Spinks ...

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

Delirious ...

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

True. Ali gave a lot of rounds away,thinking that he could easily catch up later,as he did with Ron Lyle three years before. He never realised that he was no longer capable of putting together the blazing combinations and THAT right hand that stopped Lyle.


Spinks clearly won it.

Re: Spinks Vs Norton 1978
 

Delirious ...