Prime Larry Holmes vs. 1973 Ken Norton

[FastHands(beeb)]

This is about as 50/50 as any fight gets, imo. Two great fighters, imo. Holmes gets his just due, Norton doesn't in a lot of cases.

[Stevie G]

Originally Posted by FastHands(beeb)

This is about as 50/50 as any fight gets, imo. Two great fighters, imo. Holmes gets his just due, Norton doesn't in a lot of cases.

Very true,FastHands. Norton may not have been a GREAT,but only one or two notches down from being one.

[whosthere]

I've always looked at Norton kind of like Jack Sharkey.
Not stylisticly, but in terms of "could have beens."
Both Fighters seemed to have moments of greatness, but inexplicable lapses against what should have been lesser opponents (ex...Shavers/Norton, Carnera/Sharkey).
Both won titles , but were unable to hold them (although Norton lost to an ATG), both had controversial losses in title fights, and both were very good fighters who had the misfortune of being active at the same time as ATG champions.
1973 Norton could well have beaten 1978 Holmes, but it's doubtful any version of Norton would have beaten Larry at his peak.

[FastHands(beeb)]

Originally Posted by Stevie G

Very true,FastHands. Norton may not have been a GREAT,but only one or two notches down from being one.

Hi Stevie. I think he was great...a case can be made that he deserved to go 4-0 against Ali & Holmes...locks for most in a top 5 ATG list...OK he lost badly to Foreman, Shavers & Cooney...but imo only the Foreman fight was in Ken's prime, against absolute peak Foreman who felt invincible after Kingston and before George's confidence was shattered by Ali...yes, Norton was a great fighter in my eyes...

It would have been awesome if Holmes and Norton had been at their peak at the same time, I would love to have seen a series of title fights between the 2, a trilogy at least, with wins for both and the title changing hands between the 2, and I think every fight would have been a war, fights that would be talked about for years...great stuff!