Muhammad Ali vs Ken Norton III (On September 28. 1976, at Yankee Stadium)

lol
Are you sure you're talking about the right fight???

 

According to Mercante, Lederman, and the Associated Press he is.

 

Long I do agree that all punches aren't the same but Mercante who was next to them in the ring said enough were landing and viewing the tape in slow frame it appears most did, Ken by contrast in the first two plus minutes neither threw or landed, only one of three jabs, giving away the round. Don't get me wrong, if he had not coasted for the first three fourths of the 15th he would likely have taken it, he had plenty left in the tank, but he did and with it he lost the fight, its history.

 

I disagree but it was razor thin. Sometimes the Ref isn't the best judge I mean look at Schmeling vs Sharkey 2 in that regard. Very close but I think they got it wrong no robbery for sure. I read somewhere someone said Ali had a paintbrush and Norton a hammer. That was a description that seemed apt to me. It's over with fascinating fight.

 

I was there at ringside. It was sort of a boring fight. Ali controlled the pace and definitely did enough to win. Norton wasn't that busy.

 

Rodney, good to hear from someone who was there! Your words mirror almost exactly what Mercante said about the fight.

 

Thanks

 

Norton got screwed. Mercante's BS reasoning for giving the last round to Ali was he said he breaks the round down into 3 individual minutes of fighting and had Ali winning the first 2 minutes of the 15th round. Problem with that is Ali did slightly more than Norton the first 2 minutes while Norton pounded Ali for the last mintue. Norton clearly won the fight. Gentleman Jim explained clearly.

 

Completely agree ... it was 9 - 6 for Norton and that is giving Ali every benefit .... bad decision.

 

Not exactly, Mercante is considered still the all time dean of ref's and taught both judges and ref's over the co**** of his career. A round is three minutes and the conclusion of each is the entire three minutes not just the last 40 seconds as in the Ali-Norton 15th. Ali did more then slightly over what Kenny did during the first 2.5 minutes as Norton did literally nothing while Ali landed ten or more jabs, Ken one. In the last 40 seconds Ken landed two hard right hands to the head and hard body shots while Ali fired back with light shots, Ken won those last few seconds but Ali wasn't hurt and was still throwing back. The winner? The AP had Ali by two rounds, the UPI ken by one round, the WWS panel had it a draw and the three respected judges all had Ali.

 

I personally believe Norton won the 15th round. He stalked Ali for the first minute while Muhammad threw his weak jabs, and then bombarded him for the rest of the round.

It's just like Shavers. People give Ali the 15th round and they think he won the whole fight. Ali's second reign was largely a joke.

 

I felt Norton took the 15th as well. I gave Ali the 3rd and 13th round both could of went to Norton but I slanted to give Ali the benefit of doubt. I ended up 8-7 Norton. Very close. There is no doubt the rounds won by Norton were far more impressive than rounds won by Ali. Ali basically squeaked out the non eventful rounds and got hammered in the rounds with action. I still don't think it was a robbery because I ended up having Norton win by just one round but I gave Ali every benefit except the 15th. Norton landed more jabs and more power punches and at a higher connects percentage. Funny thing is I always felt the real robbery was the Young fight with Ali.

 

Vince, going over the last round in slow Ken didn't bomb Ali for the rest of the round but threw an entire - three jabs - in the first two minutes and ten seconds and landed one. He bombed Ali during the last fourty seconds and Ali also threw and landed during those last few seconds.

 

Long, you had the score exactly the same as the UPI and like you said it was razor close, had you given the 15th to Ali as Mercante and the judges did it would have been by one round to Ali. This fight will always be a debated one and maybe that's a good thing.

 

I think you have to be largely a joke as a boxing fan to say this.

Frazier's lineal reign was a joke. Bowe's reign was a joke. Foreman's second reign was a joke. Holmes reign post ****ey was a bit of joke. But in contrast to these guys, Ali faced the best out there even during his second reign. That was all he could do.

But still he gets endless abuse, while so called boxing fans say jack about Frazier facing two fighters of hardly journeyman status after FOTC, while ducking a rematch with Ali, before getting his ass handed to him.

Those double standards are a joke.