Fight of the Week #11: Larry Holmes Doubleheader (Norton and Spinks II)

I will try an watch them again this week

 

Funny I almost out this on last night...if I find my scores I'll post the rounds.

 

I scored the Holmes - Norton fight big for Larry Holmes. I watched it with the sound off and while KN was competitive, IMO, LH dominated the fight. When KN landed a punch, LH answered with a combination. LH took away KN's jab by parrying it, meanwhile LH kept his jab in KN's face. Although KN's stance should be effective vs. the jab, LH still used his jab well. LH also showed that he had a hook, especially early in the fight - he didn't use it much later. In the second round he was even hooking off the jab and it was effective. KN was pursuing LH but when he got close he often didn't do much, allowing LH to escape. KN must have had excellent skin because he didn't swell much or cut in this fight.

The first 10 rounds were all LH, I did score the 8th EVEN, but the rest I gave to LH. Some were close but to me LH was busier and more effective. I gave KN 11 and 14 and had 15 EVEN. LH won the 12th and 13th, the 13th could have been a 10-8 round but I didn't score it that way. I scored it for LH 148-139 or 11-2-2 in rounds. I know this score will be controversial, but watching it without any commentary and just watching the action, IMO, LH controlled the fight.

 

I never saw it particularly close either (although these threads have changed my views on a number of fights), and never understood how people saw it as controversial. I will try and rewatch/rescore it...I just find HW boxing not as exciting, so am having trouble getting up for this week

 

Excellent observation..Cosell was a Norton guy here and it showed.

 

I will try to find time to rewatch both in the coming days, but my memory of this is I am sure I thought Holmes won both — Norton, as noted above, by a comfortable margin (maybe 10-5 or 9-6; watched it again this year) and Holmes edged Spinks but I can’t remember how I might have scored it.

All hail the Easton Assassin.

 

Just scored Holmes - Spinks 2, it was a close fight. I scored 1,2,3,4,7,14,15 for Holmes, 6,8,9,10,12,13 for Spinks, and 5 and 11 EVEN. In rounds I had it 7-6-2 for LH, on the 10 point system, 144-143 for LH. A lot of rounds were close, including the 15th which I gave to LH. A lot of people probably scored the 15th for MS and I wouldn't argue with them.

It seemed to me that MS was in better condition and maintained his strength through the whole fight, LH was bigger and stronger too, at least through the first 9 rounds. In the 10th MS started to back LH up. When MS backed LH up and got inside he threw a lot of punches, they were not pretty, but a lot of them landed. MS seemed to recover quickly and was as strong late as he was early in the fight while LH seemed to lose strength late.

LH was older than MS but MS took punishment early that should have slowed him but it didn't. He still had energy late in the fight and when LH slowed or wanted to coast, MS would not let him. MS was smaller, probably less skilled but his energy and refusal to let LH dictate the pace made the fight extremely close. It could have gone either way.

 

I will watch this again but I had it the same as you, a clear win for Holmes.

 

Had Holmes winning both

 

Do you have scorecards to share? Or is this more of an overview of the fight type of opinion?

 

Man I hate these FOTW threads lol! I have had my opinions shattered time and again. Fights I thought were lopsided are now close, ones I thought were robberies are now understandable. I am so confused.

JK I love discussing and rescoring these fights together, but I am still confused lol,

I don’t like how guys come on here and say I had so and so winning, without participating. Come on dude just rescore the fights with us so we can have some dialogue on historic fights and decisions

 

Holmes Vs Norton- my memory says Larry won wide and people made a controversy where there was none....oooopppppssss my bad lol!

1 LH (LH 10-9)
2 LH (LH 20-18)
3 KN (LH 29-28)
4 LH (LH 39-37)
5 LH (LH 49-46)
6 LH (LH 59-55)
7 LH (LH 69-64)
8 KN (LH 78-74)
9 KN (LH 87-84)
10 KN (LH 96-94)
11 KN (LH 105-104)
12 LH (LH 115-113)
13 LH (LH 125-122)
14 KN (LH 134-132)
15 KN (LH 143-142)

Wow! Much closer than I thought from years ago, and feel the judges got it right but had a tough job. I agree with @Pat M i would hate to be a judge!!!!

I only found a handful of what I thought were very clear rounds-
2,4,6,13 for Holmes and 8, 14 for Norton....that means on those other 9 rounds 4 for Holmes 5 for Norton I can see scoring them even and/or the other way. Interesting that the judges did not have 1 even round on all 3 cards (unless they scored 13 a 10-8 round?), whereas the announcer had 6 even rounds and the 13th as a 10-8 round for Holmes.

Another tough fight to score, and leaves me no longer trusting my memory. This is why when guys say I had so and so winning by, whatever....it does not interest me. Rescore the fight and share what your thoughts are today!

Anyway this is like 2 seperate fights to me: I had Larry up 6-1 after 7 and Norton looking sharper down the stretch 6-2...he just couldn’t quite dig himself out of the hole for me.

 

I'm on it!

 

Holmes v Norton

And this is why we rewatch and rescore cards in this thread! Ok, here's how I have it:

1 10-09
2 10-09
3 10-09 (closer)
4 10-10
5 10-09
6 10-09 (Holmes winning rounds on general busyness; Norton just not throwing and landing enough)
7 09-10 (close)
8 10-09 (close)
9 09-10 (close)
10 09-10 (v close - god, Norton is frustrating to watch! Go to the body more and throw the right hand goddamit!)
11 09-10 (There you go! Much better from Norton. Why didn't he do this earlier?!)
12 09-10 (Norton keeps rallying! Good action round)
13 10-09 (Holmes stops the rot with a big, big round! Norton gets tired at just the wrong time)
14 09-10 (Norton takes the round with his final flurries. Man, this got much better in the championship rounds!)
15 10-10 (Holy **** - phenomenal final round!)

Holmes 144 -143 Norton