Sonny Liston vs Ken Norton, both prime, 15 rounds.

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Richard M Murrieta, Feb 27, 2021.



  1. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Sonny Liston vs Ken Norton, both prime 15 rounds. Could Ken stand toe to toe with Sonny? Or would the jaw busting marine get destroyed?
     
  2. Scott Cork

    Scott Cork Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Poor Norton.
     
  3. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Liston via first round KO. Liston would make Norton freeze in a way Shavers, and Cooney could only dream of.
     
  4. LoadedGlove

    LoadedGlove Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Liston seems to have become some force of nature on this site. He was a dominant force in a pretty ordinary, if not plain poor, Heavyweight division in his time.
    Ken Norton was one of the very best in the greatest era in the history of Heavyweight Boxing. He took Ali to the brink and, even when he was just over the crown the hill, went life and death with a peak Larry Holmes.
    Kenny had an awkward, crouching style, which had the tendency to make him hard to jab against. Just look at how Holmes and Ali struggled with their jabs and took counters over their left hands.
    Liston without his big jab was basically a good doorman. Strong and powerful but one paced and predictable. He also had a bit of quit in him when he wasn't out in front.
    The Marine stops the Mob stooge in eight.
     
  5. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    lol
     
  6. LoadedGlove

    LoadedGlove Boxing Addict Full Member

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    You and Liston need to get a room.
     
    RockyJim and Richard M Murrieta like this.
  7. Smokin Bert

    Smokin Bert Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I don't think this would be the blowout others seem to envision. Norton was no bum.
     
  8. KidDynamite

    KidDynamite Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    Liston KO 1 or 2 ... Probably KO 1

    People saying that Norton would be ok because he beat Ali and gave Holmes hell ... Liston is a different animal compared to them ... Norton was a pressure fighter who came forward and didn't have the chin to take elite level power punches ... He would get brutalized by Liston like Patterson
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2021
  9. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I honestly think you could close the thread on this thought.
     
  10. KidDynamite

    KidDynamite Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    Norton doesn't have the jaw to hang with Liston, that's the difference

    Liston is within the same class as Foreman and Shavers in terms of power ... And they got Norton out early and easily
     
  11. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I think you should be the one sharing a room with Liston so he can teach you jack**** about boxing because you're clearly lacking in that department.
     
  12. William Walker

    William Walker Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I love Norton, and he had more skills than Liston, not better, just more. I love Norton, but I have to go with the masses. Norton suffers the same fate as he did against Foreman, Shavers, and Cooney. However, whether or not you believe in "the Norton Freeze" could play a big part in things. If you do believe in "the Freeze" then Norton loses any fight in which he gets matched against a big puncher, therefore making threads such as this one pointless as well as unfair. On the other hand, if you just believe that Norton was just made to lose against the big punchers, rather than freezing up, believe it or not, that still leaves Ken a chance.
    Now personally, I don't think Norton would win against Liston, and I can't see him going far with Liston. The length and competitiveness of the fight depends on which Liston comes to fight. Does Liston come out like he did against Patterson? In that case, I would predict a TKO in 2. However, what if Liston comes out slow like he did against Williams, or Machen, jabbing and stalking? Do you mean to tell me that he's gonna knock out Norton that way? Norton had a terrific jab, and that could cause problems for Liston. I think that would frustrate Liston, and cause him to reach for the kill, which I say comes in 3. However, this is way more competitive than the first version.
     
  13. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    1. Norton did not have more skills than Liston. Liston was much more well rounded and could and did put his skills to use against all styles unlike Norton who struggled with men with the speed of Ali and Holmes (though the same is also true vice versa), and was flat out ktfo by the sluggers he fought.

    2. Liston only came out "slow" like he did against Williams to feel him out, and Williams was throwing some serious leather at Liston with power that Norton was incapable of producing. Norton's also not going to employ a strategy like Machen, as he could not fight backing up to save his life.
     
  14. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Nobody is saying he was a bum, but the evidence simply indicates that whenever Norton met a top puncher (or even a second rate puncher) he was ko'd. Quickly and brutally.
     
  15. William Walker

    William Walker Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Liston was slow as molasses, and Norton was pretty fast.
    Norton probably the better stamina, as evidenced by several 12 and 15 rounders, Liston went 12 once.
    Norton clearly had better defense cuz of his cross-arm stance. Liston had pretty much no defense to speak of, something that I think was nearly unanimously conceded in a comparison thread I did on Foreman and Liston many months ago.