We all know that Ken got himself a decision win over the 12 rounds. If it had being a 15 rounder.. Would Ali's stamina and late round experience have helped him pull back? Or would Ken's awkward, style, putting pressure on Ali have still gotten him the W? Could Ali have managed another 3 rounds with a broken jaw? Thoughts?
I don't think an extra 3 rounds would've helped Ali in their 1st fight. Norton was landing some heavy shots in the 12th and showed no signs of slowing down. Bottom line--it was his night!
I' agree, ken was steaming that night, and Ali knew it. Thank god for Ali that it wasn't a 15 rounder, fighting with the pain of that broken jaw.
If the pain from Muhammad's jaw injury had got any worse over the extra three rounds,Angelo Dundee may have had to pull his man out.
I guarantee Dundee would've had to drag Ali out of that ring kicking and screaming if he wanted to stop it--(Ali was one TOUGH dude--fighting with the pain of a fractured jaw--that's beyond the comprehension of us ordinary mortals!!)
Ali was getting beat up in the later rounds and he was in immense pain from the broken jaw. The fight being 12 rounds was beneficial to Ali and there's a distinct chance Dundee may of had to pull Ali out of the fight. The 2nd fight however would've been very interesting had it been 15 rounds.
Norton was amused by the idea Ali’s jaw broke early, me too - if it’s 15 he’s stopped. KN thinks it broke when he banged into the corner of the ring at one point in the bout from memory.
To be honest Ali had enough punishment in his career. I don't think it would have been anything but taking even more punishment.
Not sure. Ali had won the 11th from memory and wasn’t exactly in agony. I don’t think Norton ever would’ve stopped him tbh. Ali’s just lucky he suffered the broken jaw against Norton and not Frazier.
Carrying a broken jaw against Frazier is a super scary thought. As to the broken jaw, we know Ali claimed early and Norton claimed late. From recollection, Ali was touching at and inside his jaw at around the mid point of the fight. The commentator(s) Cosell? noted this and mused on the possibility of a tooth having been knocked out. There was clearly some issue at least at that point of the fight - a break/fracture or at least the precursor to same at that stage? As it was, Ali definitely would not have wanted a further 3 rounds but he still would’ve fought them if need be. As to Dundee, would he actually have stopped it if it was a 15 rounder?- I’m not so sure. Angelo pushed a blind Ali out to fight round 5 against Liston and he certainly well delayed stopping the Holmes until he got the “call” from Herbert Muhammad.
