Ken Norton got KO'd by a light heavyweight and struggled with a shot Quarry but still beat Ali

Garcia wasn't a light heavyweight

 

I was unaware he struggled with Jerry Quarry. I remember him slaughtering the lad.

 

Credit Eddie Futch. He knew how to beat Ali and coached both Norton and Frazier to victory.

 

I'm watching it now. Quarry has an uncanny ability to block punches with his face.

 

Yeah but he was a heavyweight by the standard of the time

 

Quarry fought way too long.

 

Rage bait is real

 

Each thread more brilliant than the last.

 

Early career loss to Garcia well avenged.

Beat the bejesus out of Quarry.

Gave Ali hell because Norton was a very good fighter.

Old version of Norton gave prime/near prime Holmes hell also and Larry couldn’t drop Kenny either.

Took this one easy. No headgear. Just some very light sparring in prep for real debates.

 

Ali is quite overrated on here while Lennox Lewis is extremely underrated.

 

Styles make fights. And Norton had a style that gave Ali fits. The bigger picture here is that Ali fought EVERYBODY. He beat a range of styles, all the top contenders - for two decades - to prove he was the man. No ducking, no ageing people out, no avoiding. If someone was a threat, or the public thought was a threat, he took them on. And eventually, if you do that, you're gonna find stylistic problems and lose. Too many other fighters haven't followed the old school Ali method (*cough* Mayweather, Tyson Fury). They want the accolades without the work. We should celebrate Ali for doing it right and setting an example, not tearing him down because of it.

 

He was inexperienced against Garcia, and he didn’t start boxing until late, so it’s not like he had amateur experience either, so he was completely raw. Also Quarry had certain tools that could trouble Norton, counter left hooks and uppercuts, and Norton was flat footed at times and couldn’t go backwards, and relied on the block to an extent, Quarry threw good tight punches with speed and was able to find the gaps at times, he just didn’t have the power to put him away.