Just rewatched Foreman VS Norton... forgot how ripped Norton was! Foreman wasn't as ripped, he was just a huge beast. Jacked. Norton's physique seems out of place for that time period, most of them were lean (Ali, Holmes) or just in great shape (Frazier, Quarry etc). None of them looked like bodybuilders back then. Old boxers rarely lifted weights, that didn't start (or at least become common like today) until the 80s really... you think Norton lifted?
Norton was a body builder and even owned a chain of gyms after he retired from boxing. It wasn’t a surprise that he lifted weights given that he played football and a myriad of other sports from the time he was in grade school to when he was in college
Norton was a natural athlete. Some guys are just born that way. He was brilliant at every sport he played.
I don't think he lifted when he boxed. I seem to remember an interview in which he said that his greatest regret was that he did not life when he was active. I think that was all-natural manliness.
In Foreman-Norton, which I've watched about a zillion times,..I always notice that, despite Norton's "Mr. Universe" build, how much bigger and stronger Foreman appears.
Because Foreman was actually walking around at Maybe 230+ and his trainers forced him to cut weight to the 217-220 range for speed and stamina. Then of course he'd eat and rehydrate to get his strength back so he looked deceptively bigger than his numerical weight at the weigh in. Maybe. Im sure did some lifting as a marine so he probably knew plenty of exercises to keep himself shredded.
Ken Norton was a former U. S Marine and a body builder. He was a single father, his son Ken Norton Jr, is also the defensive co-ordinator of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. Ken Norton Sr also played a role in the motion picture, Mandingo.
Help me with the GCC. I understood Foreman cut weight due to the foolish ministrations of Saddler. But now you are saying that like a man trying to make weight for any other division, he would rehydrate & come in the ring at 230 or more? Maybe that explains why he looks bigger than his weight. Liston also looked larger. But what benefit would it be to improving speed & stamina if he was basicazlly his lean natural weight at the actual fight? I mean why have him go to all that likely ennervating effort, if at fight time he was the same as if he never dehydrated? How would that help him?
I've never seen direct evidence for this but I find it extremely plausible based on the eye test alone. For example look at these photos of Foreman training for Ali in Zaire: [url]https://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/None/2014/10/29/635502099353390108-AFP-534809569.jpg?width=2560[/url] [url]https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_2400,h_2400,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy/artlogicstorage/mbla/images/view/eac92d19c14ce83f6163965124ae5bfc80a4ef7c.jpg[/url] So that guy weighed a pound less than Louis did against Marciano? Not a ****ing chance.
Yeah, it's odd. People say Ali was in the 210 range in his comeback, loots a lot bulkier to me at least 220+ in most of those fights. Odd
Foreman at boxer was a natural 230 pounder. At 19 years old in the amateurs he weighed 226 pounds. This content is protected Lennox lewis(at 23) and riddick bowe(at 21) weighed 220 and 216 respectively. In 1988 This content is protected foreman looked much more solid and strong weighing "only" 217-224 pounds when he did cut weight because he was a natural big guy not packed of added muscle. lennox lewis was a natural long but skinny boy he was not as strong as Foreman and bowe was flabby his bone density was not even close to Foreman's