Ken Norton: What if?...

Just yesterday I received a great revelation, when it comes to fantasy fights: what if Ken Norton didn't have the freeze-up against the big punchers. He would've knocked out Garcia and never had the rematch. But how would the fights with Foreman, Shavers, and Cooney be different?

 

Loses to Foreman and he was already on the downside when he fought Cooney and Shavers anyway.

 

but does he give Foreman a tough fight? I still think he had enough left to beat Shavers. I think he would definitely lose to Cooney, but I think it might take a few rounds.

 

No way, what the hell could he do differernt v Foreman? He didn`t have the chin to stay in their and Foreman kept cutting the ring off with his arms out stretched pushing the shots away, complete dominance.

 

I used to think that he froze against those guys but I don't think that any more. Against Shavers he fought a stupid fight; it was obvious that he was trying to cover up and let Shavers punch himself out. He got caught because he didn't know how to fight that way. I would really like to know if Bill Slayton was in on it or if Norton improvised.
Against Cooney he got caught by a bigger, stronger ,faster, younger guy that started fast.

 

Norton did have a fair chin. He never hit deck vs. Ali and Holmes, and before you say they weren't big punchers, it's true. But Ali put Foreman on the deck, so.... Norton also took a going over vs. Quarry, who was a big puncher, and he stopped Quarry, I think Norton could make it pretty competitive for a while.

 

he was washed up vs. Cooney, it's easy to see after about...20 seconds

 

I think sometimes can Nortons chinniness is overstated. I came across the article below which I found interesting in the prior to getting the third Ali fight he stated his willingness to face Foreman again.


https://www.ringtv.com/599351-from-the-archive-ken-norton-discusses-muhammad-ali-george-foreman-and-joe-frazier/

 

You saw the effects of the few punches Foreman hit Norton with, how the hell was he going to take that?

 

despite the freeze-up, I think Foreman-Norton II in '76 would have been a good one.

 

Norton would have been eager to erase everyone's memories of the Caracas Caper. In addition to that, since then, Muhammad Ali and Ron Lyle had exposed many of Foreman's vulnerabilities, that would probably have motivated Norton as well.

 

I think a prime Norton would've beaten Cooney and Shavers.

 

So... What? Foreman had a much better Chin than Norton, George was tired it had nothing to do with his chin

 

So... What? Foreman had a much better Chin than Norton, George was tired it had nothing to do with his chin

 

I can't see it mate ,and believe me that i would like