Did Larry Holmes give Ken Norton more trouble than Muhammad Ali?

Didn`t a young David Haye stamp on his toe on his way to the ring also?

 

Wtf?? Are you on drugs again Antman? Hayes wasn’t even born in 1973. Did he time travel back to the first Ali Norton fight and stamped on Ali’s toe while no one was looking? Lol

 

Yes Holmes gave Norton more trouble. Ali didn't have Larry's gas tank, and if he did it was in the 1960's.

 

I'm not impressed by that excuse, but neither am I with Holmes's excuse. That was my point. But points kind of just pass you, don't they?

 

The Ring magazine published a “Best I’ve Faced Earnie Shavers”. Shavers said the best fighter he ever fought was Larry Holmes

 

When Larry Holmes defeated Ken Norton on June 9 1978 for the WBC Heavyweight Title, by split 15 round decision, it was a classic. Holmes took the early lead with his snappy left jab and lateral movement, then Norton appeared to dominate the later part of the fight with his hard body punching, the last round determined the outcome. Holmes was younger and stronger, Norton on the decline. In the three encounters against Ali, Norton's style appeared puzzling, the last two were up to the last round to determine the outcomes. Ken made both fighters earn their victories. Too bad he and Joe Frazier never met.

 

Holmes was in his prime when he fought Norton for his one and only meeting with him. Ali was past prime for all three outings with Ken. Norton was at his pinnacle for his fights with Muhammad. He was 35 against Holmes. To answer the actual question, yes Larry looked better against Norton than Ali did in probably all three of his fights with Norton. But due to the above reasoning I don’t read much into it

 

That would go without saying given he fought a great version of Holmes and a well and truly washed up version of Ali.

 

Great post.

Firstly we have to look at Norton. He was fresh as a daisy vs Ali and a touch faded against Holmes, even if still quite good.

Holmes fought Norton in his 28th fight when coming off a probable shutout against Shavers. He'd been pro for a touch over 5 years. Ali had been pro for 13 years when he fought Norton the second time and had 43 fights under his belt. Even taking off 3 years of exile that's a long time and he would have lost something in that 3 years even if not fighting.

Ali at the 28 fight mark was at his absolute peak (of what we saw due to exile) whooping Terrell. He had one more fight before exile. This was the greatest of Ali. At the 5 year mark he had bested Liston twice.

The joy of youth was gone by the time Ali fought Norton. He was still great and beat Frazier and Foreman just after but he didn't have the legs of his youth any more and Norton was one guy he needed them against to win clearly. He would have beaten Norton comfortably pre-exile with youth and movement on his side.

 

He did. Stronger jab and younger in age.

 

Norton had trouble getting started against Holmes, esp. cuz of Holmes' jab, and Norton didn't start to win rounds consistently until the 10th round. On the other hand, Norton was often outjabbing Ali and hurt him often in all three fights. Holmes was hurt a few times himself, but only within the last few rounds of the fight.

 

Norton beat holmes,he was robbed

 

Different era like a very talented poster said. No excuses, but Larry Holmes was young, strong and very talented. Muhammad Ali fought Ken Norton twice in 1973, then in 1976. Ali was far from his peak 1960's form as champion. Then too, Ken Norton struggled a bit against Jimmy Young on Nov 5 1977. Both situations are in a way similar, but Larry showed heart, the evening of June 9 1978 in winning the WBC title from Ken.

 

Maybe Norton was more motivated to fight Ali than Holmes. Just throwing that out. By the time he fought Holmes, he’d had the 1976 loss to Ali which had to be pretty devastating. It would be hard to get up for anyone with that same focus after that. Norton had a pretty tough fight against Jimmy Young to win the title.

Holmes did better against quite a few Ali opponents. He was near peak when he fought Leon Spinks, Shavers, & Evangelista.

 

He did not need to be born in 1973, Mark postulated that Haye traveled back in time.
More seriously...You seem to not realize that he was making a funny.