Ingemar Johansen vs Ken Norton

Look at some of Ingo's kayo victims, Henry Cooper, 1956, Eddie Machen, 1958, and of course Floyd Patterson, in 1959. Ingemar Johansson's Bingo was no joke. Although Gerry Cooney did kayo Ken Norton, it was at the end of Ken's career. But true, Norton could be tagged with the right hand. Jose Luis Garcia did it in 1970, as well as George Foreman, in 1974. Ingo catches Norton with his right hand in round 5, Ken takes the full 10 count. Ingo did have some movement.

 

The danger in this fight for Norton would be paramount and ever present. Ingo's delivery system was much more efficient than Shavers or Cooney's....even Foreman's, for that matter. But only with that right...the "Bingo"...

 

the other thing that Ingemar had was Al Salvani in the corner. I think that is a big factor. He'd have Norton's oddball style figured out.

A spitbucket holder would be very confused with that style. And I sure do not see Ingo liking or absorbing that body attack from this guy. He'd have to do his homework and get Kenny out of there because he just won't handle all those devastating body punches, So my take would be Ingo catches Norton and beats him to the punch when Norton makes a mistake--recall all those wide looping right hands from way out on the outside. the one's he threw to the head--his right hands to the body were much quicker and not so wide. But those head shots he threw====man I see that sneaky untelegraphed right hand beating him to the punch.

Nice matchup. Nice fight to watch too. I don't think either guy can go 3-0 in a 3 fight series. Either the Ingo right hand or that Norton conditioning is going to add up to a L.

 

Norton is bigger, quicker, better skills, better conditioned and enough power himself to alter Ingo at anytime. Norton's power would be a bigger factor considering he is the one that would be landing most of the punches.
Not saying Ingo was bad but I dont know that he can take that much from the Marine.

 

Bump.

 

Kenny is a near great. He's a tier above Ingo.

 

Ingos power was really potent. Don’t be thinking Norton is too big for Ingo to knockout. Johansson knocked out more men over 200b than he did men under 200lb ...and he was the lighter man in nearly half the fights he had. Sonny Liston and Cleveland Williams (who often had weight advantages through their careers) couldn’t budge Eddie Machen. Yet Ingo blasted Machen out in one round.

 

I can say this much for sure, I wouldn't bet a penny on the outcome of this fight, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Johansson knocked Norton out, and rather quickly. I will say, the longer this fight goes on, in general, the better Norton's chances become. I'll just pull up a seat and watch this event.

 

On the "puncher versus Norton" issue, it's likely true that Ingo had the pop to put Norton away. But I'm not so sure Ingo's chin can stand up to Norton's punches, either. Durability and power are relative things.

 

Ingo is so underrated as a boxer. He would lure his opponents into his right. That was always the game plan. Make them drop their guard. It is not like Floyd or Machen were unaware of the threat yet they could not avoid it. When Ingo beat Floyd he hardly threw his right before the ko. One of the most lethal punches ever. If he was American he would be rated way higher than he is today.

 

Ingo. Anyone saying otherwise is trying to cling to the idea Norton wasn’t a glass jawed fighter with little skill. He got by and I will say this again and again, again and again, because Ali wasn’t that hot of a boxer and Holmes shared a lot of the same flaws they simply excelled against unsophisticated fighters

 

I don’t think Norton punched all that more then most. I’d say Patterson hit plenty hard because he knew how to throw a proper punch. I think someone like Archie Moore would be a bigger threat to Ingo. Too simple for Kenny to me he’d be split like a log.

 

Ingo can blow Norton's lights out with the hammer of thor if they fight 10 times, but i believe that 6 times out of 10, Norton who is stronger, with a far longer reach (10 inches longer) and a better jab, overpowers and stops him late.

Let's not forget that Norton has quite a punch and that Ingo's chin wasn't the strongest.