I watched Ali vs Norton 1 yesterday, and my scoring was a bit strange

I had fight one 7-4 with 1 even to Norton.

 

Recency bias definitely plays some part in scoring.

I reckon there were some issues with the scorecard mentioned in the Walcott biography, but I've read it last summer and can't recall exact details.

 

That's about in line with the average card on EyeOnTheRing (fan scoring aggregator website)/

 

He did? I didn't know that.

Sure didn't work out great for Bowe either (even though it think it was rather Futch dropping him in that case). You don't want to part ways with one of the greatest trainers that's ever lived.

 

Yes both men were at their best with each other in the second fight. Definitely the best bout of the trilogy.

 

I agree. You could say Norton entered the ring in the best condition of his life for each fight of their three bouts, and Ali really wasn't all that sharp in two of those fights, but Norton never dominated him, no matter what condition Ali was in.

It was always a round here or a round there separating the two.

His opponents always seemed to approach a fight with Ali knowing they had to be at their very best. But he didn't feel the same way about them, particularly in the 1970s. So you get a lot of fights where he wins but he doesn't seem to be putting the most effort into it.

Against Norton, Ali didn't even really want to be there. All his fights for years had been closed circuit. This was a free over-the-air fight, so Norton was selected because he wasn't supposed to be very good. Norton was a former Marine. This was taking place close to a huge Marine base. This was a very right-wing crowd. Ali had done commentary at the US Olympic Trials in 1972 at West Point, and Howard Cosell talked about how Ali didn't want to be on the grounds there at all around the very pro-war crowds. For Norton 1, he just wanted to show up, box some rounds, get a check, and leave as quickly as possible.

 

Eddie was a no-nonsense, disciplined tactical mastermind. Not only Kenny had a habit of ignoring the gameplan (second Ali fight) and making certain strategic errors (letting Muhammad off the hook in the final round of their rubber match; attempting to tire out Shavers and engaging him in pocket) but he could be stubborn as an ass. Bill Slayton had more of a.. parental approach. He knew Norton could be sulky, so he made sure Kenny thought he came up with the idea Bill wanted to implement. I don't think it was good for him.

Even if one disagrees with that assesment, having the genius of Futch in your corner is undeniably helpful, and Kenny himself said he would be ¬25% more of a fighter had he not parted with Eddie.

I think it was Slayton and the rest of Kenny's corner that told him he has the third Ali fight in the bag and he can take his foot off the gas, so there's that.

 

Futch promised Durham that after his death, he would take care of Joe Frazier, being his manager and all. Yank died in August '73, after Ali-Norton II.

Kenny had no issue with Ed being a manger to Frazier, but his business advisors thought otherwise and convinced him to part ways with Futch.

Norton considered it one of the greatest mistakes of his professional career.

 

Kind of like DLH's cornerman telling him he could take his foot off the gas against Trinidad.

 

That still upsets me to this day because I had the fight coming down to the last round and I really thought Norton had more than enough to win the round had he not been given such useless advice by his corner.

I just rewatched the second fight though and I don't see Norton doing anything different to his usual style. He certainly wasn't trying to emulate Frazier imo.

 

I think Ali was flat for this fight. He’d really been grinding away since the Frazier fight & he had to be tired of waiting for a title shot. Norton always gives him a tough fight though.

 

The thing is, if one interpreted the first fight as a clear UD for Norton, and the second fight as a very close decision to Ali, looking at the change in variables in both fights, the difference in the outcomes would seem proportionally correct -

I’ve read/heard Norton state he won the first fight, the second fight could’ve gone either way and that he won the 3rd fight.

Swag has previously produced evidence of Norton contradicting himself in regards to his (above) interpretation of all 3 fights - I think it was sourced from Ken’s bio - Going the Distance.

Personally, of Norton’s multiple “takes” on the trilogy, I agree with the interpretation in which he stated that he def. won fights 1 and 3.

 

He said he'd like to be remembered as someone who had three competitive fights with Muhammad Ali. He also said Ali was the best he's been around. It's important to note he genuinely liked Ali as did most of his former opponents.

 

Sure, the positive relationship between Ali and Norton is well known - but it doesn’t detract from or impugn Norton’s true opinions on the trilogy and let’s no forget - Norton was a top shelf guy himself.

 

As for the rubber, every time I've scored it I've had it even after 14 rds but go back and forth on who won the 15th.