Jeffries vs. Norton

Ken Norton by middle rounds stoppage.

Yes it's the consensus that Norton v a hard puncher who has him on the backfoot usually means curtains for Ken but in this case his opponent would be a very crude (by modern day standards) brawler whom,unless he gets careless,Ken would be able to time and counter accurately. The 'Boilermaker' was as strong as an ox but lacked the precision of a George Foreman or an Earnie Shavers.

 

Norton easy UD, Jefferies has overrated power and I don't think he'd be the type of fighter that norton would freeze against. Honestly I'd argue Jack Johnson hit harder than Jefferies.

 

Norton jab to the body, bowling ball right hand over the top and it wouldn’t take long to set up.

 

Again, we have no footage of Jeffries at his best. Going on what I've seen, Norton gives him a nice asswhipping and Jeffries wishes he could fight Johnson instead.

 

Hell, Jeffries would rather get into the ring with Fitzimmons, Corbett and Tom Sharkey at the same time.

 

16 of Jeffries' 19 wins were by knockout. The two draws - he dropped his foes in both. Stopped Ruhlin in the rematch. Sharkey went the distance twice but was dropped in both fights. I'd say Jeffries indeed had a punch. He was a big man who could box or attack. He also had an iron jaw. Never dropped until his comeback after 6 years without a fight, and even then it took 15 rounds in the heat to put down a shot Jeffries. This fight might be tougher for Norton to win than it would be for Jeffries.

 

I suspect that Norton would have extended his perfect record of losing to punchers.

 

Norton flays him.

Jeffries feasted on potato peelers

 

I'd really like to see better footage of Jeffries.

The Johnson fight did not flatter him. Let's be honest, Norton doesn't lose to this guy:

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Too many differences to make this match.

 

Context. Jeffries had not fought in 6 years. You are showing a shot fighter.

That's like showing footage of Joe Frazier against Jumbo Cummings or Ali against Holmes and saying, "Meh, not impressed."

Plus, Jeffries was going up against an all-time defensive wizard, which Norton was not.

 

my point ...

 

I see what you are saying. But we do have the written reports. Just because we don't have footage doesn't mean it didn't happen. We also know Jeffries KO'd in his younger years several guys against whom Johnson went the distance and even to whom Johnson lost. Johnson is an all-time great defensive master. Norton would be right there to get hit. And we know Jeffries could hit.

 

Am I remembering wrong, or did Jeffries train with a bigger than normal punching bag, because otherwise the power of his punches would have hindered his training?
Anyway, Jeffries seems to me to be the only heavyweight champion to have always knocked down every opponent in his first fight (the fight with Johnson is not a good example, Jeffries was totally out of shape), hurting practically all his opponents. He had the power and Norton suffered from the punchers.