Tommy Morrison vs Ken Norton

Only the truly desperate would celebrate Tommy beating a 45 year old 260 pound opponent in a track meet. Pray tell why Morrison was never able to replicate that masterful display of footwork before or after George? Were the assisted living centers not returning his calls?

And for reference to Tommy's blip in the ratings, Wlad appeared in the Ring Annual heavyweight ratings 17 times, 13 times as either champion or #1 contender.

 

Morrison for me is around the level of guys like Savarese, Stewart, Hide, etc. Do people have those guys beating Norton because I don't recall hearing anyone ever argue for those guys over Norton.

 

Morrison KO.

 

Hell, I'm gonna go against the tide and say Tommy comes out fast, like he did against Mercer, and stops Ken quickly...Kenny needed time to get into fights, to settle into his strange rhythm, and he needed a dance partner that would allow him to do so. It's no coincidence that his stand out performances came against very skillfull fighters who did not possess explosive, fight ending power. Ken's style was almost an unorthodox, attritional stubbornness but he'd not have time to be stubborn against Morrison.

Is Norton a better boxer than Tommy? Absolutely. But styles make fights and I think Tommy's ignorant belief in his own ability to beat any man in a firefight is a factor here...

 

Because despite the gap in pedigree Norton had a chin made of china everytime he faced a big puncher and Morrison started out faster. I would make Kenny the favorite because he's better and Tommy also had a fragile jaw. But Morrison hits harder and has feats of recovery unlike Norton

 

That's the issue Markus and I don't understand why people are not understanding this.

No one is denying that Norton is higher rated than Morrison but the fact is Norton has never recovered from being badly hurt in a fight.

Once Norton is badly hurt he stays that way.

Cooney is no real different to Morrison a white Heavyweight who was hyped up with a big left hook and he dismantled Norton.

Morrison is a 220+ pound power puncher who is a faster starter and that's a dangerous opponent for Norton. Who never historically did good against big punchers and he also has poor recovery abilities.

But this poster just wants to wafflle on about nonsense how Cobb apparently hits as hard as Morrison that's why I didn't bother wasting my time anymore.

Anyone can see Morrison hits harder than Cobb with single punches especially with the left hook. Morrison is also more explosive and a much better combination puncher.

 

If Norton truly had a 'china' chin, great versions of Ali or Holmes would have knocked him down at least once in those 54 rounds he fought with them. They weren't great punchers but they were sharp punchers, solid accurate.

Morrison is his prime was knocked down 2 times by washed-up Carl Williams, knocked down 3 times in round 1 and stopped by Michael Bentt, brutally stopped by Ray Mercer. None of whom were known as really great punchers either.

 

Norton catches Morrison with a looping right in the first round and floors him, the latter becomes a punching bag until the ref stops it.

 

Yes, he starts getting ineffectual, fighting backwards and just plain appearing desperate.

 

I love both here but Ken Norton prime is a another level here he will counter Morrison probably in the first or second rounds pretty badly. And then he will stop him probably in rounds 4-5.

You can make the fight all the times Norton will win more than 98% of the times.

 

98% of the times ?

Absolutely not.

If Morrison and Norton fought each other 10 times.

Morrison wins 7

Norton wins 3

Norton is not surviving that early onslaught from the opening bell.

 

Truth be told if so many people are confident that Norton would get smashed by someone like Morrison then he simply isn't an elite fighter regardless of his chin. Makes you wonder how Ali and Holmes couldn't even drop him. They're punching power might be grossly exaggerated

 

Ken Norton is indeed an Elite fighter.

Just certain fights are bad stylistic matchups for him.

Similar to how Norton was a bad stylistic matchup for Holmes and Ali and they both badly struggled with him.

 

I wouldn't rate Morrison as world class though. Elite fighters should beat journeyman regardless of stylistic matchup

 

Morrison might not be world level but his resume reflects that of a dangerous fringe contender, he didn't knock out any big names but many opponents testified about his punching power including Mercer