Norton’s best years were probably from 1973 to 1978. Let’s move that five year stretch from 1950 to 1955. Rules and training methods weren’t drastically different so he might be able to come pretty close to replicating the kind of career he had in the 70’s. How does he do ?
I agree. I got 1959 to 1963 Liston by KO but everyone else up to that time can’t beat Norton. No one is good and/or big and strong enough.
He may make it to the top 10 beating some, but he would lose to the elite of the division. He could lose to Walcott, Charles (pinpoint punchers) and possibly others. Ken put on a lot of his muscle with weights and he had an impressive physical look, but he had trouble backing up. I heard Frazier knocked him out a few times in sparring when he forgot to hold back and Norton got KO'd by Jose Luis Garcia who weighed 188 lbs. He was also KO'd in 1 rd. by Earnie Shavers who was not much bigger than the 1950-1955 heavyweight division. Norton gave Ali good fights and Holmes but lost to any healthy puncher he fought. I could see him losing to a Bob Satterfield (because of Bob's do or die style, power and pressure) Norton was very good in his era but would not be great in any.
You make some valid points. But using the example of the hardest puncher of all time and when Norton was 36 years old probably doesn’t apply too well given the proposed environment and the parameters of the thread . And the Jose Garcia fight happened when he was a 16 fight prospect and due to poorly developed stamina.
I think the point I wanted to emphasize is that Norton lost to the big punchers he fought because he could not fight going backwards. Nortons record at the time was 45-5-0 but Shavers was 57-7-1 - Norton was a year older but both guys had some milage. Also, Shavers was 6' and typically fought between 200 and 210 so not a giant like Foreman and Cooney who also KO'd Norton. Bob Satterfield was smaller at 5"10 and 180ish and he beat many of the big men of the 50's - 6'3 Cleveland "Big Cat "Williams KO3- 6'2 Bob Baker KO1 and he dominated Nino Valdes UD and dropped Nino for a 9 count in the last round, but he lost to the skilled heavyweights like Charles and Moore among others. I remember when Shavers showcased at MSG in NY, I had ringside seats for his explosive 1st round ko over Jimmy Ellis after getting rocked by an Ellis right hand. 6 months later he fought Quarry in MSG, and I sat ringside and Shavers traded with a still alive Quarry and Quarry took his bombs and KO'd Shavers in 1. As you know it's hard to compare era's but if we had to speculate we would also have to bring a fighter's strengths and weaknesses with them in imaginary travel. All fun - hard to believe most of them are gone.
