The idea of sombody like Tony Gallento knocking out sombody like Ken Norton is truley repulsive to contemplate but it cannot be ruled out.
I'd give Galento a 25-30% chance in this one of landing a big left hook and ending it. Norton would win the other 70-75% of the time, Galento was a good puncher but not in Shavers/Foremans league to overwhelm Norton every time.
A square shot on the chin might very well do the trick, but I don't think the ods are in Galento's favor. While, he was certainly a very respectable hitter, I don't think he was anything on the level of a Foreman, Shavers or Cooney ( at least two of whom fought Norton when he was between 35-38 years of age. ) Furthermore, Norton was several inches taller than Galento - something that he wasn't against most of his conquerors, and his conditioning was on a polar opposite level to that of Galento's. Sort of like day and night if you will. The prospect of Galento getting lucky is not out of the question, but logic leads me to believe that Norton would break him down in a pummeling fight and end it via stoppage by or before the mid point of the match.
One Gallento victim who I would pick to take Norton is Lou Nova. Dont think that would be a good stylistic matchup for Keneth.
Norton batters him to a mercy stoppage. Galento will have the proverbial punchers chance- but that is all.
Incidentaly this might prove to be a key career fight for Norton back then. Norton as a dangerous black contender would have been stuck among the murder row crew. Given the large number of punchers in that particular outfit and the frequency with which they fought eachother he would likley have gotten mixed results. Gallento was one of the few name white contendrs who was willing to take on dangerous black oponents and might have represented his potential ticket to the big time.
Norton by tko, but not before he's decked by a left hook..ala Louis...this one rare time that Norton gets up from a kd to win, however, by an accumulation of punches for an 8th round tko.
After a few "Settling in" rounds by Ken, i think Ken maps Tony, he hits his rythme and the fight might start to look a bit like like Kens fight with Ron Stander, but maybe a few rounds longer, once Ken is confident a fighter can not hurt him, he semed to relax and let it all flow.
I would have to say Norton wins this one. Norton was in far better condition, was obviously more mobile, and hit reasonably hard. Galento was always dangerous because of his fine left hook, and might even send Norton to the canvas with it, but Norton would have broken Galento down over eight or nine rounds and would have got the stoppage.
