1970s Elites records against each other

As you know,I love Ali too. I agree that Norton deserved the nod in their third one,although I maintain it's ridiculous to hear some calling it a robbery. I've always thought that Muhammad rightly got the nod over Shavers. Still,as you say,his legacy was assured after Manila. What do you think about the second Ali-Norton fight ? No matter how many times I watch it,i score it 7-5 to Ali.

 

But wasn't Bugner well past his prime then? I thought Bugner's prime was 1973 to 1977. No?

 

I completely agree with you. It frustrates me to see how many fans hold Ali's post-Manila performances against him, as if those fights are measures of his true potential.

 

It was indeed. Even so,even a past prime Bugner should have beaten Marvis Frazier.

 

The decision in Ali-Norton III certainly wasn't a "robbery", it was too close to call it such. I thought Shavers beat Ali in '77 by a very slight margin, because of his effective power-punching aggression & i despised the highly negative spoiling tactics of Shot Ali. I agree with your scoring of Ali-Norton II, Muhammad looked absolutely beautiful in his performance that night, at a super agile & supremely conditioned 212lbs, this was the closest he ever got Post-Exile to his ('65 Patterson to '67 Folley) Peak, which is impressive considering his unfortunate Exile stole from him his Physical Prime. Indeed, Ali looked fantastic in Frazier II aswell, also weighing a ripped 212lbs, but i thought he looked slightly sharper, like a cut-throat razor in Norton II. :bbb

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that 86-87 run was good! joe bugner managed to land fights (and win them!) that any other contender could have got a world title shot from. david bey, quick tillis and greg page were gate keepers then. pinklon thomas and tony tubbs were geting title shots out of beating people like william hosea, danny sutton, wimpy halstead and eddie gonzales!

 

He was ripped indeed ! Imagine the likes of Spinks or Evangelista facing THAT Ali.

 

Agreed. Bugner did look bad that day.