No,I have n't got my chronology mixed up ! In Muhammad Ali's first autobiography,The Greatest,written with Richard Durham,he relates an episode that took place in Caracas just before the Foreman-Norton fight. On the proviso of a Norton upset,any agreement for Muhammad to fight George would have been scrapped. Instead,Ali would challenge Norton in Zaire. Now as the story goes,Muhammad rushed to Norton's hotel to,inform him of this mega-bucks bout that would take. By the time Ali arrived Ken had already left for the stadium. Ali's view were that if Ken had got word of this development he'd have managed to pull off a victory. Whether Muhammad's words would have had the desired effect,I have serious doubts,but suppose it had happened ! Norton as defending champion,having beaten indestructible Foreman would have been the slight favourite to win the rubber match. How would it have gone ? I figure that it would have been a virtual carbon copy of their second fight,albeit a fifteen rounder. An extremely close one with Ali pulling it out in the last stanza to ensure victory.
Norton could have won a third one with Ali or lost it -- there wasn't all that much between the two, although I would actually place my bets on Kenny to win in the situation you describe -- Norton coming in as champion, coming off a Foreman win. Problem is, Norton could fight Foreman ten times, and he'd lose all six. He's not someone that evades, he's a blocker and a shielder, and you can't protect against a ten-ton-hammer. Edit: Six, ten? *gets out abbacus* not sure how that happened
I agree. In reality,Norton would never beat Foreman,for precisely the reason you state. It's just that re-reading that piece from Muhammad's autobiography put me in a surreal frame of mind !
Ali was not in good shape for the 1st Norton fight, and was apperently suffering bursitis of the knuckles in fight 2 period, which led him to often flick with punches, but for foreman in Zaire Ali's Hands were much improved and he wasa able to hit harder, i think Norton would have noticed this, Also Norton was a sensitive person, i do not know if he would of coped well with the pressure of being the "Other Party" in this "Ali's return to his African Roots" extravaganza ?? with the whole nation rooting for Ali and yelling "Ali Bomaye" ?? Ali when Ali fought Norton the 3rd time he had been through that Hellish night with Frazier in Manila - Ali would not be carry that Wear and Tear into a Zaire battle with Norton, a much fresher Ali would await him. Small Points but i think thay could be enough to tip the balance Ali's way for another close - but clear decision.
As much as a hate to admit it, Norton wins this one. The slow canvas, small ring, heat and humidity is all in Norton favour, as is the 15 round limit. A million screaming Zaireans won't be enough for Ali here. He looses a split decision.
I think so too, Ali won the 2nd fight vs Norton, good decision for once in a hard to score fight & I think he was even sharper in Zaire, Ali was always a great champ rds fighter & I agree this is where he splits himself from Norton.
My man Norton would win. He had the syle, the smarts and the skills to defeat Ali. Kenny was Ali's Kryptonite There was a reason why Ali said that he was not fighting him anymore after the third bout
The point is rather moot, as Norton was not going to beat Foreman. And it didn't matter what the motivation was.
I liked Kenny and he was smart, but maybe not quite enough where Ali was concerned. In the fifteenth of their last go with the bout on the line he threw one punch, a missed jab in the first minute, four punches, two missing in the second minute, and only opened up with several telling blows in the last thirty seconds virtually giving away the round and the bout. He wasn't kryptonite to Ali as he came out on the losing end of their last two bouts, but did have the style and strength to all but make it even with him.
