Are Patterson and Norton ATG fighters?

As far as greatest champions at least, Patterson fits the bill.

 

As others have said, a lot depends on your definition of what an all time great is. For me I would include Floyd Patterson and list Ken Norton as borderline, so I would not argue with anybody who holds Norton on either side of that border line. Very good arguments can be made either way with Ken.

 

Patterson did do something that Jim Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, James J Jeffries, Jack Dempsey, Max Schemling, Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott all failed to do.

 

For me, it does have place, although it's not the most important factor.

 

Yes, for you, but for reasons I have explained, it shouldn't. To simplify the thought...it makes it completely impossible to compare eras due to evolutionary progression.

 

Patterson yes. Norton? For many, no. For me? Yes, but not in the traditional sense. Norton is an important figure in the history of the HW division. He has one of the best HW fights ever against Holmes. He beat Ali (not prime but still a nice win) and I think at his peak form he is an interesting puzzle to solve for many top fighters of any generation. He is a key part of Ali's legacy in the back stretch of his great times. I don't buy that he just gets bombed out by anyone with power. I do think the Foreman fight changed him.

 

Excellent post.

I think I should take lessons in succinctness from you. I've written posts containing multiple paragraphs attempting to explain what you have in the final 12 words of this post, without what I wrote being any more effective than those 12 words at doing so.

 

Well thank you.