Did Larry Holmes give Ken Norton more trouble than Muhammad Ali?

Yes, Larry did better against Norton than Ali did,,,but it was an older Norton. A few years younger and Ken actually might have beaten him.

 

Different times mark imo. Ali was experienced and still good enough to beat Foreman, just after he beat Kenny. Tho of course it was close. By the time Ken faced Holmes, even tho he took Larry to a split decision, his best days were behind him. He was also facing a slightly injured Holmes, I believe it was a torn bicep?. But anyway way I see it, he fought like hell against Holmes because he was, in his mind and at least the WBC s, the heavyweight champ of the world, he had pride in that fight and he didn't want to be shafted by the judges again.
But he'd have always given both guys trouble, a matter of style s in this case.

 

Holmes fought injured too. Let's not forget.

 

I actually don't agree that Holmes did much better than Ali did in the rubber. I had Holmes just shading the fight with Norton and Norton just shading Ali in their rubber, but Norton was probably better in the rubber against Ali than he was against Holmes, and Holmes was in his prime while Ali was way past his.

 

Ali had similar excuses for the first and second fight.

 

Say what? Ali didn't have an excuse in the first fight, a broken jaw would and should cause most fights to be stopped and it speaks to his courage as a fighter to have lasted the route and the second though close was for me watching it live a clear Ali win. Excuses weren't needed for either fight.

 

You can make a case Norton won both of those fights.
As far as the question I would say Larry Holmes hit Ken Norton with more clean punches and harder punches than Ali did he did in any fights. At the same time Norton got more shots in cause they went toe to toe more

 

So yes Holmes gave Kenny more trouble. He wasnt able to nullify Larry's jab like he did Ali's.

 

No, his excuse was a sprained ankle before the fight. And a cold as well, I think.

 

no.

just a tough style match for Norton. And vice versa as far as that goes. Holmes does mot absorb body punishment to anywhere near the degree Muhammad Ali does. The result is that Kenny's attack will slow down the mobility of Larry. Then, it turns into a back and forth fight. If Holmes had a left hook, the Norton effectiveness would be reduced a ton.

 

Holmes' jab was both more accurate and heavier than Ali's was in any of the latter's Norton fights. And that was even considering Larry had a torn left bicep! Larry's hands were also overall quicker.

The Larry Holmes who beat Shavers I and Norton was still a bit of an Ali-disciple...and by that I mean a disciple of the mid-60s, supernaturally great Ali. Though he wasn't quite on that level (nobody was or is) he fought not unlike that guy, but with the aforementioned heavier jab (Larry's jab was more accurate than the 70s, not the 60s Ali). On the downside, Larry also had a lesser left hook and slower feet than the 60s Ali.