Is Ken Norton a Top 20 ATG Heavyweight?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by ironchamp, Jan 21, 2011.


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  1. ironchamp

    ironchamp Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Wlad yes, Vitaly no.

    It's funny because without the layoff Vitaly could have and should have been ranked above Bowe but Bowe has the edge here in terms of resume.
     
    ironchamp, Jan 21, 2011
    ironchamp, Jan 21, 2011
    #16
  2. Curtis Lowe

    Curtis Lowe Boxing Addict Full Member

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    A little off the subject, but I am somewhat surprised as to why Harry Wills is rated so high by some.
     
    Curtis Lowe, Jan 21, 2011
    Curtis Lowe, Jan 21, 2011
    #17
  3. Curtis Lowe

    Curtis Lowe Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Anyway, back to the subject. I would rate Norton somewhere around 30ish. He was past his prime vs Shavers (though I don't think it would have made any difference), Cooney, Cobb. Yet I doubt he would have beaten a prime Quarry, say the Quarry vs Lyle or Spencer.
     
    Curtis Lowe, Jan 21, 2011
    Curtis Lowe, Jan 21, 2011
    #18
  4. Vic-JofreBRASIL

    Vic-JofreBRASIL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    No
    Top 25 or Top 30 for me.....
     
    Vic-JofreBRASIL, Jan 21, 2011
    Vic-JofreBRASIL, Jan 21, 2011
    #19
  5. MRBILL

    MRBILL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Boozer,

    'Tis a very good list there, but I can figure on 33 of them dude's getting beat by Vitali Klitschko...
    :deal

    MR.BILL:hat
     
    MRBILL, Jan 21, 2011
    MRBILL, Jan 21, 2011
    #20
  6. cuchulain

    cuchulain Loyal Member Full Member

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    I rank him top twenty, just.

    (I only include fighters from Joe Louis on, so a pair of Jacks might edge him out of that list.)

    His win over my Number 1, counts for a lot. As well as his two close bouts with same.

    Only Frazier has as good a victory in the division.
     
    cuchulain, Jan 21, 2011
    cuchulain, Jan 21, 2011
    #21
  7. asero

    asero Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    No, he just get bumped by the Klits
     
    asero, Jan 21, 2011
    asero, Jan 21, 2011
    #22
  8. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    He's not in my top 30. And if all Ali did was in the 1970's, ie the Ali that Norton beat... he doesn't make my top 15 either.
     
    Seamus, Jan 21, 2011
    Seamus, Jan 21, 2011
    #23
  9. anut

    anut Boxing Addict banned

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    top 20 easily
     
    anut, Jan 21, 2011
    anut, Jan 21, 2011
    #24
  10. anut

    anut Boxing Addict banned

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    bowe should not be on that list
     
    anut, Jan 21, 2011
    anut, Jan 21, 2011
    #25
  11. Vince Voltage

    Vince Voltage Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Norton is the perfect, and in my opinion sad, example of how bad decisions affect a fighter's legacy. Had Norton been given the verdict in one more of the Ali fights, which I feel he definitely deserved, he'd be in Everybody's Top 20, and probably much higher. I feel he got gypped, due to Ali's popularity. Norton's KO losses were resounding and indefensible, but in my opinion his actual record was better than the official one of 43-7-1. Myself, I have him at 46-5, which is a pretty damn good record.
     
    Vince Voltage, Jan 21, 2011
    Vince Voltage, Jan 21, 2011
    #26
  12. joebeadg

    joebeadg Well-Known Member Full Member

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    I like Norton, good fighter, but really, who'd he ever really beat? Up till ali, beat nobodies with bad records, and lost to Garcia, after ali, he beat kirkman, Quarry, Garcia, Middleton (good record, but who'd he ever beat), Bobick )OK win), Young (NOT!) , and somehow manage to beat Cobb. Top 20, I don't think so, good, solid fighter, hell yea!
     
    joebeadg, Jan 21, 2011
    joebeadg, Jan 21, 2011
    #27
  13. cuchulain

    cuchulain Loyal Member Full Member

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    Frazier (twice) Foreman, Quarry, Lyle, Young and a few other decent wins in the seventies wouldn't have put him in the top 15 ?
     
    cuchulain, Jan 22, 2011
    cuchulain, Jan 22, 2011
    #28
  14. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    You could be right, but Heavyweight boxing is not the same as it was in Norton's time. Since Lewis' retirement, something just does not sit well with me.

    The Klitschko's seem like nice affable fellas, they keep their noses clean, and they have done what is needed to pretty much stitch up the division between them.

    But there is something missing. Maybe its the fact they are (rightly) never going to fight each other, maybe it is they are too clean and sterile, I do not know.

    Like I said previously, maybe in the years to come, they will grow on me.
     
    TBooze, Jan 22, 2011
    TBooze, Jan 22, 2011
    #29
  15. junior-soprano

    junior-soprano Active Member Full Member

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    i think a case can be made for norton over patterson...
    has floyd a better resume in terms of quality of opponents ?????
    would norton won of all the guys floyd did ? yes i think so. would norton loose to ingo ?? nah don't think so..
    norton had the bad luck of being prime in the 70ties. with ali, frazier, holmes and foreman around....4 of the top 10 hw.
     
    junior-soprano, Jan 22, 2011
    junior-soprano, Jan 22, 2011
    #30
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