Just Rewatched Quarry-Norton

It's been a while since I've seen the fight, but as I recall, it was Cooney's less-heralded right hand—not his left—that stunned Norton and started the unraveling. That moment always stuck with me because it highlighted (imo) just how much Norton had declined.

 

You’re likely right. Easy to forget the exact set up having not watched that fight for a long time - not too thrilled about seeing Kenny get teed off on like that more than I have to.

 

Bwahahahah!! My man Kenny was such a pimp.

IIRC there is a story about Ali and Ken chilling in a lounge and Ali feeling flattered for all the foxy ladies around and then getting upset when realized the ladies were actually going for Norton while ignoring him.

 

Sure everybody was doing drugs in the 70s.

But drugs were doing Quarry.

 

What im referring to came from Quarry's Bio. A very solid book IMO. No need to jump so hard

 

I got the info from that book. I definitely recommend it. Wasn't the biggest fan but I still respect the man. He was a very good fighter. Tough as h...

 

Speaking of boxer’s naughty wives…

Looking to make good on her husband’s own “promise” before the fight, post fight, Mrs Wepner keenly enquired of Chuck as to whether Ali was coming to her hotel room for the “pre-arranged” sleep over or her to his.

Poor old Chuck, as if he hadn’t already taken enough of a beating for one day.

 

Quarry took it on short notice wasn’t he a sub for Bonavena? He had a fight one month before it but was heavy 209 1/2 for that when he beat a journeyman.
Norton was all muscle and Quarry at 207 looked a little blubbery and a tad slow.
He beat Foster Lyle and Shavers and thought Norton was similar but he was faster and more experienced than those guys. With the slowness he was catching a lot of shots flush and one symptom then if you have thin skin is you get cut. A Quarry in top shape like versus Lyle or Shavers would have made it a closer fight but Norton would have had even more maybe 16 17 lbs advantage and he knew how to fight Quarry unlike those other guys who Quarry caught when they were still green.

 

Aside from being much younger and likely more acutely conditioned, Quarry really took on a pear shape later on - kinda like Larry Holmes when he went any degrees north of his prime, svelte weight of 211 lbs.

I know, a body beautiful doesn’t necessarily make for a good to great fighter, nor does a not so impressive physique preclude one from being a good to great fighter.

Just say’n’, that’s all.

 

Is it just me, or did Holmes have to be in the absolute best shape of his life just to avoid looking pear-shaped? It honestly seems like that was his natural build.

 

I agree. Seemed like just a few ounces separated Larry from appearing straight up and down as opposed to being instantly shaped like the aforementioned fruit. Lol.