Ken Norton in today's HW scene

Later, he might have been ranked, he was unranked at the time he beat Norton.

 

I'd doubt he was ranked by The Ring, he never beat anyone. If at all it would be 9 or 10. I even doubt that.

 

1970 #10
1971 #8
1972 #10

 

That's in The Ring?

 

Actually tennis has been dominated by the white American male for quiet a few decades, Connors, McEnroe, Sampras, Agassi etc

 

Boxrec Encyclopedia lists "RING annual ratings", which are really just the monthly ratings taken as of end of each year, and Garcia appears in there in a few of the years, probably after he beat Norton, probably BECAUSE he beat Norton.

Check out some of the names that get into the RING heavyweight ratings in the 70s. Some pretty poor fighters listed. But RING was corrupt, and probably still is. And the 70s is not as deep an era as is made out to be. (I'm chganging my mind of the 60s too, some lacklustre HWS in there too.)

I never liked RING magazine ratings much. They are over-rated. They do get some things right though, and better than the alphabet organizations, and better than UK-based BOXING MONTHLY.
The best thing the RING ever tried was when they went back to just 8 weight divisions in 1987, and lumped "juinor" fighters with the higher division. I liked that, even though I didn't agree with the particular order or ommissions, and I think they'd stopped polling people by then (which is always kind of "fair"). I suppose the idea was doomed to failure. But RING changed after that anyway.

 

Norton would be brutally ko'd by Wlad, maybe in 2 or 3. It would be a tossup as to how he would fare against the "twin" Russians, Chagaev, and Ibragimov, with their clever, supercautious styles, but he may have prevailed as he did (I think he did) against Jimmy Young. Guys like Briggs, who although he has power, wouldn't have the "stuff" to beat Norton, so a decision win for Norton would probably be the result. Maskaev, after doing well at first, would get figured out by Norton, but there would exist that possibility that the Russian could land a bomb on him like the one he hit Rahman with. I'd still pick Norton by decision, maybe with a knockdown at one point to seal it. Valuev would be very awkward for Norton, and he would have to struggle with the giant on the way to a decision. Guys like Rahman would be easy for Norton, again, however by decision. David Tua, at least the version of a few years ago when he demolished Michael Moorer would be a calamity for Norton, a 1 round blowout for Tua. Going back a few years ago, Kenny would have feasted on "Byrd" meat, with a wide decision victory. John Ruiz would have had a chance to beat Norton, with his shapeless, ungainly "non-style", and it would have been a painfully dreadful bout to see.

 

Shavers could overwhelm Norton but Peter could'nt :roll: .

 

Duane Bobick had a repuation for being a ferocious hitter, a big strong white boy being brought along like Cooney, an Olympian.
Many picked him to beat Norton.

If Norton "froze" there it didn't seem apparent. He knocked Bobick out in a matter of seconds.

 

Some of the guys being picked to beat Norton on this thread are no more proven against big hitters than he is.

Chagaev fought guys like Valuev, Ruiz and Skelton, and beats them ON POINTS. That doesn't prove much when Norton's being marked down for losing to Foreman and Shavers.

Sam Peter hasn't proved he has the finishing skills or athleticism to take advantage of a "frozen" Norton, has he ?
Earnie Shavers was actually quicker and more athletic than Peter, although just as crude, and considered more vulnerable too so Norton actually tried blasting him and ended up trading with him (another fight where he doesn't LOOK "frozen" to me, but if Eddie Futch said so .....)
(Watching Norton-Shavers I get the impression that on another night the result would be the exact reverse, but Shavers got the big one in first. But again, if Eddie Futch said so ....)

It seems as if the modern fighters are being given the benefit of the doubt here.

It's fair to say "70s heavyweights are overrated", but some of today's fighters haven't proved they are much better than "ordinary", to be honest.
And that goes for all the belt-holders, except for Wlad, who is very good but has nonetheless proved vulnerable.

 

Quarry has some underrated power too imo.