Ken Norton versus Joe Frazier

Norton is funny. If you look at him with guys who have a punch but aren't elite punchers, Ali and Holmes, he looks to have a very solid beard with some of the shots he took. But, his chin's just got a limit. It doesn't take huge brute strength punchers. However, Joe's what I would call an 8-puncher. Like a Hagler. He is a puncher, but he misses the cut on being a legit 9 or 10 of 10 type like the biggest raw power of his division-the Foremans, Listons, Shavers'. He can punch at eight, but he can do it all night long, while in your face. Just as dangerous, in its way, I feel.

I don't know what Kenny could take from Frazier's left hook. But, I know he'd be taking it. Norton knows the way forward, steadily encroaching on a guy and digging him up. Frazier is a mostly forward fighter. Look how well both matched up with Ali, and how poorly they both matched up with Foreman. All a matter of sticking in forward motion with their styles. Neither guy wants to really go forward on someone as strong as the other, oddly. They're both matching up their vulnerabilities in a way. And I think Joe's vulnerabilities are just less vulnerable.

But, I remember (well, I think I do) Frazier taking a bit of a strange approach with a seeming no-hoper in Stander. Like he thought "Okay, Stander's stronger, let me let him push on me." Something I don't remember from him off-hand elsewhere. And he tore him up anyway. He might try to let Norton be the stronger man here, being naturally quite a bit bigger and more athletically strong and let being/having, to me, a better puncher, more overall skill, faster of hand, more durable, far, far better recuperative ability, and having defensive movement that Norton never had, speak the loudest and win regardless of who's pushing forward in the most pronounced way.

I think it would all likely end in Norton being stopped. Likely, but I'm not that certain, because while he was a puncher, he wasn't a Foreman or Shavers puncher. I always felt relatively certain he'd have won, but not certain at all how it would play out to that victory. Regardless, it didn't come off as the only match between the big four not to, because they were friends and didn't have to. It was never the big thing that was called for. Or, at least never for long, if it was.

 

Norton would do real well but I see no other outcome other than a late TKO for joe.

 

I think Prime 68-69 Frazier would stop him around 6-8 or so. Now if we are talking about a realistic possibility in their careers type of fight Frazier of 73-74 would have a difficult time w/ Norton although I would likely still take Frazier by a late stoppage or close decision.

 

Norton had great longevity. Damn.:bbb

 

Frazier by mid-rounds stoppage.

Frazier isn't ending this with one punch, but after plenty of body work and some clean hooks up top, Norton will be looking for a place to sit down.

I envision the overall action to look like the Frazier-Ellis fight, where Ellis has some success early, stinging Frazier, but all of a sudden the roof caves in before he realizes what's been happening the whole time. (don't get all crazy- I'm not saying the styles of Ellis and Norton are the same; just their overall success and how the fight plays out)

 

"Smokin" Joe Frazier by a late rounds knockout in an all out unforgettable classic! Ken Norton's style was dseigned to give Muhammad Ali the problems it did in all three of their epic battles, especially the first and third encounters, but it wasn't neccessarily created to give Frazier in comparison the same exact problems. In fact just as George Foreman was all wrong for Frazier's style and Norton's style of fighting was all but plenty frustrating to Ali's, Norton's crablike defensive technique on the contrary was a style that would've just about played well into Frazier's up and under bodywork technique style of fighting, which was all but electrifying.

"Smokin" Joe Frazier by 13th round knockout over Ken Norton!

 

I don't see this as competitive. All Smoking Joe. Frazier will be the guy backing him up. Kenny's footwork is horrible when he backs up and that cross armed defense is wide open for left hooks. Norton will not be able to stand his ground against this guy and he'll go out in brutal fashion.

 

TKO round 7-9 i'd say...

 

Unfortunately,I disagree that it would have been a great fight. Just as George Foreman was a terrible match up for both of these men,Joe would have been so for Ken. Norton may well have taken the first couple of rounds,but once Joe hits his stride,it would only have been a matter of time. Frazier's body shots,in particular,would have stopped Ken in his tracks and culminated in wearing him down.


Frazier by middle rounds stoppage. Mind you,had the fight taken place after Manilla,I would actually make Ken the favourite. Joe was shot to bits after that fight.

 

That Sideways Crab Stance, and Cross arms defense will usually give "Retreating Boxers" fits, - but it takes on a somewhat Swiss-Cheese appearance when someone "Ïnspects" it up close and Personal. particularly when forced onto the back stanchion, and if kept there..that cross armed defence reveals acreage of Body...for someone like a prime Frazier this is Shangri La... (Belly..High.?) I think Frazier is the safe bet here...and Mentally i think he would go through the gates of Hades to win...Ken i suspect would not.

 

Who won the sparring between the two?

 

I can't recall how many times they sparred, only that in one session Joe dropped him. Anyone here remember more about this?

 

Eddie Futch said that Joe had always "handled" Ken Norton in the gym up until Jamacia. Training camp before the Foreman fight.

Eddie asked Norton about it and Kenny said that Frazier seemed to have lost his "drive".

I dont know if they ever sparred after that. Kenny Norton went his own way. Also lets remember Ken Norton was improving and coming into his own.

 

I wish we could see some footage, i've only seen one clip for a second when they're in the ring warming up but i cant find anything further i would think that they would of recorded the sparring