Ken Norton vs ‘Two Ton’ Tony Galento

I reckon I would get on big at half those odds.

 

Honestly, how can anyone give Galento a chance.

King Kenny fff him over in 3 rounds at the most ,

 

Norton is tailor-made for Galento. Throughout his career Norton was always very vulnerable to guys that just jumped on him instead of boxing him. Galento would do a Nova job on him.

Here is piece with Scott LeDoux talking about Norton being easily destroyed by Foreman and Shavers and his suspect durability.

While many boxers train for their fights in the dingy gymnasiums of crowded cities, heavyweight Scott LeDoux has taken to the open-air of the country and the nation's largest barn.

LeDoux, who will meet Ken Norton July 22 in San Diego, has moved his training headquarters to his parents' 120-acre farm in northern Minnesota. A 16-foot ring has been installed in the loft of the barn admist a background of wooden rafters, bails of hay and the typical aromas that surround farm animals.

"I've taken my act to the country," said LeDoux. "Freshair ... mom's cookin'...road work on farm roads ... up hills and down hills."

For LeDoux, 30, the $50,000 payday against Norton will be the third highest of his career. A victory would help him forget two bitter and questionable defeats (to Leon Spinks and Ron Lyle) and also put him in line for bigger paydays.

"I win this, and they've got to let this white man in the door," he said, then chanting a poem. "I may be light ... I may be white ... but one thing, baby, I sure can fight."

"Let's face it, Norton can't take a punch," the French-man added. "He was chased out of the ring by (Earnie) Shavers and (George) Foreman. He's the most overrated fighter of our time."
https://imgur.com/L7YrGaE


Here is a piece by Sport's Writer John Nogowski giving his opinion on Norton following Ali's defeat to Spinks. He admits that Norton is formidable against boxers, but not so much against a puncher.

LAST WEEK'S SUPRISING UPSET BY LEON SPINKS has thrown the Heavyweight Division into an uproar. Muhammad Ali finally showed his age, and Spinks made the most of it. Whre the loss leaves Ken Norton and Jimmy Young is very intriguing. It would be foolish of Spinks to risk his title against Ken Norton or Jimmy Young if Ali is serious about a rematch. The aging Muhammad might have enough in him to defeat Spinks in a close match, but he certainly doesn't have a chance against Norton or Young.

In the same vein, Spinks would probably be outboxed by Young, and most people would pick Norton to easily defeat him, so waiting for Ali would be a good move.

However, Ken Norton has long been the Heavyweight Class's most overrated fighter. True, he has given Muhammad Ali three great fights, but outside of beating a washed-up Jerry Quarry, and a hopelessly inept Duane Bobick, who has Norton beaten?

If he did beat Jimmy Young as the officials said he did. I'm not sure, it wasn't by much, and Norton is in his mid-thirties.

So if Ali does decide to retire, Spinks might be better off to fight Norton than Young. Ken is a harder puncher, but Spinks has the power to beat him.

Norton can stay in there with a boxer, but his work against a hard puncher is suspect.

Ever wonder why he never fought Ron Lyle?
https://imgur.com/L7YrGaE

 

Problem is, Foreman and Shavers were two of the hardest punchers in boxing - Cooney also.

The Shavers and Cooney losses also came very late in Ken’s career.

Ken was also a virtual 36 yo and clearly declined when he faced LeDoux and IIRC, he copped thumb in the eye which didn’t do him any favours.

For many, including myself, Norton clearly beat Ali in their rubber match.

I think Ken clearly beat Young, prudently electing to target Young’s more accessible body rather than futilely attempting to connect with JY’s far more elusive head.

Young was excellent at making anyone look bad during certain portions of a fight - but that in itself doesn’t win fights.

An even older Norton ran a prime or very near prime Holmes right down to the wire - and Larry’s left arm was fine, btw.

I think Norton’s so called stylistic advantage vs the likes of Ali and Holmes is somewhat overstated.

Suffice to say, Ali and Larry weren’t so alike and Ken successes against two high end ATGs can be equally attributed to him simply being an all round excellent fighter also.

As to chin, true that Norton’s resilience and reactions seem to immediately shut down when confronted by punches registering, say, 8.5 and above on the power Richter scale - but right up until or close to that threshold, Norton weathered shots pretty well.