Ken Norton vs Evander Holyfield

Foreman surprisingly found Holyfield with alot of his jabs. George had experience and timing. He couldn't pulll trigger on his powerpunches quick enough.

 

I think Old George was a good fighter, much craftier than his young self.. he set traps quite well...and I genuinely think he'd have beaten his younger self.

 

Holyfield is not more of a puncher than Ali. His lack of stopping power means he hasn't crossed the Norton Threshold, as physicists call it. Which is not helpful against someone like Norton, who, uncoincidentally, the threshold is named after. This means that Norton can potentially fight him all night and I think it means we're going to see Holyfield go to war and barely edge it out 2/3 with his footwork and chin meaning he gets slightly less hurt and does slightly more hurting. I predict a trilogy with three controversial decisions and a forum that becomes absolutely unbearable with Nortontards and Evanmos attacking each other daily. The only thing that would prevent this is they are of the same race and nationality. If they weren't and the fight happened today, it would become unbearable with 100% certainty. A rivalry which could threaten to expose every poster as a bigot, and ignoramus with no love of the sport. I don't know what I'm talking about. Mods, delete this thread.

 

"The only thing that would prevent this is they are of the same race and nationality. If they weren't and the fight happened today, it would become unbearable with 100% certainty. A rivalry which could threaten to expose every poster as a bigot, and ignoramus with no love of the sport." Huh? I'm thoroughly confused by this. Were the klan hoods going on when Fury and Wilder fought?

The country thing is just fun rivalry. Not sure what race has to do with combat sports these days.

 

Who is Fury and Wilder? I don't know what this comment means.

 

Ok, I feel like I've walked into some inside joke and don't get it. Carry on, good sir.

 

Perhaps you'd like to hear a post that's more modern and stylish then? Way less inside and almost outside, even. Kenny Norton once moved into a new neighborhood, out in the country, so, I guess you could even call this an outright outside joke. His new neighbor came to greet him and lo and behold, it was Evander Holyfield himself! "Hey, there, howdy, neighbor." 'Vander said. "I saw you just came to the neighborhood and I thought I'd come and meet you and introduce myself, just to be neighborly, you know." and Norton marveled at the gesture. "See, now, that's what I'm talking about! Country living! I spent so many years in the cities and I don't think in all that time I ever really met any of my neighbors like this. That is just so refreshing." Kenny exclaimed, but with a period at the end of the sentence, instead of one of those points.

"Well, then! I'll do you one even better. My name is Evander and I am inviting you to a good, old-fashioned country party, to make you feel welcome to the new neighborhood." Holyfield proclaimed, gracefully. "By gosh! A country party? For me? Old-fashioned? What would you say that entails, to inform a city slicker like myself?" Norton quislinged. The Real Deal merrily spoke "Same as anywhere, probably. Some drinkin', some fightin' and some fornicatin'!" Norton chuckled, ecstatically. "Can I bring anything?" he Bolivionned. "Sure!" said Evander, adding "It's just going to be you and me!"

So, you see, they would've boxed in a real life party too, and someone was going to get fornicated, one way or another. And, you won't hear that from any 1935 boxer.

 

Barrf, you know damned well by now that whenever you post a reply to him, you're walking into inside jokes, outside jokes, overhand jokes, underhand jokes, low jokes, butt jokes, jab jokes, deceptive jokes, overt jokes, blatant jokes, latent jokes...until your eyes have swollen shut from constantly reading his relentless barrage of jokes and the "fight" has to be stopped.

 

I feel like a cab driver sent in to fight Joe Louis.

 

Norton could very well beat Holyfield stylistically, there were certain styles he just couldn’t beat, even if they were mediocre, but on the flip side, there were ATG’s he could beat, and Holyfield doesn’t have the same attributes the guys that destroyed Norton had, Norton was possibly stronger, maybe hit harder also, could close the ring off if Holyfield boxed, and could also have success if he fought him, people don’t rate Norton as highly h2h as they should, because of those losses, but some people just can’t deal with certain styles and there were some guys Norton couldn’t deal with and that was devastating punchers who were accurate, since he had a passive defence. The way to beat Norton was to get him on the backfoot, plant your feet and time him and set him up for big punches, I don’t think Holyfield can consistently get him on the backfoot, and Norton wouldn’t fear him and wouldn’t have to, I actually see Norton out jabbing Holyfield on the front foot with his long sneaky left, Holyfield wasn’t the most side on, which means it’s easier to land and time jabs, Norton would get down to his right and shoot that sneaky jab up, I don’t see his overhand right working as well, Holyfield was great at seeing the right coming and stepping back/blocking it and countering it.
If Holyfield chooses to box, I see Norton backing him up, outjabbing him on the front foot and closing off the ring and out working him, the only way Holyfield can win imo is by making it a fight, and in that scenario, I see this being one of the greatest fights of all time, yes neither are particularly huge punchers, but neither are feather fisted by any means and both can exchange punches and fight on the inside.
In a fight, I don’t think Holyfield can outmuscle Norton, Norton was the naturally bigger man, not by a lot, but by like 8lbs or so, both were masters at using grappling on the inside to create space for punches, and I think this would favour Norton being the stronger man, Holyfield would have to force exchanges outside of the clinch and not get involved in clinch work too much.
One specific vulnerability I think Holyfield could take advantage of is that Norton could be set up for the lead left hook, he’d sometime dip down to his right whilst holding him feet and would parry, Holyfield could throw a few jabs to the head and body, then hook off of that jab.
On the flip side, Norton, like I said, could out jab Holyfield on the front foot since Holyfield was square on at times, Norton could jab to the head and body, mix it up and dip to his left as if he’s gonna jab to the body and he also has the threat that he’ll come over the top with a right, get Holyfield preoccupied and get him associating Norton dip to the right side with those 2 things, then Norton can pop the jab to the face.
Technically, Norton, in a fight, needs to try to initiate grappling scenarios where he can utilise his strength to get body shots off and left hooks.
SUMMARY:
I don’t think Holyfield could avoid the grappling up close, Norton closed off Muhammad Ali and got on his chest, so he could with Holyfield, the only way for Holyfield to avoid that would be to plant his feet and hurt Norton, which I don’t think he could do consistently enough, I’m not ruling out that Holyfield could stop him at some point, but I see Norton forcing grappling exchanges and using his strength to create space to get work off and therefore allowing him to get more quality work off, the place where Holyfield has success is by setting Norton up at mid/long range or beating him to the punch in the mid range exchanges with his faster hands, but I don’t think he does enough of it, since the whole point of planting your feet to set up big punches is relying on that you’ll be able to hurt them either to stop them, or hurt them consistently enough to deter them, and Holyfield wasn’t a prolific power puncher, and fighting like that only leaves the gate open for Norton to get inside and use his strength, and boxing wouldn’t work against Norton, so I just think Holyfield’s best bet would be to force exchanges and try to land something inbetween, but if Norton just rolls with the punches, doesn’t engage and uses that opportunity to get on Holyfield’s chest, I think he outmuscles him and outworks him to a decision.
I know this’ll be very unpopular, but I don’t think Holyfield has that kryptonite that could make Norton capitulate.
Norton PTS 15rds.

 

No roids for "Real Deal" and Norton stops him late in a very competative entertaining bout