Ken Norton vs. Jerry Quarry

I don't think that people question that Quarry could stun Norton but if he could defeat him ... Quarry dominated against big, limited sluggers .. Norton was a highly skilled big man with the obvious chink in his armor .. maybe a highly motivated in shape Quarry gets Ken but it's an interesting fight ..

 

My point on Quarry being able to hurt Norton was to the posters stating that they didn't think Quarry could hurt Norton, therefore Quarry couldn't beat Norton. I stating that I think Quarry would/could clearly hurt Norton, and therefore beat Norton.

 

My feeling is I don’t know but a victory by either would be career defining.

 

Jerry definitely could hurt him.

 

A bar fight. Jerry was a nut.

 

Jerry actually did not start that fracas, it was in the Quarry neutral corner bar Norwalk Ca. (Bellflower) Kathy Quarry had said some things that Older Brother Jim did not agree with, Irish Drinking resulted in Jimmy Pushing Jerry into the Juke Box (Resulting in the back injury). Jimmy Quarry told me after Jerry turned pro, whenever they would get into it (Brothers etc.) Jim was literally "fighting for my life"

PS. JERRY WAS RANKED NUMBER # 1 Heavyweight in the World at the time, and there was no Champion (WBA).

 

Who in their right mind would watch that video and find it racist? Is it a crime to be white and have pride in your race? It seems pretty damn celebrated when other races show their racial pride.

Jerry was stating the truth. Norton said far more racist things. In fact, his estrangement from his son was due to Jr marrying a white woman. Jerry was not a racist, Ken certainly was, but who cares. Ali was a horrible racist and he gets a pass.

 

I actually read that Quarry's father was quite abusive and unrelenting.

 

Agreed, especially the Quarry who matched Frazier for several rounds in their first go. Jerry's right hand was down the pike in those days and I think he may have caught Ken on the jaw with it, a hurt Norton may have been taken out by Jerry, he was a good finisher.

 

I read it was actually 3 cracked disks from getting slammed into a juke box by his brother.
Coming from someone who has disk issues it's pretty amazing he fought 15 rds. He was put in a body cast after this fight.
It was stated in Quarrys bio book that after the fight he challenged Norton for a go in the parking lot over some of Nortons comments. It was said Norton made a quick exit to his car as he wanted no part of it. Very good book I might add.

 

I don’t see how that explains the outcome

Being angry could be counterproductive. It can make a fighter reckless, leaving himself open.

 

Norton’s skill involved going after the slick movers like Ali and Holmes.He was very good at cornering them and taking away their movement. That’s the last thing you want to do against a slugger like Foreman, Shavers, or Cooney.
It all depends on whether Quarry can deliver that big blow in the early rounds. He supposedly had a very good left hook in his prime.

 

I didn't say it explained the outcome tho. The outcome is simply explained by the fact that Norton was a better fighter than Quarry at that point in time. Quarry also took the fight on very very short notice whilst Norton had been training for months.

A great many fighters have channeled anger into a positive factor. Norton obviously controlled it here but he also showed Quarry no quarter that's for sure.

Norton believing Quarry was racist was in the press before the fight i believe. Quarry may have been a bit unlucky in that Ali played up the black vs white angle in their second fight and he had been deemed the great white hope by many fans which is probably where the overtones may have came from.

 

To be fair to Quarry, there was a world of difference between the JQ of '68, '69 and '70....and that fat, doughy looking, depleted version that Norton beat in '75. I think that especially the version of JQ that "took Buster Mathis apart like a fine mechanic" as Nat Fleischer put it, may have been a very different prospect for Norton.