Ken Norton vs Luis Firpo

This. WIthout the "something of".

For all his supposed power, Firpo never stopped a live opponent early. His two best victims were beyond shopworn in their very last fights and it took him most of the distance to turn the trick.

I had the quote on this board years ago, of Rickard boasting that Firpo was his greatest creation, a complete swindle of the boxing public. Sad to think that almost 100 years later people are still gullible enough to buy it.

Cheers, Tex! You certainly had the touch.

 

Dempsey stated Firpo hit him the hardest. Again this falls in line with the history. Back in 1923 if you were to ask experts of that time they would tell you Firpo hit like a truck but knew little about the finer points of the game. That was the thought in 1923 and the thought of today.

Tyson was a very quick combination puncher who threw his punches perfectly...textbook. This description has absolutely nothing to do with Firpo who was as awkward as any fighter who ever lived. He, instead, threw punches at unexpected odd angles. His spin of Dempsey in round one while at the same time throwing his sledgehammer like right hand tells me he had a few tricks up his sleeve.

 

FIrpo was KO'd in 8.33% of his bouts.

Norton was KO'd in 8% of his bouts.

Firpo largely fought set-ups and no-hopers, themselves prone to being KO'd (as has already been proven).

Norton fought guys like Ali three times and Foreman and Holmes, and far too late in his career, Shavers and Cooney.

And you want to tell me there is a difference in chin here?

 

i dont give a **** what "experts" in 1923 thought of firpo or your hilarious assertion that he was more clever than he looked with his "tricks up his sleeve".

You arent fooling anyone with this patronizing, pompous attitude like no one here has a clue.

Tyson absolutely used odd angles and unorthodox technique. He wasnt some basic textbook power puncher. I have eyes and can make my own observations. No heavyweight in history had the combination of leverage, hand speed, explosiveness, head movement, and accuracy of Tyson. All those factors combined to make a very awkward and unpredictable fighter, which is why he was called Kid dynamite. It was a sudden explosion of power.

Tell me your honest opinion, who is the more dangerous opponent for Holyfield, Firpo or Mike Tyson? If you were a manager, who would you have your fighter face?

 

It was Tysons head movement and speed that was certainly a real danger but there was nothing erratic about it at all.

Tyson understood superb foot placement. He would initiate a jab from his opponent, thread his head inside or outside of it then shift his feet so that he could blindside the guy and attack from the side with free blows.

Douglas then Holyfield sophisticatedly countered the initiating move that got Tyson into the “free punch” position he was expert at finding. Once that was taken away (and I can school you in an in-depth explanation here) There was a way to avoid this advantage Tyson usually had.

There is none of this to read on some dangerous lug that walks in dropping bombs free range like Firpo did. You either get in first and take his head off before he takes yours. Those kinds of guys drag more sophisticated fighters into a very risky and unnecessary situation. That’s where the danger is. Its not about being good it’s about being dangerous. The guy was a hooligan.

yeah and when you can spot who starts the name calling you know which guy has lost the discussion.

 

Way to go guys!

 

Tyson was allot but “awkward” was not one of them. Suggest you watch the fighters you write about. You have not done your homework which is typical of many here.

 

I lost the discussion but tons of people seem to be liking my posts. How does that work?

How about you go to a gym, ANY Boxing gym on the face of the Earth and ask them if they think Firpo is more dangerous than Tyson? I will cash app you $100 if you can find a single boxer or trainer who agrees with you. Record their response and post it here.

 

Firpo was dangerous as he was completely unpredictable. He did not follow the boxing 101 rule book and he hit like a hammer.

 

more dangerous to Holyfield than Tyson was or just more dangerous than Tyson full full stop?

You coming back with Firpo being no threat at all to Holyfield because Tyson was more lethal dosnt really work.

You are talking about two different creatures. One you can study the other even he dosnt know what he’s going to do.

One creature Holyfield could study, work out and train to negate complex technical characteristics to the extent that he did, the other creature being a crazy wild heavy handed lunatic that is going to run and claw at him.

As for finding a trainer or a boxer who would pick Firpo as an easier opponent that would be limiting the discussion only to trainers and boxers who are aware of a fighter from 90 years ago.

I suggest that you ask a trainer or a boxer yourself. Many fighters and boxing people will readily say that the hardest guy to fight is a mug. Because you cannot predict what they’re going to do. Its the style of opponent nobody wants. Old fairground fighters tell you the same thing.

Firpo was that crazy in the ring. I promise you that if enough modern day trainers and fighters knew about a guy like that, a modern day Firpo equivalent, who got as far as he did, with what he had,.,,then you would find a lot of boxers that might say “I’d rather fight Mike Tyson than that crazy *******”

 

This is getting daft...

 

Took you a long time to write a bunch of nonsense but you finally admitted you think a barroom brawler from 1923 who never became champion is more dangerous than an undisputed power punching ATG.

That's all i needed to hear. We're done.

 

No I didn’t say that. Where did I say more dangerous? I said not worth fighting. because Firpo isn’t the kind of guy you can predict. All along I have said it has nothing to do with greatness. Just danger. I would not favour him over a single great fighter. I just think he’s worth avoiding because he’s so dangerous. He is not an easy fight. Unless you nail him down for as long as he is in the fight he can always put you away. That’s a scary Mof. Who needs that sh!t?

 

To add some color, people poke fun at Two-Ton Tony, but he actually beat contenders and hit hard. Like you said, Firpo was a manufactured contender, the problem is had a historic moment like Two-Tony Tony did when he floored Louis. In this case, Firpo not only floored Dempsey, he knocked/shoved him out of hte ring with controversy attached to it, as Demspey got some help back into the ring! So Fripo has to be somebody in the eyes of the fans. Take that one moment away from him and no one would think much of him.

The reality is Dempsey didn't have a good defense, ad got caught by a wild swinging type.