Ken Norton vs Rex Layne, Bob Satterfield and other punchers

I think I would favor Norton against Galento, Layne, and Satterfield, maybe make him about even odds with Williams and a prime Quarry, and favor Ray and Johansson to beat him.

 

Personally I've never been comfortable with this mindset that Norton gets beaten by punchers every time.
I understand that there is a certain precedent for saying that, but still I think it's a bit harsh. Most of his losses to punchers can be explained. I do agree though that if backed up by punchers he was in trouble.

 

How I see it too. I have never seen the Garcia bout but Cooney, Foreman & Shavers are among the biggest punchers in the history of the division, But they are also big strong men who pushed and wrestled guys to get the right range. Big cat is the only one on that list that has the physical credentials as well as the punch to get in Kennys head.

 

Eddie Futch ,who trained Norton,confirmed that he froze up against punchers in a KO interview.

 

One poster here is crediting Norton as having won all three of the Ali fights as well as beating Holmes. While everyone of those matches were close, Norton was definately NOT robbed in all of them..

 

I think part of the problem Janitor is that he was usually matched up with the wrong types of puncher profiles, and under less preferable circumstances. The Cooney fight counts for virtually nothing in my opinion, and frankly I think most past prime fighters on the tale ends of their careers, would be vulnerable against a large, powerful, fast starter like Cooney. Earnie Shavers and George Foreman commonly rival one another as the concencus hardest puncher of all time. Norton faced one of those men, while being very far past his prime, and fought Foreman when he was basically considered unbeatable and after just creaming the **** out of Joe Frazier.

Yes, I agree that Norton would always be vulnerable to powerful punchers who fought at close or mid range. However, I do feel that it would take a puncher of higher calibur to beat him. I don't see men like Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer, Bruce Seldon, Tony Galento, Bob Satterfield, or even Mike Weaver beating a peak Norton. Additionally, as shot as horribly out of shape as Quarry was, I don't see him beating Norton at their perspective bests. Quarry did not have the boxing ability that Muhammad Ali had, and nor did he have devastating power to dispatch Norton early. I could see this fight going maybe 10 rounds instead of 5, if Quarry was at his best, but in the end Norton breaks him down, leading to a stoppage - probably on cuts.