Ken Norton Would Get Slept by Povetkin in Every Universe

People think fighting is like a video game, if a fighter is at a certain level (ATG,HOF) that means that will always beat someone who is at a lower level and the only thing that can beat them is another fighter at the same or higher level.

 

I have been saying this forever!

 

He got slept by lesser fighters

 

Styles can make fights and Norton was susceptible to fighters with big right hands who press. Norton kept his left too low and would move straight back. Shavers, Lyle, and Foreman took target practice on him. Norton was a strong athlete though. He had quick hands and a good jab. He was a good body puncher as well. He gave Ali hell and an old Norton did well against Young and Holmes, but none of those guys were punchers.

 

Is Povetkin juiced up? If he’s not I think Norton would beat him. Norton was not a good fighter backing up, period. He kept his left too low and leaned back on his rear foot to often to avoid blows. He was a good athlete with good hand speed and had power. Norton was a very good body puncher and he had a good jab as well. European boxers can’t take it to the body.

 

Did he spar Lyle?

 

Partially psychological me-thinks Norton 100% lacked confidence (The Napoleon Hill books) his handlers had him spar LHW’s in the gym because he’d get timid otherwise… KN was a bully and an obnoxious SOB according to those around him and he fits the “Liston” “Tyson” cloth a guy who crumbled when it got rough Shavers, Foreman, Cooney etc.

 

IIRC, also used a hypnotist. Or at least used self-hypnosis tapes. If you want "old school" training, you could always dig them up; I think some of them are still floating around, since we know the guy who published them.

Also, I think that's an interesting insight of yours that might explain it.

 

Povetkin got slept by lesser fighters than Norton, too.

Norton keeps Povetkin at arm's length with his long jab (Norton had a 7 inch reach advantage over Alexander) and bombs Povetkin (who rarely moved his head) with overhand rights.

Nobody who beat Ali (arguably more than once) and took prime Larry Holmes to a 15-round split decision is losing to freaking Alexander Povetkin.

Off the PEDs, Povetkin couldn't even stop Hammer.

 

Sure he is and by kayo. Norton got destroyed by Shavers immediately after the Holmes fight and Shavers isn't great by any means.

The Ali win didn't stop him losing to Garcia and Shavers which are more humiliating than any Povetkin defeat.

 

Povetkin can't punch like Shavers. And Norton's reach was basically the same as Wlad's.

A seven-inch reach advantage isn't something Povetkin handled well. Guys with an 80-inch reach or more tended to go the distance with Povetkin (Hughie, Wach, Firtha, Donald) or beat him, no matter their skill level or how shopworn they were.

Even David Price, with no chin left at all, nearly had Povetkin down by punching at a distance.

Povetkin gets hammered like Quarry and Bobick. Alexander had zilch in the head-movement department. Those Norton overhand rights would batter him senseless.

Povetkin feasted on short-armed guys. So did Norton. But Norton wasn't a short-armed guy. And Povetkin was himself.

 

Norton stood right in front of guys. I don't know where you are getting the idea that he'd somehow keep Povetkin on the end of a long jab all night. That's laughable. That was not Norton's plan and neither is it Povetkin's.

 

People love making up fanfiction about how fighters would fight despite never showing the ability to do so in any of their actual fights

 

Exactly. Let's take a look at this classic highlight, where Norton completely fails to keep Earnie "Leadfoot" Shavers on the end of his 'long jab' and instead tries to shell up on the ropes and / or trade with Shavers.

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But yeah, the moment Povetkin steps into the ring, Ken turns into Wladimir Klitschko

 

Norton was able to beat Ali and fight Holmes on even terms for 15 rounds BECAUSE of his jab. He jabbed when they jabbed.

Holmes and Ali were two of the greatest jabbers in heavyweight history. Norton matched them jab for jab.

Eddie Futch came up with the strategy for Norton to beat Ali by jabbing when Ali jabbed and throwing the right hand behind it.

Povetkin and his 75-inch reach would get eaten alive by Norton's jab. Povetkin rarely stopped journeyman fighters (like Firtha and Wach) who had long jabs, because the jab and reach disrupted his attack..