Ken Norton's potential Title Reign

Better still.

Asume that Leon Spinks meets his mandatory challenger and the probable outcome ocurs.

 

He beats Young, Ali and Spinks. Beats Evangelista and Tex Cobb. If he wins the Holmes rematch then he gets KO'd by Shavers or Cooney, whichever fights him first.

 

What if Norton was rightfully awarded the Championship in his 1976 fight with Ali? How long would he have kept it then? Pressure to fight his friend Frazier? Interesting...

 

Norton got screwed 2-3 times in lineal title fights.

Lets call it 2.5 times.

 

A Frazier vs Norton match would have been great, and for the record, I think Norton would win from 1976-1980.

Had Norton won the title from Ali in 1976, he probably makes an easy defense, then gets yet another match with Ali.

 

Norton could not trade with a puncher, could beat the boxers with pressure but would get ko'd by any decent puncher that had a pulse

 

Well, by the time Frazier got out of Minilla, he was toast.

It is odd that Ali could not dent Norton chin, but Ali really hurt Frazier a few times.

Quarry didn't wobble Norton either after he landed his best stuff.

I think half of Norton's problem in terms of taking a punch was mental. He'd freeze up.

 

Sooo many variables on this, But lets get back on track. If Norton won the WBC Heavyweight title and followed the same track as Holmes:
First defense- Alfredo Evangelista= Norton should easily defeat Alfredo as Homes did.
Second Defense-Ossie Ocasio= As much as I liked Ocasio, I don't see him beating Norton.
Third Defense-Mike Weaver= Tough call, Nortons jab should get him the points win.
Fourth Defense-Earnie Shavers=If history repeats itsself, Then Shavers wins the Heavyweight crown with a first round Knockout.

 

yes, he froze like a deer in the headlights...anyway Quarry was slow and really shot when he fought Norton, he was flat (cannon fodder) Norton was petty quick for a sort of roundhouse puncher and his akwardness bothered Ali ( who had pinpoint punching ability but not a real egg*******)...Frazier dropped and hurt Norton many times when they sparred but Norton was 205lbs..Still Norton had an awkard style that went away when he was tagged and forced to back up ( then it got awkward for Ken) but you are correct "by the time Frazier got to minila he was toast" or at least halfbaked

 

If Norton carried on for a while if that happend i wouldn't like to see ken get beaten up by a young Tyson

 

One point where I disagree is on Quarry. He was very " on " and game vs Norton. In fact Quarry looked alive, pretty quick and sharp vs Norton. It was a good scrap while it lasted.

 

What makes you say that?

Okay, he definitely deserved the title in his fight with Ali in 1976. But where else? The Holmes fight was close, but a clear win for Holmes.

Unless you think he got screwed in the Foreman fight, i don't really see what you're saying. In fact, he was lucky to receive the verdict against Young in the title eliminator. Not lucky in the sense that he didn't deserve to win, but lucky in the sense that it could've gone both ways.

 

I think it really depends on weather he takes the safe route or meets the divisions best challengers. I don't think Ali was ever going to fight Norton a 4th time, regardless of weather or not a title was on the line, so I think we can basically scratch that one. Young was arguably robbed in their 1977 meeting, so I guess that one could have gone either way had they met again. Shavers, Weaver, Coetzee, Cooney, and even Tate ( to a lesser degree ), would have all been dangerous propositions for an aging Norton. Frankly, had Norton retained the WBC title, I don't think he would have held it long.