Lyle v Norton?

Norton improved immensely post Garcia. As a matter of fact he attributes a success book right at this time with changing his life. He beat Garcia years later. They traded plenty too.

 

Ken Norton could not cope with hard-punching heavyweights. As a result, I think Ron Lyle would stop him.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Norton was green at that time and Futch 'severely' scolded him after that fight and said he would dump him if he didn't get his head on straight. A green Kenny ran out gas in that one. Yes! pre-prime Norton! He hadn't beaten any contender at that point; turned pro at the ripe age of 24? in '69.
Repeat: What big puncher walked thru Norton, backing him up, besides Foreman, and before he was "long in the whiskers, and getting old"?
Show me a Lyle 'career defining' win?
As I said, this tread has been started numerous times; granted it could have gone either way but I'm going with Norton.

 

This one is a toss up but my money would go on Lyle.

 

Norton beat a totally shot Garcia and was rocked badly doing it. Its no secret and no exaggeration to suggest Norton had a weak chin.

 

Norton is like Frazier , unproven against legit HW sizeable punchers. Ironically they refused to fight each other.

I'll take Lyle even though Norton is more skilled and I think by a good Margin.

 

Both good fighters, I'll disagree and say Lyle was the more skilled, I think maybe a little bigger. I think he would be hurting Kenny with his power through five rds then knock him out. But it is a pretty even matchup

 

I think it depends on how Lyle starts out. Lyle was a big puncher and Norton was vulnerable against big punchers who could force him to back up. If Lyle jumped on him at the beginning he could certainly duplicate what Foreman and Shavers did with Kenny. If Lyle did not fight aggressively and Kenny gets through the early rounds, his chances improve significantly, and Norton could win a decision. I'm thinking Lyle would go for the early KO and probably succeed.

 

Ken beats Ron in a real close fight, might survive a knockdown or two, but edges it.

 

Lyle was one good punch away from stopping Foreman. They both had men on their resume that one guy could defeat and the other could not. I'll go with Lyle, Ken was proven to fold against big puncher's decisively I think Lyle get him

 

It could go either way, but Lyle had some issues with boxers who were hard to time and had a bit of a suspect chin too. I'd pick Norton here on points or later round TKO, but it would not be a sure pick.

 

No punchers walked thru Kenny because he didn't sign the fights.Look hard at that opponent list. Scrutinize it. Shavers and Lyle were gunning for years to get a fight. Eventually Shavers did. but that resume is full of non-hittters. that's the reason nobody backed him up and ko'd him.

And there was never talk of a Foreman rematch and the fight would have been close to impossible to sell. Pretty much the equal of a Tyson--Alex Stewart rematch; senseless.

 

There was talk of a Foreman - Norton rematch. Not in 74, but a couple years later in '76 and '77. Norton wanted it.

 

He definitely had the power to do so. If he establishes his dominance rt away and gets Kenny backing up then he stops him. If Kenny somehow survives that initial onslaught then he could outbox him. I see the former as the more likely outcome though.