Norton & Frazier had personal animosity toward Quarry? Is it true?

Norton did, i posted it years ago. I am sure something was said about racism, and this was why Norton beat him so bad. Others in here dismissed it.

 

May well have been BS, can't find anything substancial on it now.

 

Actually, John, even though I can't recall him being anything but respectful of Quarry in his auto, I think I recall Frazier mentioning that he "thought" Bonavena looked down on him for being black but wasn't sure. He'd said Bonavena acted like something in the room smelled whenever he showed up. :verysad I can't remember if Norton mentioned it in his, but I can remember him mentioning Cobb was completely bat**** and wanted to fight him in a street-fight, after their go in the ring.

 

There was an interview with Norton in, I believe, KO Magazine, back about 15-20 years ago, in which Ken said that Quarry was a racist, and that he, Frazier, and Ali knew this. He also said Quarry was the only guy he ever wanted to really hurt. These were quotes from a pretty reliable magazine from yesteryear. Whether Ken still feels that way, I don't know.

 

Wonder what Quarry did to get that accusation hurled at him.

Quarry only had about 2 weeks to prepare for the Norton fight...he was a late substitute fill-in....was overweight and at the end of his career..

Still, in one round he puts some real hurt on Norton I seem to recall.

 

I can't blame either guy for being resentful toward Quarry. I inherited my uncle's huge collection of RING magazine's from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s and it's mindblowing to see how many covers Quarry was featured on, literally as "THE GREAT WHITE HOPE" while Norton and Frasier only appeared on covers photo's of their fights with Ali.

Keep in mind the hype surrounding Quarry may not have been as in your face as the **** stirred by King and Rapaport around Cooney and Holmes. But there was a very matter of fact racism that dictated that Quarry was better for boxing than Norton, Frasier, Ali, Lyle, Foreman, Young or any other black heavyweight.

Even after being outclassed in virtually all of his big assignments Ring Magazine specifically Burt Sugar banged the drum for Jerry Quarry as the savior of heavyweight boxing, which is ****ing mindblowing since we're talking about the 1970s. Back then racial considerations dictated the agenda of Ring Magazine, nowdays it's ethnic and American-centric.

Not only that but Quarry was completely tactless. He scoffed that any opponent could ever hurt him and refused to acknowledge that he'd ever lost, chalking ever defeat up to anything EXCEPT the other man. Lost to Ali the first time only because he was cut "Muhammad knows I would have knocked him out in the fourth round. He was exhausted, he couldn't go on." He only lost to Frasier because he punched himself out. He lost to Ellis because he "broke his back in a motorcycle accident (spinal?)." He lost to Ali the second time because he watched his brother get knocked out. "Muhammad Ali couldn't knock out my four year old son" he said after getting stopped by Ali the second time.

I suppose I dislike Quarry a little myself because he represents how boxing really just boils down to a guy's image. And it makes my blood boil when I guy like Jerry Quarry get's a dozen chances to bounce back from losses and makes a king's ransom and gripes like a ***** while a guy like Burley never get a single chance.

And I hate when people play Quarry off as some kind of Giardello-esque whily boxer-slugger. Okay so the guy outboxed Ron Lyle and Mac Foster, get a grip!

 

That was it.

 

Cheers for that.

 

Thanks for this post. Interesting read.

 

"

 

Here's the story about Cobb:

http://books.google.com/books?id=J_...&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Guess this explains it. Thanks.

Quarry sounds like Vic "no longer raging, but full of bull" Darchinyan after Donaire KOed him.
Couldn't even acknowledge that he was beaten. And claimed he would beat him in the rematch, which I presume he has avoided like the plague.

One difference is that Quarry was not afraid to rematch those he lost to--Ali, Frazier. Which is too bad for Quarry, as his brian took some blasting from Frazier. He had the ability not to go down, but it was destroying his brain. Shows it is better to go down in the long run, than end up the way he did.