Hello folks its been a long while since I've been on here(that's life for you) but I'm back and decided to share a post that came up in my mind. Let's say the forth fight between Pacquiao and Marquez didn't happen I would say it would be similar to the Ali vs Norton fights in the sense that many felt Marquez won 2 or all 3 of the fights and some argue the same with Norton against Ali. These were considered close fights that there was always some type of controversy in. What are your thoughts on the matter ESB?
i think that the motive because you got zero answers is that nobody cares about this crap, but, i will answer to you, marquez was the kryptonite of pacman and norton was the kryptonite of ali, stylistically talking. but manny got knocked the **** out, ali not, but he wanted no part of the 4 fight with norton, it could have been in 1978, but ali was busy fighting against the tomato can spinks, the paper chump, so it is very probable that a 78 norton stops a 78 version of ali, never by ko, but late tko maybe
There's a parallel to be certain (ATG, superstar athlete never really separates himself from excellent stylistic foil), but yeah, Pac and Marquez are much closer in terms of 'greatness' than Ali and Norton. Ali was clearly past his very best form for the entire Norton trilogy.
he could not beat norton at the same time that he did beat foreman and frazier , so i think that it was more a stylistical thing
Oh, it was definitely a stylistic thing. Ali would always struggle with Norton. The point is, all of this was post-exile Ali. None of Ali's losses occurred when he was at the very peak of his powers, the best version of him as a fighter was during his mid-late 60's run. Pacquiao doesn't have the same thing to fall back on concerning his fights with Marquez. In the 2nd fight, at least, he was pretty much right smack in his prime (but I had him winning that one anyway...)
I think Marquez and Pac had close fights not just due to styles, but also due to the inherent talent and level of both fighters being close Ali-Norton was more of a past prime struggle of a great fighter against a good one sort of thing.I've never though Norton was a great or borderline great fighter.He was quite limited in what he could do well.
I appreciate the response anyway it just so happened to pop up in my head so I decided for the sake of the convo to leave the pac-marquez 4 fight out of it but yeah who knows how a 4th fight between ali and norton would have gone. Norton might have still had enough left in the tank to get the nod a 4th time around or as you say maybe a tko against a even further past it Ali but definitely no clean ko.
I think stylistically Ali would have always struggled with Norton even at his best especially Norton with Eddie Futch in his corner. Norton's krytonite was against the big punchers and not really the boxer types he even gave a prime Larry fits while he was past his own prime.
I think so, we know Norton wasn't really on Ali's level and was more a style thing, certainly not the case with Marquez I think Ali underestimated and didn't rate Norton from what I've read.
And don't forget, boys and girls, that none of Ali's losses count...because they all came after his exile! Everyone knows that. Ali never, ever lost a fight...write that down! It'll be on the quiz.