No, I do not think Norton beats a prime Tyson. Tyson hard to hit? Not in the fights he lost. People can be gun shy vs punchers.
Sorry, but the Spinks from the Holmes fight does not see the final bell verses Holmes version of Witherspoon. Hell, I can even see Ernie Shavers bombing Spinks out.
To use your Sullivan logic, he lost to all the best men he faced such as Tyson and Holyfield, and he avoided Bowe and Lewis! His best peak opponent was clearly Trevor Berbick, who Tyson disposed of much more convincingly!
Where did this come from? Sullivan was badly out classed by Corbett at age 33. Holmes was 38 for Tyson, and even older for Holyfeld. He showed well vs Holyfield cutting him. I can name 10 Holmes opponents who would likely defeat the best Sullivan beat. ( Mitchell ) Unlike Sully, Holmes actually had many prime years.
It only takes one blow to cut a fighter, Larry wasn`t really landing that much against Holy, he was mainly spoiling and the cards reflected that.
Jokes are fine, the math was a bit off. Holmes was the only man to stop Ali, and had enough left at age 52 to beat the legendary Butterbean who was 65-2-3.
Here's what I don't get. I quoted from books on the time and they said when I said. I also quoted Sullivan himself on how un-evolved boxing was when he was king. To quote Pollack, boxing was very different back then. I agree with him, and the other author in terms of who Sullivan avoided, and the clear duck of Salvin, I read some of Daniel Mendoza over the holidays. A master of the side step, defensive guards, he had rare skills for the times, what he showed must have been " lost " among the prizefighters of the 1870's and 1880's. I doubt there are many films you have seen that I have not. In fact I have a film of Sullivan hitting the bag and he is to be blunt not very good. You don't strike me as much of a film guy, but have something I have no seen or should read ( I quoted the Sullivan books to prove my point ) I'm cool with that.
Ali had Parkinson`s when Holmes stopped him, he couldn`t even touch his nose in the medical he done before that fight.