I got spoon in this one. Spoon definitely hits hard enough to KO norton and he has the boxing skill to outbox him at range.
Spoon had good power but he wasn't like Shavers and Foreman with regards to it. Norton's problem against punchers is that he would get caught against the ropes and get bullied backwards, Spoon wouldn't be implementing that type of gameplan. Close fight. Spoon is more proven against various styles and has a wider set of wins but Nortons performances against Ali and Holmes for that matter trump any performance by Spoon. Pretty much a toss up.
yes , the version who fought ali would beat spoon for sure, even past prime norton gave a war to prime holmes, i think that norton would do it better against spoon. kenny by sd
Similar styles, so this is good. I'll pick a motivated 1983 / '84 Spoon to get past Norton of 1973 / '74 by decision or late rds TKO... "The Spoon" MR.BILL
I have Spoon's '81 KO over Al Ratliff on tape. Spoon weighed a lean 207 pounds.. That weight didn't last long... MR.BILL
Norton by decision. Ken was in shape, ready to go. He threw more punches and did well against boxers. Tim wasn't busy enough to keep Ken on the retreat. Norton would outwork him, but would have to be careful.
Me too. I have a lot of doubts about Tim absorbing those body shots for 8 rounds or so. He did not have all that good of a gastank in the first place and is giving up a ton in that department to this guy. He is not going to outwork a guy like Norton and when you factor in that body punishment, I think it's all Witherspoon could do is make it to the end and drop a lopsided decision.
Norton for me. IMO Kenny made a greater contribution to a tougher era than Spoon did in a weaker era. Also don't think that Spoon is a puncher in the class of a Foreman or a Shavers, who both had a (well earned) reputation of destroying top level oppo in short order. Norton on points whether it be 10, 12 or 15 rounds.
Very difficult pick this one - I rate them pretty much at the exact same level as eachother really - the Witherspoon who (BEAT) fought Larry Holmes - and the Norton who won&lost to Ali - I lean to Norton by a hairline margin - am only doing so based on that fact that he beat a better fight in Ali than Spoon beat in Holmes - Norton would maybe grit out a tough fight for both men just with a marginally higher work rate - but I only lean to Norton by maybe 53% to 47% - it's that close for me. And an anchient Norton pushed a peak Holmes as close to the wire as it is possible to be pushed - Holmes himself said Norton was the best he faced.
I must be missing something. I don't see any comparison at all between Witherspoon and a busy heavyweight. If he would've had that in his arsenal to turn to, he would've had more tko's against the elite fighters. In his prime, the only guy he got rid of was Tillis. Everything else was a decision.