What changes could Ken Norton have made to fare better against big hitters?

Don't lay on the ropes that's what cost him vs Shavers and Cooney.

He also should of adapted his style as shown in sparring clips with Frazier. In those clips he didn't use his cross arm defence, and had a more "boxer" like style moving around ring.

 

Norton fit the bill you described. Genetic advantage, which is a stronger invitation than average to improve what you’ve already got.

Post career, Ken did say he wished he had done weight lifting sooner - which I assumed to mean he wished he had started during his career - but again, I’m guessing he was dissuaded from same by his trainers

Norton was shredded early career, room for extra weight but could’ve dabbled in weights later career. He was hitting around 224 lb or so late career without excess fat.

People have different personal definitions for weight training in so far what they consider serious training.

If some say they didn’t weight train, it might not necessarily mean they didn’t do weights at all.

Ken might’ve indulged a bit during his career and then hit the weights seriously after retirement.

For an old school analogy, Jack Johnson was a shredded 194 lbs vs Burns yet two years later and a whole 1 stone heavier, he presented as a still well defined, perfectly conditioned 208 lb for Jeffries.

Lastly, Big Cat Williams apparently didn’t do weight training either - another case of genetics but he did do hard, manual labouring to improve/maintain himself.

And Williams dived into manual labouring (on a farm) to build himself back up after the gun shot wound - which drove him down from 210-215 lb to something like 155 lbs.

 

Excellent post Richard.

 

Thanks buddy, I appreciate it.

 

He should have bought the XXL Triple Titanium Golovsteel chin instead of the HappyKhan Bargain Bin discount version.

 

In the Shavers fight, he fought a stupid fight. He didn't freeze, what he did he did thoughtfully, but it was a bad idea.
I'm pretty sure that the plan was to weather the early rounds and let Shavers get tired. Reasonable enough. But remember that Norton, never all that mobile, was fighting on old legs. To make sure that he had legs enough to get busy when Shavers got tired, Kenny went to the ropes. It is a pretty common tactic.
But Norton was not all that skillful; he was a big, strong brave and willing guy, but he didn't know how to fight. There is more to going to the ropes to wear a guy down than laying there with your gloves up and letting him throw punches at you.
Norton didn't know those things and he got caught. Shavers was another guy that didn't know how to fight so the plan was sound but he was better at swinging his arms and hoping to land than Norton was at covering his face and hoping not to get hit.

 

Ken Norton even early in his career had trouble with punchers, Jose Luis Garcia, 1 st fight in 1970, later George Foreman in March 1974. Norton's style was not made for being a boxer.

 

Norton faced Cooney and Shavers way past his own prime

does shavers and cooney do the same to a 1972 Norton?

 

I do have to agree, Gerry Cooney padded his record with Nursing Home escapees Jimmy Young and Ken Norton. Earnie Shavers could bang but look what Jerry Quarry did to Shavers on Dec 14 1973, KO 1. If Ken Norton could exploit Earnie's big weakness, his stamina or catch him early before he gets started, he would have a chance.

 

To be fair the round ended and Norton was going back to his corner. Referee was not looking so Garcia unloaded on an unsuspecting Norton.

 

I doubt they do the same to Norton of the first Ali fight or the second Ali fight (Norton’s personal best IMO even if he clearly lost).

 

I didn’t know that. Basically Ken was king hit then. Glad Kenny got his revenge.

 

And Ronnie Lyle too. They must’ve all stolen the same bus to escape from Happy Acres Nursing Home.

 

Yeah, during his call of the fight Cosell said he spoke to Norton prior to and that Ken was opting for a rope a dope style of fight to tire Earnie out. Crazy.

That didn’t even work for Ali vs Shavers and Ken certainly didn’t have Ali’s chin otherwise. For the short time it lasted Ken did actually land some hard leather but still madness to punch along with Shavers.

 

Help me out.

Norton used the cross armed defence - as I recall, it was the right arm crossed over and on top of the left. So Norton had the left side of his jaw protected but not the right side so much.

Did Norton ever reverse the D config. as and when required? Vs Shavers the right side of his jaw was exposed and IIRC it was a sizzling left hook that started Ken going.