What If Norton Won Ali III?

Ali was generally considered very past prime at that point, so probably not much?

Might help his ledger a little bit by going 2-1 against Ali, but really that'd only place him 1&2 rankings higher

Now if he had beaten HOLMES........

 

He loses to Young Holmes or Shavers next. Oh wait he did lose to all three they robbed Jimmy though.

 

He might well have beaten Holmes had they met in 76.

 

Had he (correctly) gotten the nod his confidence likely soars. Norton was a different animal when he was both mentally and physically fit and it showed in his fights.

Had he gone on to get the nod against a prime holmes, outpointed young like he originally did, and avoided getting brutally demolished by shavers and cooney we might very well be calling him a top 10 or even dare I say top 5 HW.

Its similar to the question of where we'd rank Roy Jones had he retired after Ruiz and avoided all those embarassing losses. Knowing when to retire is just as impprtant as fighting the best to have a good resume.

 

Ur right about that Robert!

 

Probably have 3 title defenses against Bobick, Zanon, and Young, then loses the title in the thriller to Holmes. I've always believed if Ken had the chance to have a real title reign like he deserved, that he might have retired after Holmes and continued with acting and being a guest commenatator at fights.

 

You sure your not thinking of Landover Md? Ali couldn't lay glove on Jimmy. Norton I thought won over Jimmy close but clear.

More importantly had Kenny got the decision Ali may have bowed out gracefully and perhaps not gotten as sick. He didn't need any of that late 70s punishment.

 

Kenny was an independant and did things on a fight by fight basis w/ Biron.

I think DKP makes a huge offer to the Norton camp for a Foreman rematch. They & really Kenny, would just not turn that much money down.

And DKP could not get the Ali camp to sign the rematch but I think he offers Kenny 10 or $12 million for a Foreman fight and Ali is on the outside looking in.

 

Ernie Shavers becomes HW Champion in 1977.

 

You've met him now. I think Ali won, and at the very least I think it was close enough that to call it a robbery is a massive stretch. I also think Holmes beat Norton in an almost totally one-sided shutout, and I don't seem to have too much company there either.

 

Most fighters are the same. The opponent is what makes the difference. It is odd how a great fighter can make another great look ordinary. or a great can make a good fighter look bad.