Who was better ..Ken Norton or Tim Witherspoon?

I think Witherspoon had more natural talent. Norton to me always looked like a bodybuilder who learned to fight.

 

I disagree. Norton had insane athletic ability and competed in like 3-4 different sports in high school and excelled in all of them. He also got training and discipline when he was in the marines and thats probably why his conditioning was so good.

Witherspoon was a more well rounded fighter and had more finesse, but in terms of sheer athletic ability and conditioning few compare to Norton.

Anyway, as for the thread the question is who used the crab style more effectively. Well the whole point is to have a tighter defense and generate more power with hooks like an actual crab. Well, norton's dedense let him down big time against the sluggers of his era while Witherspoon (aside from his 1st round loss to Smith) usually was very defensively responsible and had far less downs and brutal ko losses. Therefore, witherspoon was more effective with the crab style on defense. He also had better footwork and could dance a little in spurts while norton was very flat footed.

On offense however, norton looked amazing. Unless you were a huge puncher, it was impossible to stop him from advancing forward and finding his rhythm. He was particularly effective against slicker mover types while witherspoon never managed to have a very convincing decision win over a slick boxer. Norton beat Ali and young, nuff said.

 

I don't think it was Norton's defense that let him down against big punchers so much as his mentality.

Norton was the better fighter and more talented and i'd say he was better defensively too unless we are talking strictly bombers. Having said that Norton was bombed out by peak Foreman and a very dangerous version of Shavers. I'd back Foreman to bomb Witherspoon out fast too and that version of Shavers (he has that historic knockdown of Holmes two fights later) would be very live in there as well.

 

Norton always showed up in top condition (excluding in a few of his last fights). Witherspoon's condition was all over the scale (but you might contribute that to Don King messing him over).

 

Norton was a great athlete, but Witherspoon was a more skilled boxer. But of course he also was inconsistent, often an underachiever, and had outside the ring issues. Norton beat Ali, which is far better than anything Witherspoon ever accomplished in the ring, so regardless of anything else, Norton was better.

 

Witherspoon

 

Great comparison. Norton had the style and strength to give Holmes and Ali good fights and I think Tim could have done the same. I think Norton is more hall of fame. He has the more iconics fights, but I would say Tim was better. It is strange to say it. I always thought the one guy who could beat Mike Tyson was Tim. He had a good chin and a great right hand and fluid punches and he was strong. If he was motivated. He was the typical 80s heavyweight like Tubbs. Hot and cold which really hurt his legacy. And the one thing which I think hurt Tim which other great heavyweights had was a great great jab. it was ok. I thought a little bit pawing so he could sneak in his wide right.

 

But Witherspoon was a legitimate contender or titlist from 82-96. Norton was done in half as many years.

 

Witherspoon did give Holmes a good fight.

 

He did, but Holmes was older. And I do think if you put Witherspoon in with the guys Norton was in with he might do well. But Norton is just so much more iconic. It is not fair, but he walked into a great era and he stands out. Sort of like Leonard,Duran,Hearns and Hagler. Those kinds of eras help fighters legacies. McCallum or someone else could have maybe beaten one of them or all, but he didn't fight them. So Norton is helped by that.

 

True but then name a great fight Witherspoon was in which can match Norton vs. Holmes even, when Norton was past his prime.

 

I don't buy that Norton was past it for Holmes as much as that Holmes was injured and inexperienced. Norton benefitted greatly from fighting on even terms with a faded Ali who did the same with others, just not three times. Outside of that Norton was a good contender but not much of a standout.

Witherspoon's run where he beat Bruno, Tubbs, Bonecrusher, Page, Snipes, Tillis and Broad, while losing close to Pink and Holmes proves that he was better than Norton imo.