How good was Ken Norton?

[Luccio]

He was good, awkward style that gave people problems (including Ali), but the same awkward style and the way he held his hands opened the door for taking some crazy highlight reel KOs.

agreed.
if ali wasnt so feather fisted......

[club fighter]

agreed.
if ali wasnt so feather fisted......

Yup

Ali had 37 KOs, not a high KO rate but respectable *AND* he had the ability to get KOs while moving backwards, few could do that. Also a lot of his stoppages were from accumulation of punches and not power shots.

Just goes to show what technique can do for you.

[Luccio]

Yup

Ali had 37 KOs, not a high KO rate but respectable *AND* he had the ability to get KOs while moving backwards, few could do that. Also a lot of his stoppages were from accumulation of punches and not power shots.

Just goes to show what technique can do for you.

ali had weird technique tbh
and threw to many arm punches. (partly why hes so fast)

[club fighter]

ali had weird technique tbh
and threw to many arm punches. (partly why hes so fast)

Yes, on both, but very effective.

......... still like when Joe smoked him doe.

[Luccio]

Yes, on both, but very effective.

......... still like when Joe smoked him doe.

😝

yeah joe f#cked him up pretty bad lol 😝

ali always fought like a tiger when he was gettin whooped doe. ill give him that... 👍😃

[Offic.Scorecard]

i just dont see it bro...

and throwing a lead and stepping of to the side is basic stuff bro.
i didnt get that was what you meant.

Oh fuck it, here it is:



As you can see, first he was feinting in a particular way before throwing it, setting his rear foot in particular way before throwing it, and throwing it without telegraphing it by turning his punches and twisting his body, instead he would push the ball of his rear foot off the ground and throw it from the shoulder. The only difference between him and Pacquiao is that pacquiao feinted with either his guard or upper body, while Norton was feinting with his rear hand.

[Ben Bolt]

Norton was a real good fighter. I know his chin gets a bad rap because Foreman and Shavers stopped him but it was "Shavers" and "Foreman". The Cooney fight was way past his prime.

Yes, I dunno know if taking a quick beating by Foreman or Shavers are a sign of a weak chin. And if the Cooney fight was way past his prime, I think the Shavers fight was … well … a bit past Ken's prime.

One fight I watched live, and in which Ken earned my greatest respect, is a KO 3-beating of Randy Stephens in 1978. He hurt Stephens badly by a single punch, and had an open target for another shot. But he chose not to follow up. As human as you can get in a boxing ring, I guess.