Why did Ali struggle so much against Norton?

[billeau2]

I don't think Norton had fast feet in the ring,his footwork was described as the," trailing leg being in a bucket ,"very similar to Bob Foster's.
That's why he was vulnerable when you backed him up.

HE'S NOT PRETTY, HE'S JUST PERSISTENT - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com

He had poor technique for sure. When I watch Norton I see a combination of certain mobility issues, and fast feet at times. I will say, when he was pressured, by a good pressure fighter (Foreman) his limits were tested.

Being vulnerable backing up is also a characteristic of guys who have less skills, got in late, etc... because it is very difficult, counter intuitive, to fight going backwards. Even just backing up properly, at an angle, etc, is a skill set.

Ok so I was looking for an example: This is the famous fight with Ali, in the first and second round, one can see two things: Norton's balance is so poor that in the first round he almost stumbles when Ali circles to his left... yet when he attacks Ali, he gets there quick, the hook in the second round being a good example. His ability to catch Ali with this punch amounts to getting into range with his feet. These are just examples of what I mean about him having fast feet. He caught Ali a lot this way...