Why could Ali not deal with Ken Norton?

[JTfloyd]

Norton had an awkward style, the size, enough handspeed, and the timing to constantly disrupt Ali's rhythm.

[Fighter Club]

I think you're cracking Norton up to be more than he actually was.
He was 1-2 against Ali, won a close one, lost a close one, and lost by UD, hardly a robbery.

His biggest problem was consistency, having wins against top fighters like Quarry and Young, and being blown out by others like Shavers (who Quarry KO'd) and Cooney who obliterated him and sent him into retirement. It was just a case of what Norton was going to show up that day.

[LITTLE JOE]

I read an article years ago that Eddie Futch taught Ken to out jab Ali. He told Ken if he saw a jab coming or thought it was, to immediately fire one back.

[GhostofDempsey]

It was Eddie Futch. He had Ali’s number and knew how to train his fighters to beat him. Norton got robbed in at least one of their rematches but I thought he swept the trilogy. Great athlete but limited as a boxer.

[elfag]

not his style. couldn't walk down porter

He fought porter as a teenager 50 years ago that is irrelevant

[HeadShots]

He fought porter as a teenager 50 years ago that is irrelevant

cope.

[LeOoze]

how was norton nothing special? so silly. beats ali when he was #1, beats jimmy young when he was #2, bobick who was #4, quarry when he was top 10, and loses a razor close fight to holmes when holmes was #1. he was a top contender, not some random guy

exactly. imagine if norton had the nod against holmes and ali 3. we'd be talking about norton being an ATG.

[CoolDSmoove321]

In their third fight at Yankee stadium. Ali got off to a very slow start. He stood flat-footed by staying off the ropes for most of the fight with his legs standing very far apart. As he attempted to KO Norton in the opening rounds but failed in doing so and after 9 rounds had been competed. Ali found himself trailing badly on two of the official judges scorecards 7-2 and 6-3-1 on the referee’s Arthur Mercante Sr’s scorecard. Ali swept the next six rounds on all three of the official scorecards including Mercante Sr’s in order to retain his heavyweight crown. The last round in which Ali won was the decisive round. Whoever had won that round would have won the fight. It was a very close and controversial fight in which most ringside boxing observers at the time thought that Ken Norton had deserved and done enough to win.

[Dodger07]

Let's face, Ken Norton was nothing special, and let's get it right, forget the two robberies, Norton won 3-0, that being said, when you look at their careers, despite losing 3-0, Ali is clearly the better boxer.

is this just a classic case of styles make fights? Just like MGK's surprise unaminous decision victory over Eminem in a rap song battle. Eminem is much better than MGK, but head to head, couldn't deal with his shovel or cereal. Just a bad style match up. Nash out

Disagree, MGK scored a knockdown and did better than expected but Eminem came back and got the late KO

[MONGOOSE66]

It was a battle of left hands. I thought Ali had a slightly fast left but Norton was a quicker thinker. Norton was also lighter on his feet. Both qualities made for a tuff fight for Ali. Norton was also smaller. Good, Smaller men can do things that bigger men can never do. Seen small little 120 pounders in the gym embarrass175 men. I hated sparring smaller men. Id rather get in their with big men cause 95% of big men are slower than me. Bigger men also get tired faster.