Ali vs norton fights

Maximum respect to both. A great era for heavyweight boxing. Ali clearly lost nine rounds through the 14th. They gave Spinks a decision because they knew Ali would beat him in a rematch, when he was in shape, and that would make a good story.

Norton clearly beat Ali. The punch stats are available for this fight, just check it out. I had the same curiosity and decided to watch it and score it myself. I was surprised to conclude an Ali victory, using the 10 point system. It was very close and I scored three rounds even, but my decision was similar to the official verdict.

Have you watched it again? I watched this a few months ago and actually had Ali winning by rounds. Get real, he kept fighting because he was addicted to having lots of money. Ali deserved the decision, landed the majority of clean and damaging punches. Norton had that goofy looking somewhat passive style of fighting…tough to take the title off the champ when you fight that way. I gave it Norton. Anyway a challenger must win by a wider margin to walk home withthe belt.

So yes, I do think Norton won that night, yet I justify the decision, though a draw would have satisfied me better. At the post-fight press conference the next day, Norton was wearing dark glasses in a pathetic attempt to hide the bruises.

Norton landed some good body punches but not enough, especially in the 15th round. The referee, Arthur Mercante, Sr.

He was right there in the middle of the action, in the best position to judge what was going on. The truth is that Norton won the fight. His corner after the match showed that. Sharp he was against Norton on this night, but not as sharp as he had been in , while the ex-Marine, with his size, strength and underrated power, deserved to be regarded as one of the most daunting challenges Ali had ever faced.

Dancing swiftly as he snapped out a continuous volley of left jabs, Ali never stopped moving on those nimble feet. Norton doggedly pursued but was hard-pressed to even get into punching range, and when he did, Ali immediately stifled his attack with a vise-grip clinch.

Look at these strong legs and quick feet. I can dance all night. Perhaps signaling the realization that this was going to be a more difficult ordeal than he had hoped, after round four, Ali sat down. Instead of a glorious return to domination it was going to be a firefight, and a grueling one at that.

The fans at the Inglewood Forum and on closed-circuit television were already enjoying a very lively heavyweight bout, but round six saw the pace pick up even more as Norton closed the distance.

Both men landed telling shots, Norton with the jab and left hook and Ali with a series of rights, and the intense action, reflecting a pace more appropriate for middleweights than heavyweights, had the crowd on its feet, roaring. And there was no let-up as the match entered its second half, though Ali clearly wanted one. Circling the ring again and working to keep Norton at the end of his punches, he attempted to return to the more civil proceedings of the opening rounds, but his adversary would not cooperate.

Now clearly out-jabbing Ali and seemingly growing stronger, Norton trapped his quarry in the corner and stunned him with a thudding uppercut. For the first time it appeared a shocking repeat win for Norton was more than a distinct possibility. Astonishingly, Ali appeared undiminished in the eighth and he boxed with authority until the final minute when Norton stunned him with a perfectly timed counter left hook. The final minute of round nine saw the heavyweights battle toe-to-toe, neither warrior having a decided edge.

And so, as the bell rang to start the final round, there was the sense the decision could go either way. Ali vs Norton II would be decided by its final three minutes and here the extra roadwork the former champion did in Deer Lake paid huge dividends.

For it was Ali who emerged from his corner with his fists churning, blasting Norton with a series of whip-like combinations, his right hand connecting flush and forcing Norton to take his first involuntary backward steps in the entire fight. You will be notified in advance of any changes in rate or terms. You may cancel your subscription at anytime by calling Customer Service. Skip to Main Content Skip to Search. News Corp is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content and other products and services.

Rounds Scheduled:. Contracted Weight:. Muhammad Ali. Ken Norton. Fight Notes:. Looking to avenge both a defeat and broken jaw suffered at the hands of Ken Norton, Muhammad Ali takes on the top-rated heavyweight contender in a rematch. Log in or register to post comments Email this Fight to a friend. Ken Norton II Scorecard by zac. Read more about rorschach card round by round Log in or register to post comments. Ali gets his revenge I had the first fight a close win for Ali.