Muhammad Ali - Ken Norton I

After George Foreman shocked the odds,and Joe Frazier,in January of 1973,what were the chances of an even bigger shock following just over two months later? I have it at least 7 - 4 - 1 in rounds to Norton. Five months and ten days later Muhammad put on his best performance since 1967 in evening the score albeit very closely and Ken proved that his victory in the first fight was no fluke. He had arrived as a major heavyweight force. The first fight was the most decisive out of the trilogy.

 

Ali never wore it again citing it as bad luck.

 

This isn't necessarily true. Futch and Frazier who hated Ali immensely, and stablemates of Norton scored the fight a draw. The scorecards reflected a close fight..... because it was a close fight. Sure Norton won clearly. but it was still much closer than many would like to believe.

 

Master boxer Ali befell by “being jabbed with” the thing you learn in probably your third week boxing, tops.

 

Maybe he should’ve just learnt to hold his right hand up instead.

 

What is your scoring for this fight, & the other 2 against Norton?
Ali as much as I love him as a fighter often got favoritism based upon his popularity & the financial & marketing windfall for the sport.
So why do you think that even so, most say Ali lost at least 2 out of their 3 matches?

Full disclosure: I have enough insight to say I am no excellent scorer, so really do not know.
Seeking to see what you think re: blows that actuallu landed & trheir effectiveness.
Because certainly in their last fight, most accounts give Norton the vast majority of blows landed, correct?

 

Norton clearly won the first 7-4 with one round even is a good score.

 

As always Ali got favorable judging, this time is the loss. Spilt decision my rear end. This official score stinks and was one scored round away from a judge being scored a draw. I suspect some doctoring of the cards for Ali in the final three rounds. Does anyone have the official score cards?

 

Frazier said in his autobiography that he thought Norton won all 3 fights, so this must have been closer to when the fight actually happened.

 

Ali vs Norton 1 = 7-4-1 for Norton

Ali vs Norton 2 = 7-5 for Ali

Ali vs Norton = 8-7 for Norton

That was my scoring for all 3 fights.

 

I had Ali-Norton I - 7-5 Norton (California scoring - 7-5 in rounds and 7-5 on points)
One thing I took away from it, but not until years later when I rewatched it, was Cosell stating in the 8th that something was wrong with Ali's mouth and that he surmised it may have been a broken tooth. I probably never thought much of it at the time because it was the aftermath where it was discovered he had a broken jaw. So it's likely safe to assume the broken jaw happened mid-fight. Probably around the 6th.

Ali-Norton II - 7-3 Ali (California scoring - 7-3-2 in rounds and 7-3 on points)

Ali-Norton III - 7-7-1 Draw (NY rounds scoring)

 

8-4 or 7-5 Norton, can't remember which.

The most important bout for Muhammad in the 1970s. It reawakened the drive Frazier couldn't, because Frazier wasn't some mostly unknown fighter like Norton.