Thread: Muhammad Ali vs Ken Norton I - March 31, 1973 - HIGH QUALITY REMASTERED!

Good find Brock, I believe this is the one where Ali gets his jaw broken by Norton, but to his credit, and even though he loses finishes the fight. I'll watch it when I get time later today.

Originally Posted by Mars_ax

Good find Brock, I believe this is the one where Ali gets his jaw broken by Norton, but to his credit, and even though he loses finishes the fight. I'll watch it when I get time later today.

Yeah its the one that he breaks his jaw--3rd round. Funny thing was ALi had written "KO 3" inside his right glove and told Cosell and Clancy b4 the fight he would KO Norton in 3. Funny thing was he wound up getting his jaw broken in that round or some think it was the 1st round.

Bad Karma coming to get him soon, so soon after getting shellacked by Frazier in March of '71. I remember the cover of Sports Illustrated when I was in 3rd grade---it said "The Mouth is Silent" and had a picture of Ali with his jaw wired shut. Even at age 9 I could detect the sarcastic relief of some of the media at that time.

On another note---Ali had promised Joe Frazier and the press row on his way to the ring in the MSG fight with Frazier that he would literally "crawl across the ring on his hands and knees and bow down to Frazier and tell him he was the greatest IF FRAZIER" could beat him.

Frazier whupped him good and Ali never kept his promise. KNow why

He was too busy being driven to the emergency room of a hospital.

Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

Originally Posted by Mars_ax

Good find Brock, I believe this is the one where Ali gets his jaw broken by Norton, but to his credit, and even though he loses finishes the fight. I'll watch it when I get time later today.

Yeah its the one that he breaks his jaw--3rd round. Funny thing was ALi had written "KO 3" inside his right glove and told Cosell and Clancy b4 the fight he would KO Norton in 3. Funny thing was he wound up getting his jaw broken in that round or some think it was the 1st round.

Bad Karma coming to get him soon, so soon after getting shellacked by Frazier in March of '71. I remember the cover of Sports Illustrated when I was in 3rd grade---it said "The Mouth is Silent" and had a picture of Ali with his jaw wired shut. Even at age 9 I could detect the sarcastic relief of some of the media at that time.

On another note---Ali had promised Joe Frazier and the press row on his way to the ring in the MSG fight with Frazier that he would literally "crawl across the ring on his hands and knees and bow down to Frazier and tell him he was the greatest IF FRAZIER" could beat him.

Frazier whupped him good and Ali never kept his promise. KNow why

He was too busy being driven to the emergency room of a hospital.

That 3 1/2 year layoff for draft evasion really did a number on Ali, he was never the same, much slower and much easier to hit, look at how much Norton is connecting in that 1st fight.
If George Foreman didn't fight the dumbest fight possible, and hadn't been totally psyched out in 1974, in Zaire, i'm convinced Ali would have gotten destroyed.

BTW, Ali always had problems with Norton, even when his Jaw wasn't broken.

P.S. Frazier watched a replay of his first fight with Ali a few years before he died, and implied that Ali must have been on some dope to have gotten up from that KD in the 15th round.

Originally Posted by Mars_ax

Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

Originally Posted by Mars_ax

Good find Brock, I believe this is the one where Ali gets his jaw broken by Norton, but to his credit, and even though he loses finishes the fight. I'll watch it when I get time later today.

Yeah its the one that he breaks his jaw--3rd round. Funny thing was ALi had written "KO 3" inside his right glove and told Cosell and Clancy b4 the fight he would KO Norton in 3. Funny thing was he wound up getting his jaw broken in that round or some think it was the 1st round.

Bad Karma coming to get him soon, so soon after getting shellacked by Frazier in March of '71. I remember the cover of Sports Illustrated when I was in 3rd grade---it said "The Mouth is Silent" and had a picture of Ali with his jaw wired shut. Even at age 9 I could detect the sarcastic relief of some of the media at that time.

On another note---Ali had promised Joe Frazier and the press row on his way to the ring in the MSG fight with Frazier that he would literally "crawl across the ring on his hands and knees and bow down to Frazier and tell him he was the greatest IF FRAZIER" could beat him.

Frazier whupped him good and Ali never kept his promise. KNow why

He was too busy being driven to the emergency room of a hospital.

That 3 1/2 year layoff for draft evasion really did a number on Ali, he was never the same, much slower and much easier to hit, look at how much Norton is connecting in that 1st fight.
If George Foreman didn't fight the dumbest fight possible, and hadn't been totally psyched out in 1974, in Zaire, i'm convinced Ali would have gotten destroyed.

BTW, Ali always had problems with Norton, even when his Jaw wasn't broken.

P.S. Frazier watched a replay of his first fight with Ali a few years before he died, and implied that Ali must have been on some dope to have gotten up from that KD in the 15th round.

Jesus I agree--not only from that 15th round KD but all the before and after left hooks from the depths of HELL that took Ali's skull halfway off. There is a left hook Frazier lands about 30 seconds AFTER Ali gets up from the KD and it is even WORSE than the punch that floored Ali--yet Ali seemed to take it easier than the previous one. Weird.....weird.....check it out sometime. About 30 seconds after Ali gets up and the announcer screams out "OHHH!!! WHAT A SHOT!!!!" Its painful to watch.

Norton was stylistic nightmare for Ali ... he never figured out that jab of Norton's. I think he gave Ali more trouble than even Frazier ...

Ali showed a lot of heart fighting on with a broken jaw ... gets my respect as well as Norton.

please tell me how Ali takes the left hook at 1:30------"OH WHAT A SHOT!!!!!" screams the MC. Jesus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLWYnTFz9PE

Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

please tell me how Ali takes the left hook at 1:30------"OH WHAT A SHOT!!!!!" screams the MC. Jesus.

Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier I: Round 15 (Knockdown.) - YouTube

I hadn't recalled seeing that, Ali takes a hell of a shot, also, those body punches Frazier was throwing would have dropped an elephant.
After the fight, Ali immediately started talking shit about how he'd won, and not giving Frazier any credit, fucking prick. But they can never take this away from Joe, he gave Ali a beating, and clearly won the fight, fair and square.

Great fight. Norton had Ali's number and I don't think Ali won one damn fight out of the three.

Originally Posted by Mars_ax

I hadn't recalled seeing that, Ali takes a hell of a shot, also, those body punches Frazier was throwing would have dropped an elephant.

In George Plimpton's book Shadowbox, Plimpton talked to a doctor at the hospital Ali went to after the fight and the doctor told him that Ali's hip joints were swollen, which startled him because previous to that he had only seen swelling of the hip joints in car-crash victims.

Originally Posted by Beanflicker

Originally Posted by Mars_ax

I hadn't recalled seeing that, Ali takes a hell of a shot, also, those body punches Frazier was throwing would have dropped an elephant.

In George Plimpton's book Shadowbox, Plimpton talked to a doctor at the hospital Ali went to after the fight and the doctor told him that Ali's hip joints were swollen, which startled him because previous to that he had only seen swelling of the hip joints in car-crash victims.

Jesus. Ali took some pounding---rope a dope started way before Zaire my friends.

Ali fought Norton 3 times and i have often wondered why Norton never fought Frazier? Then again how lucky was Larry Holmes (who began in 1973) that Foreman retired prematurely in 1977 and he never met Frazier on the way up? Ali fought everyone and re matched many even those who troubled him. IMO Norton was his real nemesis not Frazier.

Originally Posted by THE THIRD MAN

Ali fought Norton 3 times and i have often wondered why Norton never fought Frazier? Then again how lucky was Larry Holmes (who began in 1973) that Foreman retired prematurely in 1977 and he never met Frazier on the way up? Ali fought everyone and re matched many even those who troubled him. IMO Norton was his real nemesis not Frazier.

I think Norton won all 3 bouts with Ali. I think Norton won his bout with Holmes too.
Frazier and Norton would have been a quick fight---Joe woulda found Norton's shaky chin I'll call it and bombed him out. Wrong fight for Kenny there. Now Frazier would have given Holmes fits. I say Holmes' chin may or may not hold up after a few of those withering Frazier left hooks. I think Joe lands more hooks to Holmes' chin than Shavers landed overhand rights to Holmes' chin.

Ali had amazing courage, heart and determination. I remember a reporter asked if he knew his jaw was broken would he have carried on fighting. He replied “No way, do you think I am stupid”. I think he took those punches and the pain because of the adrenalin in a fight nothing else.

I think Ali won the second Norton fight.

The third one is tough ... I'm an Ali fan but he didn't do enough that day to get a decision over Norton. It was close but I think Norton should've gotten the nod. Ali should've retired after the "Thrilla in Manila" and looked completely shot after that. Nothing about him was the same.

Prime Norton is hell for any pure boxer.