Great post, X. By all means, take the thread in any direction you like—that’s what these discussions are for. I agree that Norton was Ali’s toughest opponent, though I have Frazier as a very close second. You could argue Frazier won the first two fights, and if Futch had let the third continue, who knows if Ali would have made it out himself.

I hadn’t made the connection about Futch-trained fighters being slow starters and needing time to find their rhythm, but now that you mention it, there’s definitely truth to it. Great insight—thanks for sharing. Norton is sadly underrated, largely because of his chin, but his fight with Holmes was an all-time classic.