Terry Norris " Mayweather with all that slapping and running "

[Spicoli]

Mayweather squandered alot of his momentum and chance to make things more definitive and 'what ifs' like this clearer. He came back against Marquez like he was taking a shortcut back to "p4p" relevance when all it proved was he could beat a superb lightweight at the time and blow a catchweight agreement to do it. On one hand, if a fossilized Mosley has you stunned and shook off one right hand then the speed and power of a natural and bigger guy like Norris would make that ring into a phonebooth quickly...Mayweather would be wishing it was on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier instead. Too strong, too accurate and a confident fresh boxer puncher type who could be rough on the inside. On the other hand...Norris wasn't exactly fighting a murders row himself and could be and often was stunned and hurt by inferior foes. Terry was a short circuit type guy...one minute he is a boxing masterpiece, just fluid and a thing of beauty...all of the sudden he could be clipped ugly by everything from young green boxers to wild swinging journeymen to wise old vets. At the relevant weight..not that catchweight nonsense even though he and Taylor fought catchweight...Norris gets to Mayweather me thinks.

[bradlee180]

It was well before I watched boxing though, forgive me...

I forgive you....



...just don't let it happen again.

[Dark Lord Al]

Yes Floyd had no chance against a guy koed by Simon Brown , or outpointed by Derrick Kelly,

[Violent Demise]

I don't think so. Norris would have never taken many left hooks from Oscar, but either way the golden boy was just making the move up from lightweight as Norris was pretty much on his way out. Was that fight ever seriously talked about?

It was actually set to happen. But Norris all of a sudden got old in the middle of the Keith Mullings fight and lost

[imp]

There will be some more old boxers from back in whatever golden era bringing up so more stories on how they would whop floyd.

This time though it will be a few more weight classes higher and the boxer had blown all his money.

Alot of it is jealousy.
Has to be. The highest paid sports star on earth just made the next mexican sensation in a higher weight class look like an old sparring partner..

You know what back when i was around 29 years old and 210lbs i would whop floyd..yea, he would just be running and ducking with his stupid shoulder roll and his non accurate punching and ineffective check hooks..yea, he would be so easy!

Utter bollocks.

[ykdadamaja]

Here's some of the top guys:

Terry Norris’ era. circa 1991 to mid-1990s.
Lightweight
Miguel Angel Gonzalez
Rafael Ruelas
Jorge Paez
Sharmba Mitchell
Joe Gamache
Oscar De La Hoya
Stevie Johnston
Shane Mosley

Light-Welter
Julio Cesar Chavez
Pernell Whitaker
Hector Camacho
Kostya Tszyu
Frankie Randall
Charles Murray
Greg Haugen

Welter
James Buddy McGirt
Meldrick Taylor
Simon Brown
Felix Tito Trinidad
Maurice Blocker
Yory Boy Campas
Ike Quartey
Oba Carr

Light-Middle
Terry Norris
Vinny Pazienza
John David Jackson
Verno Philips
Vincent Pettway
Julio Cesar Vasquez
Bronco McCart

You forgot Julian Jackson and G-Man McClellan...

[Beanflicker]

First off, lets point out the obvious that Floyd isn't really a 154lber. He's only fought there a few times and even then he never broke 150lbs. Terry and the guys he's talking about were all career 154-160 guys.

Terry Norris was a good fighter in his day, but he's not even close to being in the same league as Floyd. Terry was ultra talented but never had the FOCUS, discipline, or consistency IMO to really maximize his potential.

Terry Norris routinely fought to the level of his opposition and lost to guys who probably had no business in the ring with him. Even in winning, he let a lot of guys get to him and make fights way closer than they needed to be.

[bradlee180]

Yes Floyd had no chance against a guy koed by Simon Brown , or outpointed by Derrick Kelly,

What are you on about, Simon Brown was a fantastic fighter!
Damn hard head, hard punch, stamina.
Two years before the Norris fight, Brown rated as the best welter in the world, but he was a BIG strong physical welter unlike Floyd, Brown reduced from 175 lbs to make 147.
When he lost the Welter title to McGirt, Brown beginning to have trouble making 147 was a bit of a factor there. Later, at 154 and even 160, Brown was quite destructive after the McGirt loss.

And Derrick Kelly, for $#!t's sake, bringing up early losses when a guy's a new 1 year pro?
In that era, plenty of guys had a couple of early losses. Each fight was supposed to be a test for a young prospect, to develop them, they weren't protected the way many are nowadays.

[bradlee180]

You forgot Julian Jackson and G-Man McClellan...

No, I didn't forget, they were Middleweight Champions. Two of the most destructive hitters you'll ever see.

Jackson had been 154 in the 80s, but was 160 in the early to mid 90s which we're discussing, and by mid 90s, Julian was finished as a top guy.

[bradlee180]

But Norris all of a sudden got old in the middle of the Keith Mullings fight and lost

Yep, that is true.
Norris was a case of a guy who showed up one night and just didn't have it anymore.

Some fighters face the slow erosion of their talents over several years; others have it happen overnight and it's gone...

[Beanflicker]

In that era, plenty of guys had a couple of early losses. Each fight was supposed to be a test for a young prospect, to develop them, they weren't protected the way many are nowadays.

I just want to clarify as to whether or not you're suggesting that promoters only started protecting guys after the early 90s?

[bradlee180]

I just want to clarify as to whether or not you're suggesting that promoters only started protecting guys after the early 90s?

There have ALWAYS been protected fighters, but not to the extent that it's done now.
The result is some undeveloped fighters fighting for titles.
When the new Champ finally gets in deep against a serious opponent, they don't have the answers, they don't know how to adjust, they don't have the tools in their toolkit. That stuff used to be worked out while a guy was developing. It's why old, multi-dimensional dudes who came up the old way like Hopkins and Juan Manuel Marquez can outslick and out-think some of these current young, prime guys even though Hopkins and Marquez are way past their physical best...

[Spicoli]

There will be some more old boxers from back in whatever golden era bringing up so more stories on how they would whop floyd.

This time though it will be a few more weight classes higher and the boxer had blown all his money.

Alot of it is jealousy.
Has to be. The highest paid sports star on earth just made the next mexican sensation in a higher weight class look like an old sparring partner..

You know what back when i was around 29 years old and 210lbs i would whop floyd..yea, he would just be running and ducking with his stupid shoulder roll and his non accurate punching and ineffective check hooks..yea, he would be so easy!

Utter bollocks.

And Norris giving his earned opine is different from Mayweather popping off about Robinson or Ali how? Or a Mayweather who literally just carried a Baldo ffs and heard the boos telling Leonard to his face 'you wouldn't even be in the top 10 of my era'...an utter bullshit thing to say. Norris has absolutely nothing to be 'jealous' of in a Mayweather and give Floyd enough time of beating up bebe mamas and tax issues, he'll do well to not blow his money also. Every generation will compare to past or present, its done in all sports. As for Alvarez, I'll spot you the Mexican part...now sensation? Eh.

[Master]

Terry Norris, Mike McCallum and Tommy Hearns would have destroyed Floyd at light middle, no one can argue different. These fighters were greats but Floyd is not a natural light middle so there is no shame in saying he would lose to them.

[Beanflicker]

Terry Norris, Mike McCallum and Tommy Hearns would have destroyed Floyd at light middle, no one can argue different. These fighters were greats but Floyd is not a natural light middle so there is no shame in saying he would lose to them.

I wouldn't go as far as saying they would DESTROY Floyd. Floyd is still a great, effective fighter at 154.

I think Floyd beats Terry Norris at 154. Terry was good but I don't think he was as good as a lot of people think he was.