30 Years Ago Today...

[Flump]

Larry Holmes v Ken Norton

One of my favourite fights, I'd very much doubt we'll ever see a heavyweight fight like that again. And there was definately something about the Caesar's Palace sports pavillion, some great fights took place there but it never gets mentioned as one of boxing's great arenas.

[Robinson]

A Great fight.

One of my favourites, a great title fight, even if for a fragment
of that confused thing we call the HW title.

Kym

[dempseyfire]

I don't know how anyone can't watch that fight and not be a Ken Norton fan afterwards. Total guts and determination. And I think Holmes clearly won the fight.

[Ambling Alp]

It certainly was a great fight. I remember watching this on TV. (Back when you could watch great fights for free on a Fridiay night).

The scoring of the fight always interested me. I had it 8 rounds to 6 (134-132) for Holmes going into the last round. I gave the last round to Norton, but still had Holmes winning 143-142.

All three of the judges had it dead even going into the last round, but two of the three gave Holmes the last round and the fight 143-142.
For about the first two minutes of the last round, Norton is winning it big. However, Holmes came on strong at the end and that seemed to be enough to convince the judges.

Norton got off to a bit of a slow start. However, after the first few rounds he really fought a great fight. This fight really had a little of everything. There was some body punching, and at times it was a chess match, but often they went toe to toe. Each guy had some great moments; and each guy seemed to comeback after the other guy rallied. Each guy took a beating. Both guys gave it everything that they had.

After the fight, it was interesting that Holmes put in a stretcher to take him to the hospital,and he was the winner! (However, it turned out that he didn't need to go to the hospital after all.)

This is probably one the Top 10 heavyweight fights of All Time.

[Robinson]

I am thinking I may put this fight on now.

I watched this fight the day of my last fight :)
I havent watched it since then.

30 years ago....crazy

[dempseyfire]

It certainly was a great fight. I remember watching this on TV. (Back when you could watch great fights for free on a Fridiay night).

The scoring of the fight always interested me. I had it 8 rounds to 6 (134-132) for Holmes going into the last round. I gave the last round to Norton, but still had Holmes winning 143-142.

All three of the judges had it dead even going into the last round, but two of the three gave Holmes the last round and the fight 143-142.
For about the first two minutes of the last round, Norton is winning it big. However, Holmes came on strong at the end and that seemed to be enough to convince the judges.

Norton got off to a bit of a slow start. However, after the first few rounds he really fought a great fight. This fight really had a little of everything. There was some body punching, and at times it was a chess match, but often they went toe to toe. Each guy had some great moments; and each guy seemed to comeback after the other guy rallied. Each guy took a beating. Both guys gave it everything that they had.

After the fight, it was interesting that Holmes put in a stretcher to take him to the hospital,and he was the winner! (However, it turned out that he didn't need to go to the hospital after all.)

This is probably one the Top 10 heavyweight fights of All Time.

I always found that scoring interesting too, as I thought Norton won the 15th round despite Holmes coming on in the last 30 seconds. They all must have scored one of the middle rounds I thought was clearly Holmes for Ken.

[Robinson]

Does anyone have the punch stats for this bout ?

[bennie]

Holmes should NOT have won this fight but he went in there and refused to lose.
He 'took' the title.

[BoxBuzz]

You know George Foreman said that during this time he and perhaps other HW's were not fighting to be the next champion, What they wanted was to be Ali or to have the kind of influence, fame, notoriety and/or respect Ali had attained.

In this case you could argue that both of these guys were fighting to take his place, they both felt they were the rightful heir to Ali's legacy. I agree with George, these guys were fighting for more than a championship on that day, and Larry wanted it more. It brought out the best in them, and both may well have been fighting for more than just a HW championship.

[granberry]

Any championship heavyweight would knock out glass-chinned Ken Norton in two or three rounds at most.

At that time Holmes had a right hand like a wet noodle.

To glorify that pathetic fight as 'great' is typical of the clueless media doing its job of selling second rate material as 'great.'

[elmersalsa]

It was probably the great Larry Holmes greatest fight. I saw it 30 years ago, and I have not seeing since in its entirety. Does youtube.com has the fight in its entirety?

[Robinson]

You know your right Gran
Red Burman would have KO'd Norton in about 3 rounds and no doubt would have
held the title up until 1986. No real HW would have lost to a LHW like Spinks LOL.
Who failed when he met his first real HW in 1988.

I think perhaps a Bob Fitzsimmons may have taken a bit longer to beat both
Holmes and Norton in that fight, but using his solar plexus body blows and drop
shift he would have confused both men.

I think Fitzsimmons would have held onto the title until he retired in 1990. After
he makes Tyson quit in a very one sided boxing lesson

James j Jeffries would have destroyed each man that night. It would have been
embarrasing for Holmes LOL.

Imagine Holmes throwing that weak right hand and that lazy excuse of a jab at the
great Jeffries who would have countered and thoroughly beaten him up.

What would Holmes do when a Jack Johnson threw his jab at him ? LOL Please
tell me all of you so called experts.

Imagine Johnson countering and out boxing a Larry Holmes...a man who is beaten
by LHW Spinks and is dropped by a Snipes LOL. How would he be able to box with
a Jack Johnson ?

The so called experts here and hominems that pass themselves off for boxing historians
can not answer this.

What would happen when slow footed awkward Ken Norton met a real HW boxer lile
James Corbett who would make him look so slow and confuse him. When Corbett at the
end of 15 rounds is ready to go another 20 rounds and Norton who is so thoroughly
beaten looks like an amateur used to going 4 rounds.

Galento most likely would have KO'd Norton in about 5 rounds and Holmes in about
8 rounds. Thoroughly out pacing and boxing both men.

Tell us all what the so called Ken Burns media has influenced you all into thinking,
with its left wing agenda's when the likes of a Holmes or Norton fights for a so called
HW title. John L Sullivan would be rolling in his grave.

Experts

LOL

[Goodnight, Irene]

I scored it just the once, but had it 9-6, 144-141 Holmes. I thought Norton simply gave away too many rounds early on.

[BoxBuzz]

You know your right Gran
Red Burman would have KO'd Norton in about 3 rounds and no doubt would have
held the title up until 1986. No real HW would have lost to a LHW like Spinks LOL.
Who failed when he met his first real HW in 1988.

I think perhaps a Bob Fitzsimmons may have taken a bit longer to beat both
Holmes and Norton in that fight, but using his solar plexus body blows and drop
shift he would have confused both men.

I think Fitzsimmons would have held onto the title until he retired in 1990. After
he makes Tyson quit in a very one sided boxing lesson

James j Jeffries would have destroyed each man that night. It would have been
embarrasing for Holmes LOL.

Imagine Holmes throwing that weak right hand and that lazy excuse of a jab at the
great Jeffries who would have countered and thoroughly beaten him up.

What would Holmes do when a Jack Johnson threw his jab at him ? LOL Please
tell me all of you so called experts.

Imagine Johnson countering and out boxing a Larry Holmes...a man who is beaten
by LHW Spinks and is dropped by a Snipes LOL. How would he be able to box with
a Jack Johnson ?

The so called experts here and hominems that pass themselves off for boxing historians
can not answer this.

What would happen when slow footed awkward Ken Norton met a real HW boxer lile
James Corbett who would make him look so slow and confuse him. When Corbett at the
end of 15 rounds is ready to go another 20 rounds and Norton who is so thoroughly
beaten looks like an amateur used to going 4 rounds.

Galento most likely would have KO'd Norton in about 5 rounds and Holmes in about
8 rounds. Thoroughly out pacing and boxing both men.

Tell us all what the so called Ken Burns media has influenced you all into thinking,
with its left wing agenda's when the likes of a Holmes or Norton fights for a so called
HW title. John L Sullivan would be rolling in his grave.

Experts

LOL

Well, then perhaps we still agree? These two were evenly matched regardless of where on the Richter scale you place them. If greats then they were two greats brought to new heights by their ambition. If they were two skunks then once again they stunk up the place but in a better way than they could have without the "incentive" of perceived greatness on the line.

Notice I took no stand in their "hierarchal abilities". However I certainly don't see them as the plankton that granberry and robinson apparently assess them as. When faced with one another it was a somewhat even and spirited contest.

You really think they were that bad overall in the scheme of things? I'm always an easy sell for the older fighters being superior in some ways, but you guys are bit on the fringe with your downgrading of these two to the journeyman levels. IMHO. And you would credit this "mis-perception" as a product of the media which over hyped them both? And the fact that we (the general public) are so easily fooled? Were these guys sort of a couple of "Lamar Clarks" cloaked in the safe harbor of subterfuge created by overly excitable and naive sports writers?

It all sounds a bit conspiratorial to me...but now if you want to talk about leprachauns laddies....I'll assure you they are as real as the gold they protect.

[Robinson]

Watch as BoxBuzz lets the level of Boxrec further slide down the sewer.

How BoxBuzz lets cross dressers lile Collins post nothing about boxing.

LOL


(Insert image of Holmes on the canvas here)

(Insert image of Norton against the ropes here after being KOd by Cooney)

[Robinson]

Buzz

Im just filling in for Gran at the time being.
I place Holmes at the top of my list. Im just biased though.

[BoxBuzz]

Buzz

Im just filling in for Gran at the time being.
I place Holmes at the top of my list. Im just biased though.

I knew it, but I just had to play the straight man...it was just too great of a pitch not to take the swing.

[Goodnight, Irene]

This theatre talk reminds me of a passage out of Alan Alda's Never Have Your Dog Stuffed.

Nice, gentlemen

[Robinson]

Buzz

Im just filling in for Gran at the time being.
I place Holmes at the top of my list. Im just biased though.

I knew it, but I just had to play the straight man...it was just too great of a pitch not to take the swing.

LOL Buzz, Tell us all how much you know of boxing.

How the great Ali touched you as when you were a soft child.

Alan Alda is a left wing puppet of the Ali media machine.

[BoxBuzz]

Robinson...your too good at this. Have you done the Vulcan mind meld? It's actually a bit spooky.

[Robinson]

I was going to post a heap of pictures, but Im seemingly not as good
at finding fallen fighters as the great man is.

Im fortunate that I have a good quality version of this fight, looks clean
and modern. Apart from a young Chevy Chase and Sly Stallone its hard to
think that this was 30 years ago.

[Robinson]

:)

[Goodnight, Irene]

I believe it's the cesspool Buzz is often asked if he is proud of, Collins

[BoxBuzz]

....and we now return you to the Norton/Holmes Championship fight topic that was somehow inadvertently derailed by an remiss contributor.......

[Robinson]

Great fight

rewatched it and scored it...
hence other thread