http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcgX5VdT ... re=related
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there talk of Norris-Trinidad at one stage? I also remember Norris stating that he could move down to Welter to make a fight with Trinidad.
Norris was a superb fighter, great skills. Where does he rank in LMW history?
Terry Norris footage.
Re: Terry Norris footage.
There was indeed talk of Norris fighting either Tito or DeLaHoya in the late '90s, but that went down the drain when Norris was upset and KO'd by journeyman Keith Mullings. Norris went into a fast decline after that and (if I'm not mistaken) never won another fight.
Norris has said on occasions that he could/would move down to welterweight if a big fight was to be made there. He was in a similar situation about 5 years earlier with Julio Cesar Chavez, and it was spoiled exactly the same way, when Norris was again upset/KO'd by Simon Brown, who was supposed to be washed up then. In that instance, Norris did come back and beat Brown very decisively, but somehow he never did shake the taint of the first fight, so embarassing and devastating was the loss.
Norris was indeed skilled, but he wasn't a great fighter IMO. He's a prime example of a fighter whose record is better than he is. When he got his first try at a title, against Julian Jackson, he was whacked out in just two rounds. He then tried a weaker champion in John Mugabi, and duly won that one. After that, he spent his reign fighting big names that were either faded or outright shot - ie: Leonard, Blocker, Curry, Taylor, Brown - and except for Leonard, were usually coming up in weight too. On top of that, he fell in love with knocking guys out, and he let what skills he had slip away and looked to go to war every time out, which was his undoing in the first Brown fight. He returned to his old boxing style for the Brown rematch, but even the fact that he had to box so carefully just to beat a washed up, blown up fighter such as Brown raised eyebrows (remember, Brown had already had the utter piss beat out of him by Buddy McGirt down at welterweight a few years earlier). Norris' nightmare series with Luis Santana (just a clubfighter, really) further stalled his career after that.
Despite his lengthy championship run, I don't see Norris faring well compared to other top jr. middles in history. He failed badly the only time he fought one still in his prime (Jackson) and twice lost his title on embarassing KOs against huge underdogs. IMO, despite his obvious talent, he was more hype than substance, somewhat like Zab Judah was.
Norris has said on occasions that he could/would move down to welterweight if a big fight was to be made there. He was in a similar situation about 5 years earlier with Julio Cesar Chavez, and it was spoiled exactly the same way, when Norris was again upset/KO'd by Simon Brown, who was supposed to be washed up then. In that instance, Norris did come back and beat Brown very decisively, but somehow he never did shake the taint of the first fight, so embarassing and devastating was the loss.
Norris was indeed skilled, but he wasn't a great fighter IMO. He's a prime example of a fighter whose record is better than he is. When he got his first try at a title, against Julian Jackson, he was whacked out in just two rounds. He then tried a weaker champion in John Mugabi, and duly won that one. After that, he spent his reign fighting big names that were either faded or outright shot - ie: Leonard, Blocker, Curry, Taylor, Brown - and except for Leonard, were usually coming up in weight too. On top of that, he fell in love with knocking guys out, and he let what skills he had slip away and looked to go to war every time out, which was his undoing in the first Brown fight. He returned to his old boxing style for the Brown rematch, but even the fact that he had to box so carefully just to beat a washed up, blown up fighter such as Brown raised eyebrows (remember, Brown had already had the utter piss beat out of him by Buddy McGirt down at welterweight a few years earlier). Norris' nightmare series with Luis Santana (just a clubfighter, really) further stalled his career after that.
Despite his lengthy championship run, I don't see Norris faring well compared to other top jr. middles in history. He failed badly the only time he fought one still in his prime (Jackson) and twice lost his title on embarassing KOs against huge underdogs. IMO, despite his obvious talent, he was more hype than substance, somewhat like Zab Judah was.