BoxRec

What was Terry Norris' greatest fight?

Was his victory against faded legend Sugar Ray Leonard his best and most defining?

His rematch against Simon Brown. One of the greatest displays of sheer boxing skills I have ever witnessed. If Norris had Haglers chin, he'd would have been one of the greatest fighters of all time.

Fight that defines Norris?

Julian Jackson

Yep, Jackson and the first Simon Brown fight.

The two fights with Simon Brown tell the whole story. Norris had great technical skills (as he showed in the 2nd fight), but he also had a tendency to dispense with them and "go to war" (as he did in the 1st fight, to his undoing). And of course he had a very questionable chin. Even in the rematch, I remember one round late in the fight when Brown tagged him with a jab, and if you watch Norris closely he seemed dazed then (although he managed to stay on his feet that time).

theone wrote:His rematch against Simon Brown. One of the greatest displays of sheer boxing skills I have ever witnessed. If Norris had Haglers chin, he'd would have been one of the greatest fighters of all time.

While it was a nice display of boxing, no question, I wouldn't go quite that far in describing it. Remember that Brown had already been outboxed even more impressively by Buddy McGirt (who not only outboxed him, but beat the living piss out of him), and that was back in his prime at his prime weight of welterweight. Brown was pretty much used up, or close to that, by the time of even his first fight with Norris. The only reason he was brought in as an opponent in the first place was to provide a showcase for Norris, who was looking ahead to bigger fights.

elmersalsa wrote:What was Terry Norris' greatest fight?

Was his victory against faded legend Sugar Ray Leonard his best and most defining?

I'd say it might have been Ray's most defining fight, choosing the wrong opponent. He simply blew it when he signed to face the Terrible One and should have stuck to the relics. The problem is that there were none left and he wanted to fight. Weak champions were scarce at the time and I heard Al Bundy was not available. Who was there to fight in which he had a good chance to win?

Enter Terry Norris, young, inexperienced, and recently ko'd. Now I would have very much liked to have seen Leonard in with say, the likes of Micheal Nunn before taking this fight. Mike would have surely tested Ray. To be truthful I don't know whether Leonard would have survied such a meeting but it would have been recommended before taking such a fight with Norris. At the very least, a good tuneup with an established fighter-young, fast, mobile, left handed, and in his prime.

But enough of Mike. This is Terry's thread. Terry is a cold blooded killer with ice in his viens; Terry clearly won this match at the outset. Look at the two men during the staredown; Ray cannot bring himself to look at his tormentor to be in the eye. To a man like Terry, street smart and street tough, he has no problems with staredowns at all.

I think Leonard fans should just forgive Ray for taking this fight. How was he to know Terry wouldn't turn out to be another Donny Lalonde or that he'd go on to set the record for title defenses?

yes I will admit that Ray may have been slightly past his best but still hugely favored to win. Norris of course could not hope to match leonard in experience. And that is all the more reason why his was such an impressive win. Add to that the lopsidedness of the match, and you it's no surprise why Terry became a Hall of famer.

Ray Leonard fans needn't be saddened as this was a fellow hall of famer doing the damage.

For Terry it was the start of many impressive wins including the Taylor fight-speed vs. speed with Terry Norris taking it all! The loser, Taylor, sadly wound up in the same sad, beaten up condition as Ray Leonard, being sent to the mourners bench and eventually retirement.