NO BULL WITH RAGING ROBERT.
Muhammad Ali legitimately beat Ken Norton, despite the official verdicts?
Robert Massimi.
According to none other than Ken Norton, Ali won their second and third fights, though everyone, Ali, Ken, everyone, believes the fights were close and bitterly hard fought.
What did Ken Norton say, about the man he fought three closely contested bouts with?
In an interview with boxing writer and historian Frank J. Lotierzo on ESPN radio 1490, he said:
Frank: “In your third fight, which was for Ali’s title, it came down to the 15th Round on the judges’ scorecards. All three scored the round for Ali. What was your thinking at that time going into that 15th Round?”
Norton: “I was told by my trainer, at the time which was Bill Slayton, that I was ahead on points. He said don’t go out and get cut, don’t go out and get hurt, just go out and control the round and watch yourself and be careful. I went out and thought I did enough to have a draw in that round.”
Frank: “If you could fight that round again, how would you fight it?”
Norton: “I would fight it like I fought the other 14. I would just go out and win it.”
Norton said the same thing in his own book “Going the Distance, The Ken Norton Story” Ken wrote that Ali won the second fight, which he said was Ali’s best fight of the three, by taking the last round. In the third fight, according to Norton, his corner failed him. They told him in the 15th round to relax and not take chances, that he had the fight won. “I took my foot off the gas, Muhammad took the last round, and the fight! I should have learned from the second damn fight!”
The bottom line, according to Norton himself, both on ESPN radio, and in his book, was that his mistake, in taking his foot off the gas, cost him both fights by coasting the last round.
Norton himself admits in “Going the Distance: “Muhammad won the second fight by dominating the last rounds. In the third fight, after Slayton told me I had it in the bag, I took my foot off the gas, I let him land away, and I gave away the fight. My corner was wrong, the fight was close, and I gave it away when they told me to take it easy the last round.”
Ali himself was determined after that fight never to fight Norton again. Ali said after the fight: “I had just enough to win. I know I’m the winner.”
The fight was very close, and the Associated Press, scoring the fight ringside had on its unofficial scorecard Ali winning the last two rounds to take the fight 9–6 Ali. The unofficial UPI scorecard had it 8–7 Norton. No one watching the fight believed it was a steal one way or the other.
Eddie Futch, the Hall of Fame trainer, said “Slayton gave Ali an early Christmas present when he told Kenny to take his foot off the gas in the last round.”
Finally, what did Ken Norton think of Ali, as he reflected on their careers? He told ESPN:
Frank: In your book you say Ali is the best ever. Do you believe that?
Norton: “As far as I’ve been around, yes.”
Frank: “Is Ali the best fighter you ever fought?”
Norton: “Yes.”
Eddie Futch, the legendary Hall of Famer talked about Norton’s unusual style: “Ken’s style makes him very difficult to beat. His defense is something most fighters have never seen, and he is hard to hit cleanly. We designed his defense to cover his chin, which is a weakness.”
And what Futch designed, it worked well enough to get Ken Norton into the Hall of Fame…
Norton, the 1977 Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year, was inducted in 1992 into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, in 2004 into the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2008 was inducted into the WBC Hall of Fame.
Larry Holmes, who faced Norton and took the WBC title from him said “after Norton, all my other title defenses were pieces of cake. He was tough, he was strong, he was hard to hit!”
And those are the real facts, not ones made up in never was a coach land!
Ali took it on the chin from Frazier, Norton, Webber, Spinks and more. Ali would have gotten destroyed by Rocky Marciano, Joe Lewis. Joe Frazier beat Ali at least two of the three fights. In Manilla, Ali’s manager was cutting Ali’s gloves off when Frazier’s manager threw in the towel.
People rave about Ali; Ali was a lite puncher, he had trouble with shorter boxers; Mike Tyson surely would have beaten Ali.
Joe Frazier, ABC News, Covid 19, Gmail, Amazon, Google, Boxing, Rocky Marciano, Joe Lewis, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Mike Tyson.
Is Paramount Custom Homes A Mob Front?
From Joey” Pools” to Billy “The Ape” and on and on, The “Howard Beach” connection is at it again. At the forefront? William Locantro. Still doing “work”, the ape is able to bury money from Absolute Electric and fund Paramount Custom Homes. In the shadows is Fred Mossimo, convicted at least once, Mossimo continues to pull strings at Paramount Custom Homes in the Hamptons. Locantro claims to be an ardent art collector but everyone knows that “the ape” is a paint by numbers guy. In the shadows with Joey “pools” De Sena at Carnegie Childs, the Howard Beach Goodfellas with the blessing of Joey “Carts” was able to do a massive pump and dump operation. Johnny “Cornell” Tessone oversaw the entire scheme. Big Al Kneen was involved in the pool business and originally brought in as CEO Of Carnegie Childs till Joey “pools” said “he had to go”. After the big score with the pump and dump, Locantro was able to fund Paramount Custom Homes. As a former night club owner, “The Ape’ was able to call in favors on plumbing for these homes out in the Hamptons. The Rugliano lawsuit set Locantro back a spell, but no problem as the Ape was able to do some” work” to make up the loses. Louis “The Wrench” Giovanni was able to use Billy in some big deals to make sure his long time friend can get good jobs in Manhattan.
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