Leon Spinks vs. Ken Norton in 1978

[KOTF]

Suppose Leon decides to skip the big money Ali rematch (he'd be a fool if he did, but this is a hypothetical thread) and decides to defend against Kenny Norton, his WBC mando. What would happen, how would the fight play out?

[SteveO]

I have to say Norton by Decision.

Bad matchup for Leon. He doesn't have the skill set to decision Norton, and he doesn't have the freakish power a la Foreman, Shavers, and Cooney to knock him out.

[djanders]

Yeah. I pick Norton by decision, too.

[Dempsey1238]

Or even ko perhaps.

I dont see Spinks beating Norton.

Than again, I dont see Spinks beating Ali, so who knows lol.

[Holmes' Jab]

Kenny by decision.

[jaffay]

Even at late part of his career Norton takes it in clear UD

[Stevie G]

Norton takes it by ko/tko within 5 rounds. Too strong and skillful for Spinks.

[AREA 53]

I cant help but thinking that Kenny has little respect for Leon, and comes at him like he did Duane Bobick, Ken would not be a tired "Boxer" like the old Ali, or a Lumbering Statue like Marcado who Leon climbed all over, Ken would i feel put Leon on his back foot pretty quickly, and sometime in the first four rounds Kenny's rather industrial overhand right would make contact, I do not think Little Leon hold a great shot, and see Kenny Taking Leon out Circ 6th

Ali and Holmes and young could ride slip and indeed take punishment when they had to, so maybe they made Ken not look like a Puncher, But when Ken fought Smallish Heavy Randy Stephens, Once he Caught Randy with one left hook bang on the Chin it was over, I think a similar fate awaits Leon its just a case of Ken Zeroing in.

[mr. magoo]

This is probably a mismatch. I don't think that Leon had the experience to deal with a fighter of Norton's style.

[he grant]

The Norton of 78 would have destroyed Leon Spinks in a round or two tops ... it would have been a brutal mismatch and no one knew it more than Ali which is why he made a full scale public outcry to get the Spinks rematch before Leon fought Norton, the deserving number 1 contender. Ali knew Norton would destroy Spinks and that he could never defeat Norton and would not regain the belt. Ali pulled off the rematch and Norton got screwed, winning a paper title and having to immediately defend against a young, prime Larry Holmes, a zillion times tougher opponent ...

[Mr Butt]

norton wins by the 9th tko

[Bill Butcher]

Norton wouldnt dream of embarrassing himself by coming in in the shape that Ali came in vs Spinks + Ken had more left than Ali at that point anyway.

Norton would beat Spinks by wide UD, Spinks could take a decent beating & Kenny was never a KO puncher, he would grind Spinks down but not out.....

Norton W15 UD Spinks (10-5)

[he grant]

Norton was absolutely a bug puncher ... not a Foreman or Frazier but a hell of a lot harder than an Ali, Holmes or Holyfield ... definately in a league like a Bowe ...

[anut]

go view coetzee vs spinks..............and that is what norton would do to spinks.............1 rd tko in favour of norton:smoke:smoke:smoke

[PbP Bacon]

Kenny would win handily. Spinks was out of his league here

Probably UD, but I don't discard a late stoppage

[RockyJim]

Kenny by UD over "Neon" Leon in 1978...

[Jear]

go view coetzee vs spinks..............and that is what norton would do to spinks.............1 rd tko in favour of norton:smoke:smoke:smoke

I think Coetzee's bionic right carried more wallop than anything Kenny had.
I would pick Norton by UD but it would be interesting to see how he coped with Leons relentless pressure if Leon was in the right state of mind

[Titan1]

Norton would beat Spinks by a UD over 15, but Leon would have his moments against Ken.

[MRBILL]

Styles make fights..... Norton was NOT as good as a pure boxer with decent power like "Ali & Holmes," but Norton would eat Leon Stinks alive in 1978....... Stinks would walk right into Ken Norton and trade punches..... A bigger, stronger Norton wallops Stinks into a mid round KO defeat......

MR.BILL:yep

[zadfrak]

Spinks had his hands full in that toe to toe fight with Ledoux just before the Ali sweepstakes. Toe to toe with Norton is going to be much harder and tougher to do. A motivated Norton==and since this should've been a title bout he would have been near his best== would win every minute of every round against the guy. Leon was always right in front of opponents and hardly sported a tight defense in there. And he sure liked to exchange. But he didn't hit all that hard as a heavy and I don't think he backs Kenny up. Norton hurts him to the body and then comes over the top for a 5 or 6 round tko in a lopsided bout.

Other guys around during that 78 timeframe were a tough matches for Leon as well; Holmes. old Shavers even. Knoetze and Coetzee. Tate was making waves in 78. Guys on the periphery like Weaver/Ward/old Lyle/Mercado/Gardner/ and so on would've been hard fights. Leon won the sweepstakes getting that Ali fight at the right time and he rose big on the night he had to. But he was not going to face the top level competition without some losses.