Who's the best fighter you would favor Terry Norris to beat?

Norris became a hot topic in an earlier thread, so here's a question. Who's the best guy in history whom you would favor Norris to beat? Assuming of course, each guy involved is in their primes.

I'm thinking the answer is probably Vargas.

 

Floyd Mayweather.

 

Good point! I think I sold him short on Vargas.

Not only Floyd, but I'd probably take Norris over Oscar too.

Oscar had enough problems with Oba Carr, who wasn't a fraction as talented as Norris.

 

Absolutely, I could see him beating both. Don't get me wrong, Floyd is a gigantic bell as a man, but as a boxer I have the utmost respect for his skills and talent. I don't pick many fighters over him, but I've always felt Norris is perhaps his biggest stylistic nightmare outside of Hearns. The pressure, combinations and size advantage would be a big factor imo.

I would pick him over Oscar too, but De La Hoya has the power to hurt Norris.

 

Speed obviously, too.

 

The only question is can Floyd get Norris to make a lot of stupid mistakes?

 

I think he can, I just don't think he will be able to do it consistently enough. He can make Norris "think" more than he has to, but not enough to discourage Norris from throwing enough to win the rounds.

 

I can see him getting a decision over Moochie

 

I think DLH knocks him out. He wasn’t that hard to find. He had this tendency to leave himself completely open after throwing combos. If anything DLH could pull the trigger when he needed to. I think Mayweather would have had problems with him but I have a hard time going against him, he’s too resourceful, too smart a boxer… Still, Norris would really represent a hard puzzle to solve considering Mayweather wasn’t that powerful above 140…

 

If we’re talking about undersized ATGs who fought briefly at 154, then Norris also beats Whitaker.

 

Yep, Norris Had the Stylistic Ingredients to BEAT Floyd for Sure, and Considering Floyd's KO % @ '47/'54, a Stoppage Is Highly UNLIKELY for Him...

REED Ain't Seen Every Single Terry Norris Fight, But Doesn't Recall Him Losing to a FINESSE Guy Like Floyd Either...




REED

 

agREED...

DeLa Would Likely LOSE More Rounds to Norris Than Floyd Would, But @ SOME Point He Lands a CLEAN Left Hook...If DeLa Could Hurt/Drop Quartey, He Could KO Norris...

Norris' Chin Wasn't Junior Jones/Augie Sanchez/David Price BAD, But it Damn Sure Wasn't GOOD Either...



REED

 

Is Joey Napoles too small to beat Norris

 

Napoles would take Norris apart.

 

I am familiar with Norris going back to his 3rd or 4th pro fight. He could knock you dead with either hand- his honest to God one punch ko of Steve Little was one hell of a shot-and he could box beautifully if he wanted to. He had hands as fast as anybody around. But he liked to fight and, when he got fired up, he forgot where he was and it cost him. Controlling his emotions was the biggest weakness that he had.
The best fighter that he could beat?
Personally I always thought that he would beat Whitaker, because he was faster, and taller. He could box over the top of him, and he could hurt him with either hand. Mayweather- the Norris that beat Leonard would beat Floyd too. He was fast and he could hurt you with either hand. When he was one top of his game, I don't think that either of them would beat Norris, and they wouldn't get him into the 'scent of blood' fight that made him lose his place.
Oscar couldn't outbox him, not the way that Oscar fought at 54. I am not convinced that Oscar would get into a firefight with a peak Terry Norris; if he did, that would be his beat chance of winning. But I am not convinced that he would be willing to get into that with a guy that was at least as fast and was a better two handed puncher. Let me clarify: Norris clearly has the better right hand. Oscar is more known for his left hook, but Norris had a terrific hook as well. Would Oscar put his hook in storage? The natural counter for a hook is a hook, so would he exchange? That would probably depend on an exchange that would happen in the second or third round and how it goes.

He couldn't beat Mike McCallum, not ever. That is mostly that because, while Norris is faster, he can't outbox Mike. Napoles, that was interesting to me, because Napoles (and Arguello) is like a god to me. Certainly, Napoles is the far greater fighter and should take him apart. But, in my mind, while that is probably the most likely outcome, Norris using his speed, power to get off early and take control of the fight cannot be discounted.
Terry Norris had everything that it takes to be a great fighter. There is no shame in the Jackson loss; he got caught , it happens. He had 3 or 4 DQ losses because he lost control of his emotions. And he faded early, too many rounds as an amateur, sparring, etc...you can see it when he starts getting very front foot heavy and backhanding his jab. His legs were bad way too young. He pulled it together in the Brown rematch, but, in retrospect, that was at least as indicative of how much Brown had slipped as it was of what Norris had left.

 

the talk of him vs chavez would have been bad news for chavez

 

Norris would've beaten the Hell outta Chavez, but that doesn't mean anything. I meant relative to Norris' weight class. A great who was a crap at 147, let alone 154, doesn't count.

 

Nah, Chavez wasn't crap against Whitaker IMO. He didn't look any worse than he did at 140, he was just in with a far better fighter than he ever had been. He looked pretty much the same as he did vs Camacho or Haugen, I'd say.

But yeah, Norris pummels him. It is a Junior Middleweight vs a Lightweight. It'd be like bringing Manuel Ortiz up to fight Miguel Cotto. Just isn't gonna end well.

 

I probably wouldn't favour him against Vargas or Vasquez, but that's the level I'd put him on. He was far more talented than either of them, but had far more gaping weaknesses. Every bit as hittable, nowhere near as tough. Actually, I'd probably rate him a little below those two.

It does speak volumes that the best fighters named were all former lightweights, but yeah, I'd take him over De La Hoya and Mayweather. Duran, as well.

To name someone whose another junior middleweight, I'd probably say Koichi Wajima. Waj has a good puncher's chance in a war, though.

 

Norris would get stopped by the Duran who fought Moore.

Matter of fact, Montreal Duran could weigh 146 and Norris 152, and Terry still gets pummeled.

Wajima was shit. I've watched him on YT. Norris would beat the fuck outta that guy. Castro was better than Wajima.

 

If Duran beat Norris, I certainly wouldn't be surprised.

Wajima was the best JMW of the 70s, don't give that "he was shit" bullshit. Norris trying to beat the fuck out of Wajima would get knocked the fuck out. He'd have to box him like he did Brown.

 

LOL. Look at Wajima's resume. Just look at it. The 70s junior middleweights were weak. His resume makes Terry's resume like Sal Sanchez's. The only junior middle who was quality around that decade who was Ayub Kalule who came on near the end of the 70s, and would have pounded Wajima. So no, he wasn't the best junior middleweight of the 70s.

Moreover, 5 of Wajima's 6 losses were by KO, so Terry isn't the only one in this matchup with a less than stellar chin.

Let's be clear about something - Terry Norris suffered two KO losses in his effective prime, and one of em came at the hands of the biggest puncher who ever lived.

Norris would wipe his ass with that crude bum who was going to a SD with the mighty Carmelo Bossi.

Somebody watch this fight and tell me that this guy could potentially beat Terry Norris. Norris would look like Robinson against both these guys, let's be real.

 

The 90s JMWs were weak... the only one of them who was good in Norris' era knocked him the fuck out. And moreover, you overrate the living fuck out of Julian Jackson.

Wajima could take far more punishment than Norris. This is obvious just watching him fight. Let's be clear about what? Norris' chin was ass, let's be clear about that. Just because he was ALSO KTFOd by Jackson, doesn't mean Wajima couldn't.

Ayub Kalule won his first title with two months left in the decade, that in no way removes Wajima from the number one spot. And there's absolutely nothing to suggest Kalule would batter Wajima, nothing whatsoever.

It's abundantly clear you don't know a fucking thing about Wajima's opposition. Norris' bum run of shot midgets is not as good as Wajima's. OH NO, he went down in a close fight with the champion! Imagine if he was almost KTFOd by a bum like Troy Waters.... I don't know what you've got against Wajima, but nobody who wins the title, and goes in back to back to back wars against world class opposition over three years is not a bum

Did you even read my post? I said Wajima has a puncher's chance in a war, and Norris favourite...

 

Ohhh, then please enlighten me about Wajima's better resume. I'd like to hear it...

 

And to have something against a fighter, you have to actually think about them. Wajima doesn't register to me until you mention him.

 

Weird how you suddenly explode upon his name being mentioned then

 

Cause he doesn't impress me. The 70s in itself was an awesome decade in the sport, but junior middleweight in the 70s was weak.

 

Whatever. I didn't even say he'd beat Norris, but he isn't without chance and I think that's obvious.

Norris was just nowhere near as good as he's being made out here.

 

You won't find me of all people overrating Terry Norris. My opinion of him dropped when I was still in my 20s.

20-22 years ago, it was bad. You had a lot of people who said back then that Norris would ALWAYS beat Leonard - regardless of the version of Leonard.

In fact, that was our very own Kid Dynamite. That guy fucking LOOOOVVVVVEEEEDDDDD him some Terry Norris.