(Technically) How can Muhammad Ali beat Ken Norton?

The second and third fights were very close, I had Ali winning the second and Norton the third. It dosnt really matter though, by the third fight Ali was so far gone, he should have been medically retired, he had already begun to show the symptoms of Parkinsons. It was evident after the second Norton fight he was shaky and slurring his words. You could probably argue that the Foreman fight was the last hora for Ali, he was a shell after that, he never talked the same or moved the same afterwards. The fact that Ali fought the second half of his career with Parkinson is another testament to a mans will over adversity. The fact that he was even competing on any level is shocking but still fighting young, strong hungry fighters well into Parkinsins is incredible. Makes you think how horrible a guy like Norton was that strong, young big fighter like Norton was only able to lose a contested decision in the third fight.

Ali should have hung em up after Foreman, Sure the Norton fights where close, but so what? they could have gone either way, that still impressive for Ali. The Ali prior to his layoff, the lightning fisted agility machine with the granite chin and fast feet would have made Norton look foolish in the first fight and there would have been no need for two more. I think the flat footed, plodding slow shell of Ali of the 70's did all he could do at that point in the third fight against a big strong heavyweight.

So what could have done? Get a time machine and go back and bring his 1963 version back and throw him into the ring. Other then that I cant see any game plan Ali could have used to convinsingly beat Norton by the third fight. Like I say I thought Ali won the second fight and may have won the first if he hadn't suffered a broken jaw.

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you make a good point i think a younger ali with better stamina and foot speed could of had better success against norton ,by the the time they fought ali was pretty flat footed and low work rate so for me ali needed to be in much better shape stay of the ropes and circle norton firing quick jabs and one two's . plus some fighters just have your number like holyfield with tyson or jermain taylor with hopkins , people seem to forget about the norton fights when ali is called the greatest or if you say that joe louis was the best heavy weight .

He doesn't . Judges were caught up in the Ali Mystique and scored non action rounds in his favor. Very luck in some fights, until is became quite obvious in 1978 losing to a Spinks with 8 pro fights.

Norton did not get robbed in either of the second or third fights, so basically the blueprints for Ali are what he actually did.

If Ali had been in his prime, his lateral movement would have allowed him to win much more convingingly.

Stay on his toes and NEVER Rope-a-Dope......As long as Ali is in motion, not much Norton could do except drag his foot behind him....

He should have used his jab faster, kept him away, used his fast combos and use his foot-work for 15 rounds.