This fight was a clash of styles and body types that became a classic war. Note how short these men keep their punches inside, how little they clinch, and not coincidentally—how nasty the fight is. Heavyweights of this era used the wing block all day long, a rare sight today.
The problem with Quarry was short arms. He used the best boxing tools for his fire plug body, and this served him very well against fighters such Ron Lyle, who was tall and used a conventional guard. Jerry was a ‘pocket boxer’, which doomed him against the tall mover Ali, and assured a savage war with peek-a-boo stylists like Norton and Frazier.
Two things really told against Quarry in this seesaw battle, turning it into a relentless grind that favored the stronger Norton:
1. Norton’s powerful jab, which is not so much in evidence against taller fighters
2. Norton fully pivoted his huge shoulders into and through his punches, particularly when driving in, or up, the center line, taking Jerry’s counterpunching game away. Beware the bigger man who plays possum while coming forward seeking to counter.
Both fighters showed a dedication to combination punching, extreme toughness, excellent conditioning, and, despite the number of punches landed, sharp attention to defense.
Quarry’s body attack was first rate, but, he was hitting Ken Norton, so was like a Sherman tank blasting away at a Tiger tank in WWII.
Norton’s 100% connect rate in the most telling round is as much due to the stylistic advantage of the peek-a-boo over the pocket brawler as to his patience.
