He would later embark on an acting career, appearing in several movies, and was a commentator at fights. During his time with the Corps he took up boxing, compiling a 24–2 record en route to three All-Marine Heavyweight titles. "It's been noted that my father and I are on speaking terms and everything's back together now," Norton Jr. said in 1995. We’re here when you need us most. It was justifiably Garcia's career peak. His tactics were to try to push Norton back, but they had failed. "He'd always say 'You know I beat you,'" Holmes recalled. Despite having a sculpted body, Norton said he never lifted weights. crouch, and I didn't know how strong he was until that night and I laid He recovered but never regained his full physical mobility. This fight would become known as the "Caracas Caper". As a result, the "Ken Norton Rule", which limits participation of an athlete to a maximum of four track and field events, was instituted in Illinois high school sports. Luis Nery wins title, John Riel Casimero shines in TKO victory, Josh Taylor's incredible path to the top includes a near-death experience and a few motorcycle crashes. "Ali, to me and the world, was boxing at that point," Norton said. "My manager thought a hypnotist would be a good thing. Despite obtaining a victory, Ali received a pounding. After losing to Holmes, Norton won his next fight by knockout over sixth-ranked Randy Stephens in 1978[29] before taking on Earnie Shavers in another compulsory WBC title eliminator fight in Las Vegas on March 23, 1979. Ken Norton AKA Kenneth Howard Florence Born: 9-Aug-1945 Birthplace: Jacksonville, IL Died: 18-Sep-2013 Location of death: Henderson, NV Cause of death: unspecified Gender ... Military service: USMC Defeated Ali (and broke Ali's jaw) on 31 March 1973, thus becoming World Heavyweight Champion, at least until the rematch on September 10th. [49], Norton died at a care facility in Las Vegas on September 18, 2013. Norton always gave his father credit for his career, saying he learned how to train hard by watching him go for early-morning runs when he was a child. But on June 9, 1978, Holmes beat him and Norton never regained the title. Norton told USA TODAY Sports in 2010 he didn't fear Ali and hired a hypnotist to help him deal with Ali's trash-talking. I was going to fight Muhammad Ali. "The doctors said I would never walk or talk," Norton said at an autograph session in 2011 in Las Vegas, lifting his trademark fedora to show long surgical scars on his bald head. Norton would come back the next year to win a heavyweight title eliminator and was declared champion by the World Boxing Council. The January 1998 issue of Boxing Monthly listed Ali-Norton as the fifth most disputed title fight decision in boxing history. What went wrong between Canelo Alvarez, Oscar De La Hoya and DAZN. m_gallery_type = "photo"; Gallery: Larry Holmes' world heavyweight boxing championship. Norton is the only heavyweight champion never to win the title in the ring, and boxing fans still talk about the bruising battle he waged with Larry Holmes for the title in 1978. Field: Sports: Info: Boxer, former world heavyweight champion, broke Muhammad Ali's jaw in their first fight: Date of Birth: 08/09/1943: Date of Death: 09/18/2013: Age at Death: 70: Cause of Death: Stroke: Link(s) with more info: (opens in a new window) Visitor Stories about Ken Norton In one of the most disputed fights in history, the fight was even on the judges' scorecards going into the final round, which Ali won on both the referee's and judges' scorecards to retain the world heavyweight championship. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. His final fight came Nov. 5, 1981, when he was knocked out in the first round by Gerry Cooney at Madison Square Garden. "Norton was unorthodox," Kilroy said. [39][47] To quote Norton from his biography, Believe: Journey From Jacksonville: "Of all the titles that I've been privileged to have, the title of 'dad' has always been the best."[39]. The decision was controversial, with many observers thinking Young had done enough to win. Field: Sports: Info: Boxer, former world heavyweight champion, broke Muhammad Ali's jaw in their first fight: Date of Birth: 08/09/1943: Date of Death: 09/18/2013: Age at Death: 70: Cause of Death: Stroke: Link(s) with more info: (opens in a new window) Visitor Stories about Ken Norton Before then, he had been working as a ringside commentator and had continued to act in films and on television. Norton was a forward-pressing fighter who was notable for his unusual stance characterized by the cross arm defense. Ali, he said, told him he was a great fighter and he never wanted to fight him again. Despite their rivalry, Ali and Norton remained friends through the years. Holmes, the "Easton Assassin," beat Norton in a bruising 15-round split decision on June 9, 1978, Norton, who lost his title to Holmes in that fight in Las Vegas, died today at a Las Vegas-area care facility. Norton is survived by his wife, Rose, and his children Ken (an American football linebacker who now coaches with the Seattle Seahawks), Keith, Kenejon and Kenisha. On March 31, 1973, Norton was supposed to be a steppingstone for Ali's climb back to the heavyweight title he lost to Joe Frazier two years earlier. "I figured out quickly that wasn't a place I was Norton was a manual morse intercept (MOS 2621) graduating from NCTC Corry Station, Pensacola Florida. m_gallery = "larry_holmes_world_heavyweight_boxing_championship_"; A loss to the big-punching Earnie Shavers in 1979, with Norton suffering a first-round knockout, suggested his time had gone. Norton married Jeannette Henderson in 1966, while still in the Marines. LAS VEGAS -- He was the second man to beat Muhammad Ali, breaking Ali's jaw and sending him to the hospital in their 1973 heavyweight fight. "[17], 'Name' opponents were elusive in Norton's early career. [40] Norton was also inducted into the Marine Corps Hall of Fame in 2004 and into the California Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Exactly four years later, after being KO'd in 58 seconds by Gerry Cooney, Norton hung up his gloves for good. Ken Norton, the former heavyweight champion who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw on his way to a major upset in 1973, died Wednesday. In his next fight, on March 23, 1974, Norton fought George Foreman for the heavyweight championship. "It's part of what I do. They met for a third time on Sept. 28, 1976, at Yankee Stadium and Ali narrowly won to keep his heavyweight title. Ken Norton, the man broke who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw, dies aged 70. Kilroy said Norton was visited at the hospital by former fighters, including Tyson, Earnie Shavers and Thomas Hearns. When under heavy pressure both arms were brought up high across at face level whilst one leaned forward, leaving little open to attack. But he suffered a surprise defeat, ironically just after The Ring magazine had profiled him as a prospect, at the hands of heavy hitting Venezuelan boxer Jose Luis Garcia in 1970. Ken Norton, the former heavyweight champion who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw on his way to a major upset in 1973, died Wednesday. m_gallery_title = "Larry Holmes\' world heavyweight boxing championship "; His fight against Holmes is considered one of the greatest fights of all time. [34] However, not satisfied with the way he had gone out, Norton returned to the ring to face the undefeated Randall "Tex" Cobb in Cobb's home state of Texas on November 7, 1980. He had some other big moments, both good and bad. Born in Jacksonville, Ill. on Aug. 9, 1943, Norton attended Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State) on a football scholarship, but was plagued by shoulder injuries, and joined the Marine Corps, where he started boxing. Few gave Norton, who possessed a muscular, sculpted body, much of a chance against Ali in their first meeting, held at the Sports Arena in San Diego, where Norton lived. • This article was updated on 20 September 2013. In tribute to his father's boxing career, Ken Jr. would strike a boxing stance in the end zone each time he scored a defensive touchdown and throw a punching combination at the goalpost pad. m_gallery_id = "12887800"; He was mostly unknown coming into the Ali fight, having earned just $300 for his previous fight.
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