[2], Still rebuilding a winning record after his first professional loss to Joe Frazier, Ali faced Norton on March 31, 1973, at the Sports Arena, San Diego, California. I was robbed. By round 12 it was clear to anyone watching with attention that a massive upset was about to happen, that Muhammad needed a stoppage to win. Norton both landed more punches and had far better accuracy (45% vs 28%). The live gate was announced as $3.5 million. ", At the time of the third Ali-Norton bout, the last time a heavyweight champion lost the title by decision was when. The fight against Norton started a years-long rivalry. There were no knockdowns. As the final bell rang, Norton won on a split decision, igniting a controversy in the boxing world. Norton kept Ali on the defensive for much of the fight. Related Articles. Boxing: Ken Norton, heavyweight icon who 'beat' Muhammad Ali three times. It is a city of fights and fighters, of hockey and heroes, of broken dreams and immortal glory, a city unlike any other. Ali’s long struggle with Ken Norton, one lasting thirty-six tough, punishing rounds, began in Norton’s hometown of San Diego, California. In the final round, Ali dominated with a series of combinations. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9], On September 10, 1973, Ali and Norton met at the Forum, Inglewood, California, USA, for their highly anticipated rematch. As Norton himself put it years later: “The first Ali fight gave me a chance to give my son more food, better clothes. [13], Learn how and when to remove this template message, "National Press Club Luncheon Speakers, Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton, August 27, 1976", "One Punch: How Ken Norton Became a Boxing Legend in a Single Night", "A fight-by-fight look at Muhammad Ali's career milestones", Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton - Full Fight September 10, 1973 (Video), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muhammad_Ali_vs._Ken_Norton&oldid=974261894, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 August 2020, at 00:51. The fight was shown on closed circuit television in 300 locations in the United States and Canada. A young Norton (center) with his trainer Eddie Futch (left) and Joe Frazier. Beim Kampf zwischen Ken Norton (l.) und Muhammad Ali am 10. Despite this, hearing the official decision go to the underdog was still a shock for sports fans everywhere, though the punch stats clearly supported the judges’ verdict, with Norton landing 233 total punches to Ali’s meager 171. However, Norton’s fervent opinion was that he broke Ali’s mandible in the final round. ", Ali said during an interview with Mark Cronin in October of 1976: "Kenny’s style is too difficult for me. Ultimately, Ali won by a unanimous decision, thereby retaining his title. "Ali and Norton in war of words" Glasgow Herald, September 23, 1976, "Norton Claims, 'I Was Robbed'" Milwaukee Sentinel, September 29, 1976, "Ali Plain Lucky To Win Decision" Milwaukee Sentinel, September 29, 1976, "Norton thinking of retirement" UPI, September 29, 1976, "Judges' 'Rally' Decisive" by Dick Young, New York News, September 30, 1976, "Debate May Rage Infinitely" AP, September 30, 1976, "A night to remember in the Bronx" by Wallace Matthews, ESPN, June 3, 2010, "The real action was outside the Stadium" by Michael Woods, ESPN, June 4, 2010, "Ken Norton will be remembered as one of the best heavyweights ever" by Dwayne McClary, The Grio, September 19, 2013, Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton (1st meeting), Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton (2nd meeting), https://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Muhammad_Ali_vs._Ken_Norton_(3rd_meeting)&oldid=777082, Ali said of Norton before the fight: "I'll knock the sucker out inside five rounds. Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton (3rd meeting) Notes. Montreal is The Fight City. Series of epic fights with The Greatest went to split decisions – and he reckons he won them all I can’t beat him, and I sure don’t want to fight him again. "[12], Overall, Ali landed 199 of 709 punches while Norton landed 286 of 635 punches, per Bob Canobbio's CompuBox statistics. The gate was $240,792, with a paid attendance of 11,884. I honestly thought he beat me in Yankee Stadium, but the judges gave it to me, and I’m grateful to them." Norton out-landed Ali 34 to 12 in that round, while connecting at a much higher percentage (63%) than the Louisville native (26%). One was Joe Frazier, his arch-rival, the man who sent Ali to hell and back in both their first great battle in 1971, and again in the monumental “Thrilla in Manila.” But if Ali was the Superman of the heavyweight division in the 1970’s, the other boxer who could rightfully claim to be his kryptonite was of course, Ken Norton. Ali managed a resurgence in round eight as he got on his bicycle again and stayed one step ahead of the pursuing Norton. Don King offers support after the fight as Ali holds an ice pack to his injured jaw. ", Ali said after the fight: "I had just enough to win. Ali vs Norton II would be decided by its final three minutes and here the extra roadwork the former champion did in Deer Lake paid huge dividends. It was a huge upset and a result that showed that no matter how brilliant a boxer may be, there is always someone, somewhere, with the style and strategy to beat the unbeatable. Ali was a 5 to 1 favorite. Ali’s long struggle with Ken Norton, one lasting thirty-six tough, punishing rounds, began in Norton’s hometown of San Diego, California. Vergrößern Ken Norton: Bilder seiner Karriere. Prior to his battle with Ali, Norton was a single father who could barely make ends meet and no doubt his impressive performance was a product of being supremely motivated. Norton’s ability to give Ali fits in all three of their clashes is evidence of the truth behind one of boxing’s most overused clichés, the famous saying that “styles make fights.” But the simple fact is some boxers simply have a style which causes all kinds of problems for a pugilist who is otherwise superior. Ali was guaranteed $6 million plus 50% of all revenue over $9 million, and Norton was guaranteed $1 million plus 5% of all revenue. There was also the fact that Ali was by all accounts in less than prime condition, while Norton had whipped himself into the best shape of his life. And he followed perfectly the plan set out by his prolific trainer, Eddie Futch, the man who was also the strategic mastermind behind Ali’s loss to Frazier.

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