Though he never won the title in the ring, Ken Norton was a major player during the talent-rich golden era of the heavyweight division that was the 1970s. Best known for his three tough, close, and mentally and physically taxing battles with Muhammad Ali, Norton also faced elites such as George Foreman, Jimmy Young, Jerry Quarry, and Larry Holmes.
To say Norton was a special fighter is a pretty big understatement. Born on this day in 1943, competitor Norton, a man who truly lived the life of a pro athlete, day in and day out, would very likely have lived to the age of 81 and beyond were it not for the near-fatal car crash he was the victim of in 1986, five years after he had quit the ring in one piece.
His unfortunate piece of driving aside, Norton was a smart guy—in and out of the ring. Born in Jacksonville, Norton served his country in the Marines, and he excelled at sports in high school. A talented football player, Norton wanted to become a policeman or a teacher. Instead, he found boxing—or boxing found him. After a decent amateur career, topped by the winning of a Pan Am title, the 23-year-old Norton went pro.
In time, Norton would be trained by the great Eddie Futch, he would spar with the greater Joe Frazier, and Norton would head-on face the elite of the heavyweight division. It was a genuine shock when 8/1 dog Norton defeated Ali in March of 1973, and Norton had indeed arrived. Due to the stoppage loss he had suffered against Jose Luis Garcia three years prior, nobody thought Norton could top “The Greatest.” But Norton did it and, as he said when looking back on the win, he was on “cloud ten….nine wasn’t high enough.”
Norton always gave Ali nothing but hell, as we saw in the rematch (Ali winning a close decision) and in fight three (Ali being awarded a decision win that was widely viewed as a gift). Norton showed his greatness in another epic fight that he lost; this was the simply fantastic battle he engaged in with Larry Holmes. For the June 1978 war alone, Norton should be, and is, remembered.
Yet Norton managed big wins over Boone Kirkman, Quarry, Duane Bobick, Young, Randy “Tex” Cobb, and Garcia in a revenge meeting.
Norton, who just might have had the most enviable physique of all heavyweight champions, also made a splash on the silver screen, his acting ability displayed in the movies “Drum” and “Mandingo.”
Norton may be labeled by the harsher critics as a ‘paper champion,’ as he never won the title in the ring; Norton instead was crowned after Ali’s conqueror Leon Spinks opted against fighting him when Kenny was the WBC mandatory – Norton being elevated to champ on the strength of his win over Young. But nobody who saw Norton fight his heart out against Holmes, Ali (X3), and Young will ever refer to “The Fighting Marine” as anything approaching a fake champ.
Norton was indeed great. How great! That’s down to personal opinion.
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