Ken Norton-Nearly Great

[BoztheMadman]

Ken Norton was definitely one of the best heavyweights of the golden late 60's-70's generation. But, despite defeating Muhammad Ali, Jerry Quarry and Jimmy Young, his career never really took off and he never really won a world title in the ring. Physically, there has hardly been a more perfect specimen to step into the ring; he stood 6'3, had a reach of 80 inches and typically weighed around 220, with a very sculpted and strong body. He also had the power to boot and the boxing iq, but his chin was not the best it could have been. He was knocked out 4 times in his career, once early by a hard-hitting Jose Luis Garcia, once by George Foreman and twice while past his best, by Earnie Shavers and Gerry Cooney, both times in the first round. Here comes the story of Ken Norton, the Herculean Adonis of the 70's heavyweight division.

 

Kenneth Howard Norton was born August 9 1943 in Jacksonville, Illinois. He was such a magnificent athlete in his youth that he won school competitions in seven different disciplines. Because of him, a rule was later instituted in the Illinois high schools that no athlete can compete in more than four track and field disciplines. He was also an All-Star defensive football player at senior high school in 1960. He took up boxing in the Marines in 1963 and won 3 Marine titles there between 1963 and 1967. He became the best boxer ever to fight for the Marines and also won the North Carolina Golden Gloves, International AUU and Pan American Games as amateur. He made his pro debut on November 14 1967 and stopped the 1-1 Grady Brazell by TKO 5. He was 15-0 with 14 ko's when he faced Venezuela's Jose Luis Garcia, a former light heavyweight, but at 6'4 he was a natural heavyweight back then. He is definitely one of Venezuela's best boxers. The fight was at the Olympic Auditorium in LA July 2 1970 and the 12-2 underdog Garcia first put Norton down in the first round and then staggered him in the fifth and seventh round before again putting Norton down in the eight round. Norton got up but was down once again after which he staggered to his corner and collapsed. The bell had rung and the fight was stopped. Before that, Norton had swollen up Garcia's left eye and it was bleeding just before round eight. It was disappointing to lose to a guy who weighed almost 20 pounds less but Garcia had true punching power and was a cagey fighter.

 

After this loss, Norton was given a book which changed his way of thinking, "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. It helped him develop a better mentality and turn into an even better fighter. He went on a winning streak of 14 fights, beating the likes of James J. Woody and Jack O'Halloran, before challenging Muhammad Ali for the NABF title on March 31 1973. Ali was 41-1, that one loss coming to Joe Frazier of course. Norton was a clear underdog and Ali the 5-1 favorite, but Norton surprised everyone by breaking Ali's jaw in the first round and dominating most of the fight, even though in the end he only got a split decision. Before that, Joe Frazier had sparred with Norton and said of Ali:"He'll have plenty of trouble!" Ali had hardly ever before met such a specimen, both physically strong and hard punching and also clever. They had a rematch on September 10 and this time Ali was a whopping 12-5 favorite! However, Ali had to struggle and fight hard in order to get a split decision in the end. He then called Ken Norton "the best man I have fought." Because the fight was very close and the outcome disputed, Norton ended up getting the shot first against the reigning world champion George Foreman. Foreman was a beast and the terror of the division and had destroyed Frazier easily in 2 rounds when he took the world title. Norton was his second defense and the fight took place March 26 1974 in Caracas, Venezuela, ironically the hometown of Jose Luis Garcia. The Venezuela-connection would prove to be unlucky also this time for Norton, when after an even first round, Foreman first hurt Norton and sent him into the ropes with an uppercut. Norton's legs were wobbled but he remained on his feet. He did take an eight-count and as the fight resumed, he was again sent to the ropes before a series of blows laid him out flat. The fight ended at exactly 2 minute mark. Norton got 200 K while Foreman got 700. The fight was shown in 70 countries.

 

Losing to Foreman that way was really no shame as even Ali later refused to fight him head on, but it was a devastating loss nonetheless. Norton went back to action by stopping the solid contender Boone Kirkman in 7 rounds on June 25. Kirkman was the aggressor early on before Norton turned it up and stopped him with a barrage that put Kirkman on his backside in round 7. He made it to his corner as the bell rang but was unable to answer the next bell. He then faced another white contender, Jerry Quarry, for the NABF title which had been vacated by now-world champion Ali. Quarry had accused several black fighters of avoiding him, including Norton, which infuriated Norton and he gave him a beating after the relatively even first three rounds and stopped Quarry in the fifth after cutting him up badly over the eyes. It was then time for revenge when he again faced his first conqueror, Jose Luis Garcia. Garcia had by then lost 5 times and had a record of 30-7-1. Norton therefore handled him easily and put him down in the third, fourth and finally the fifth round to win by KO. He said after the fight:"I am a better fighter than I was 5 years ago." However, one can say the opposite of Garcia, who had been knocked out in 2 by Joe Bugner not long before that and this would be his final fight. He was also koed by Ron Lyle, Ernie Terrell and Joe Alexander since beating Norton. Norton then also stopped the noted Argentinian puncher Pedro Lovell, also in 5 rounds by TKO and again scored a TKO 5 against rough and tough scrapper Ron Stander, both in 1976. He also faced Larry Middleton, who had broken Bugner's jaw and the fight was billed as "Battle of the Jawbreakers". The crowd booed when the fight was stopped in the 10th round however and Middleton's manager protested the stoppage as well. It later turned out he had a punctuated eardrum, so the stoppage was justified.

 

He then for the third time faced Ali on September 28 that 1976. This time it was for the world titles, at the Yankee Stadium in NY. Ali was again the betting favorite, but not as big as previously, 8-5. With his famous arrogance Ali predicted:"I'll knock the sucker out in 5 rounds!" But it didn't happen. This time, Norton dominated the fight, much like in their first fight, but in the end found himself on the wrong end of a disgraceful unanimous decision, though it was close. To this day this is considered one of the worst decisions in the sport. Norton said:"I won at least nine or ten rounds. I was robbed." Ali however maintained:"I had just enough to win. I know I'm the winner." However, a month later he admitted in an interview that "Kenny's style is too difficult for me. I can't beat him and I sure don't want to fight him again. I honestly thought he beat me in Yankee Stadium, but the judges gave it to me and I'm grateful to them." Norton then scored an upset victory against the highly rated 38-0 "White Hope" Duane Bobick when he knocked Bobick out after only 58 seconds, after punching him in the Adam's Apple and then showering him with blows before Bobick hit the deck twice and the fight ended. He then knocked out the best Italian heavyweight then, Lorenzo Zanon, in 5 rounds. On November 5 1977 he faced the very clever and skilled Jimmy Young in an eliminator for the WBC title, which had been stripped from Ali. The fight was very even, even though some argue Young won it, but Norton closed strong and so got the verdict from two of the judges while the third had Young winning.

 

He was then awarded the WBC title after Leon Spinks, the current champion, chose to fight Ali again instead of Norton. He first fought with the title on stake against the new star on the horizon, Larry Holmes. Coincidentally, Holmes had lost to Bobick in the amateurs but was 27-0 as a pro. The fight was held June 9 1978 at Caesars Palace and was a true barnburner, as the two fighters went toe to toe in the second half of the fight after a slow start. Norton started slowly and paid for it, as Holmes took the early rounds, before Norton upped the tempo, but the fight was even from there on and ended in a true slugfest. Norton was staggered twice in the 13th and staggered Holmes twice in the 14th and landed six punches just before the bell. The 15th was just amazing, when Norton first hurt and staggered Holmes before Holmes in the end came back and hurt and staggered Norton. It was a hard job scoring the fight and 2 judges gave it to Holmes by 143-142 while the third had Norton ahead with the same score. And so, Norton had lost the title without ever winning it in a fight, thus making a unique case in history. He got the amazing sum of 2.3 millions for the fight. After this fight, he was pretty much spent as a serious force. He knocked out the lightly regarded Randy Stephens in 3 before facing the hardest puncher ever, Earnie Shavers, on March 23 1979; Norton was 35 while Shavers was 33 but had less mileage on him and had had far less big fights. Norton made a mistake in going to the ropes where Shavers made a short work of him, pounding him at will before decking him twice. Norton got up at eight the second time but then fell over and the fight ended at 1:58 of the first round. He once again made big money, 750 K, but his career now lay in tatters.

 

After drawing against the solid journeyman Scott LeDoux, being knocked down twice in the process, Norton retired at the end of 1979, aged 36. He later stated in his autobiography that he didn't train as hard as he should have for this fight. However, after being the color commentator for the Randall Cobb-Earnie Shavers fight in March 1980, he chose to come back and face the winner of that fight: Randall "Tex" Cobb, on November 7 that year. As I already wrote in Cobb's career thread, that fight was very close but Norton snatched it with a spirited effort and closing strong to win by SD10. He then unwisely chose to face the huge 6'6 puncher Gerry Cooney, who was undefeated at 24-0. Cooney weighed in at only half a pound more than Norton, but was 13 years younger and was ranked at nr.2 by The Ring while Norton was ranked at nr.10. It was May 11 1981 and the last the world would see of Kenny Norton was a quick blowout at the hands of Cooney, who buckled his legs with the first punch that landed and then pinned him against the corner before unleashing several big blows to his head before Norton fell face forward. It was over after only 54 seconds. He was now definitely washed up at almost 38 and finally retired, leaving behind a record of 42 wins (33 by ko), 7 losses and 1 draw. He was later ranked as the 22th best heavyweight in the 1998 Holiday issue of The Ring.

 

Norton was a forward-pressing fighter who was unusual because of his stance and guard characterised by cross arm defense. This stance was also used by Archie Moore and several other old greats, as well as Tim Witherspoon later on. Angelo Dundee wrote that his best punch was left hook but he was also praised for his overhand right. Norton himself said the right uppercut he landed against Jerry Quarry was the hardest punch he can remember he landed. In 1992 he was inducted into the IBHOF and he was also inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, the United State Marine Corps HOF and the WBC HOF. Norton also had an acting career and appeared as a sports commentator frequently, before in 1986 suffering a car accident that left him with a slurred speech. He had 3 children of which the most famous is Ken Norton jr., the football player and coach. Every time he scored a touchdown, he would strike a boxing pose in tribute to his father. Ken Norton died on September 18 2013, after suffering several strokes. He was 70 years old. George Foreman called him "the fairest of them all" and Larry Holmes said "he will be incredibly missed in the boxing world and by many."