Ken Norton - wikipedia Ken Norton This article is about the boxer. For his son, the American football player, see Ken Norton, Jr. For the English cricketer, see Ken Norton ( cricketer ). For the college basketball coach, see Ken Norton ( basketball ). Ken Norton Norton in 1977 Statistics Real name Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. Nickname ( s ) The Black Hercules The Jaw Breaker The Fighting Marine Weight ( s ) Heavyweight Height 6 ft 3 in ( 191 cm ) Reach 80 in ( 203 cm ) ( 1943 - 08 - 09 ) August 9, 1943 Jacksonville, Illinois, U.S. September 18, 2013 ( 2013 - 09 - 18 ) ( aged 70 ) Henderson, Nevada, U.S. Boxing record Total fights 50 Wins 42 Wins by KO 33 Losses 7 Draws Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. ( August 9, 1943 -- September 18, 2013 ) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1967 to 1981, and held the WBC heavyweight title in 1978. He is best known for his trilogy with Muhammad Ali, in which Norton won the first fight by split decision, and controversially lost the latter two fights by split and unanimous decision, respectively. Norton also fought a slugfest with Larry Holmes in 1978, narrowly losing a split decision. Having officially retired from boxing in 1981, Norton was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992. Contents 1 Early life 2 Amateur career 3 Professional career 3.1 Norton vs. Ali I, II 3.2 Norton vs. Foreman 3.3 Norton vs. Ali III 3.4 Aftermath : Norton becomes champion & Young match 3.5 Larry Holmes title fight 3.6 Retirement looms 4 Boxing style 5 Awards and recognitions 6 Later media career 7 Personal life 7.1 Death 8 Professional boxing record 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 External links Early life Norton was an outstanding athlete at Jacksonville High School. He was selected to the all - state team Football team on defense as a senior in 1960. His track coach entered him in eight events, and Norton placed first in seven of them. 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. After graduating from high school, Norton went to Northeast Missouri State University ( now Truman State University ) on a football scholarship and studied elementary education. In an interview with ESPN Fitness Magazine in 1985, Norton said that he would have become a teacher or a policeman if he had not taken up boxing. Amateur career Norton started boxing when he was in the United States Marine Corps from 1963 to 1967, compiling a 24 -- 2 record en route to three All - Marine Heavyweight titles. In time, he became the best boxer to ever fight for the Marines, and was awarded the North Carolina AAU Golden Gloves, International AAU and Pan American titles. Following the National AAU finals in 1967, he turned professional. Professional career Norton built up a steady string of wins, some against journeyman fighters and others over fringe contenders like the giant Jack O'Halloran. He was learning and improving. 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. It was justifiably Garcia 's career peak. But Garcia was overpowered, both then as rated contenders, in their rematch five years later. Norton was given the motivational book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, which, as he states in his autobiography, Going the Distance, changed his life. Shortly before he died, Norton stated `` Think and Grow Rich changed my life dramatically. I was going to fight Muhammad Ali. I was a green fighter, but yet I won, all through reading this book. '' Upon reading Think and Grow Rich, he went on a 14 - fight winning streak, including the shocking victory noted above over Muhammad Ali in 1973 to win the North American Boxing Federation heavyweight champion title. To quote Norton from his autobiography noted above, `` These words ( from Napoleon Hill 's Think and Grow Rich ) were the final inspiration in my victory over Ali : Life 's battles do n't always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can. '' Norton also took a complete course by Napoleon Hill on gaining wealth and peace of mind. `` It can be related to anybody, to be the best in a career, to think positive '', said Norton. An article which appeared in The Southeast Missourian discussed that Norton credited Napoleon Hill 's philosophy for his success. To quote from the article, `` Norton says he 's a believer in Napoleon Hill 's philosophy, that a person can do anything he puts his mind to. ' So I train for my fights, ' he says, ' mentally as well as physically. One thing I do is only watch films of the fights in which I 've done well or in which my opponent has done poorly. ' '' Norton once said, `` In boxing, and in all of life, nobody should ever stop learning ! '' Norton vs. Ali I, ii Main article : Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton ' Name ' opponents were elusive in Norton 's early career. His first big break came with a clear win over respected contender Henry Clark. This helped get him his world recognition break when Ali agreed to a match. Joe Frazier, who 'd sparred with Norton, presciently said of Ali, `` He 'll have plenty of trouble ! '' Though both were top boxers in the mid 1970s, Norton and Frazier never fought each other, in part because they shared the same trainer, Eddie Futch, and also that they were friends. For the first match, on March 31, 1973, Muhammad Ali entered the ring at the San Diego Sports Arena wearing a robe given to him by Elvis Presley as a 5 -- 1 favorite versus Ken Norton, then rated a number 6 world contender in a bout televised by ABC 's Wide World of Sports. Norton won a 12 - round split decision over Ali in his adopted hometown of San Diego to win the NABF heavyweight title. In this bout, Norton broke Ali 's jaw ( he maintains in round eleven, though Angelo Dundee said it was earlier ), leading to only the second defeat for `` The Greatest '' in his career. ( Ali 's only previous loss was to Joe Frazier, and Ali would later go on to defeat George Foreman to regain the heavyweight title in 1974. ) Almost six months later at The Forum in Inglewood, California, on September 10, 1973, Ali avenged the Norton loss but only after he got the return by a split decision. Norton weighed in at 205 lbs ( 5 pounds lighter than his first match with Ali ) and boxing scribes discussed that his preparation was too intense and that perhaps he had overtrained. There were some furious exchanges in this hard - fought battle. From Ali 's point of view, a loss here would have seriously dented his claim of ever being `` The Greatest. '' During the ABC broadcast of the fight, broadcaster ( and Ali confidant and friend ) Howard Cosell repeatedly told viewers a dancing and jabbing Ali was dominating the action despite Norton 's constant offense and Ali 's inability to penetrate Norton 's awkward defensive style. The close and controversial scoring was in stark contrast to Cosell 's fight - long insistence that Ali had matters well in hand. Norton vs. Foreman In 1974, Norton fought George Foreman for the world heavyweight championship and was knocked out in the second round at Poliedro of Caracas, Venezuela. After an even first round, Foreman staggered Norton with an uppercut a minute into round two, buckling him into the ropes. Norton did not hit the canvas, but continued on wobbly legs, clearly not having recovered, and shortly he went down a further two times in quick succession, with the referee intervening and stopping the fight. This fight would become known as the `` Caracas Caper ''. In 1975, Norton regained the NABF heavyweight title when he impressively defeated Jerry Quarry by TKO in the fifth round. Norton then avenged his above - mentioned 1970 loss to Jose Luis Garcia by decisively knocking out Garcia in round five. Norton vs. Ali III On September 28, 1976, at Yankee Stadium in New York City, Norton would again fight Ali, who was now the world heavyweight champion since regaining the title with an eighth - round knockout of George Foreman in 1974. Many observers have felt this was the beginning of Ali 's decline as a boxer. It was a tough bruising battle for Ali. 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. The judges scored the bout 8 -- 7 for Ali, and the referee scored it 8 -- 6 for Ali. At the end of the last round, the commentator announced he would be `` very surprised '' if Norton has not won the fight. At the time of the third Ali - Norton bout, the last time a heavyweight champion had lost the title by decision was Max Baer to Jim Braddock 41 years earlier, and Ali - Norton III did not set a new marker. The January 1998 issue of Boxing Monthly listed Ali - Norton as the fifth most disputed title fight decision in boxing history. The unofficial UPI scorecard was 8 -- 7 for Norton, the unofficial AP scorecards were 9 -- 6 for Ali ( Ed Schuyler ), 8 - 7 Norton ( Wick Temple ) and Sports Illustrated was 8 - 7 Norton ( Mark Kram ). But Ali had received a pounding. His tactics were to try to push Norton back, but they had failed. He 'd refused to ' dance ' until the 9th when in sheer desperation, although the crowd massively roared its appreciation. Norton has said the third fight with Ali was the last boxing match for which he was fully motivated, owing to his disappointment at having lost a fight he believed he had clearly won. Aftermath : Norton becomes champion & Young match 1977 was a top year for Norton. He knocked out previously unbeaten top prospect Duane Bobick in just one round. Then dispatched European title holder Lorenzo Zanon in a ' tune - up ' fight. Light - hitting but fast, Zanon was actually well ahead until a burst of heavy punches put him down and out. Norton next beat polished number two contender Jimmy Young ( who himself had beaten George Foreman and Ron Lyle ) via 15 - round split decision in a WBC title - elimination bout, with the winner to face reigning WBC champion Ali. ( However, Ali 's camp told Ring Magazine they did not want to fight Norton for a fourth time. ) Both boxers fought a smart fight, with Norton using a heavy body attack whilst Young moved well and countered. The decision was controversial, with many observers thinking Young had done enough to win. Plans, however, changed on February 15, 1978. On that night, in front of a nationwide television audience, Ali lost his title to Leon Spinks. The WBC then ordered a match between the new champion and its number one contender, but Spinks chose instead to give the fallen champion the first shot at taking his title rather than face Norton. The WBC responded on March 18, 1978, by retroactively giving title fight status to Norton 's victory over Young the year before and awarded Norton their championship, which split the heavyweight championship for the first time since Jimmy Ellis and Joe Frazier were both recognized as champions in the early 1970s. Larry Holmes title fight In his first defense of the WBC title on June 9, 1978, Norton and new # 1 contender Larry Holmes met in a classic fight. After 15 brutal rounds, Holmes was awarded the title via an extremely close split decision. The three judges ' cards were as follows : 143 -- 142 for Holmes, 143 -- 142 for Holmes, and 143 -- 142 for Norton. The Associated Press scored it 143 -- 142 for Norton. The March 2001 edition of The Ring magazine listed the final round of the Holmes - Norton bout as the 7th most exciting round in boxing history. As noted above, Holmes - Norton is ranked as the 10th greatest heavyweight fight of all time by Monte D. Cox, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization ( IBRO ). Holmes went on to become the third - longest reigning world heavyweight champion in the history of boxing, behind Joe Louis and Wladimir Klitschko. Years later, Holmes wrote of his experience that this was his toughest match in over 70 contests. Retirement looms After losing to Holmes, Norton won his next fight by knockout over sixth - ranked Randy Stephens in 1978 before taking on Earnie Shavers in another compulsory WBC title eliminator fight in Las Vegas on March 23, 1979. It appeared for the first time that Norton 's career had perhaps hit a decline, particularly after the Holmes match as Shavers took the former champion out in the first round. But it also created a view that his confidence was n't good against all - time great hitters Foreman, Shavers and later Cooney. Although Norton himself always denied this and he was past his prime when he was stopped by Shavers and Cooney. ( Norton 's peak was 1973 -- 1978. ) In his next fight, he fought to a draw with unheralded but durable lower ranked contender Scott LeDoux at the Met Center in Minneapolis. Norton dominated until sustaining an injury when he took a thumb in the eye in the eighth round, which immediately changed the bout. LeDoux rallied from that point and Norton became decidedly fatigued. Norton was down two times in the final round, resulting in the draw ; Norton fell behind on one scorecard, kept his lead on the second, and dropped to even on the third ( the unofficial AP scorecard was 5 -- 3 -- 2 Norton ). After the fight, Norton decided that at 37 it was time to retire from boxing. 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. In an all action back - and - forth fight, Norton escaped with a split decision, with referee Tony Perez and judge Chuck Hassett voting in his favor and judge Arlen Bynum giving the fight to Cobb. Pictured : ( l-r ) Cobb vs. Norton 1980 The win over the title - contending Cobb gave Norton another shot at a potential title - fight, and on May 11, 1981. at Madison Square Garden he stepped into the ring with top contender Gerry Cooney, who, like Cobb, was undefeated entering the fight. Very early in the fight it became clear that Norton was no longer the caliber of fighter he once was, as Cooney 's first punch caused Norton 's legs to buckle. Norton continued to take shots from Cooney in his corner for nearly a full minute before Perez, who refereed his last fight, stepped in to stop the bout 54 seconds in, as Norton was slumped in his corner. Norton decided to retire following the match and turned his attention to charitable pursuits. Norton 's enduring legacy as a fighter is that he is considered second to Joe Frazier as Ali 's main nemesis and toughest opponent. Norton fought Ali to three decisions and was never hurt or knocked down. All three bouts were close and subject to controversy. Unfortunately, Norton was less successful against three of the greatest punchers of all time, losing by KO to Foreman and Shavers and by TKO to Cooney. Norton was considered past his prime in boxing from 1979 to 1981. Boxing style Norton was a forward - pressing fighter / boxer who was notable for his unusual guard / stance characterised by the cross arm defence. The left arm low across the torso and right hand up by the right or left ear. But when under heavy pressure both arms were brought up high across at face level whilst one leant forward. This left the opponent little target in theory. The guard was also used by the legendary Archie Moore. George Foreman later used it very effectively during his famous comeback years. Tim Witherspoon was another practitioner. Joe Frazier even borrowed it for occasions in his third Ali match. The style is named the `` cross-armed defense ''. It tends to look crablike. Norton would bob and weave from a crouch, firing well placed heavy punches. Norton was best when advancing. He 'd drag or slide the right foot along from behind. By comparison, most conventional boxers have elbows in at the torso with forearms vertically parallel to each another, the gloves then being both near sides of the face. Most trainers believe the conventional style is a better defense and that the cross-arm style leaves the user open far too often. Angelo Dundee wrote that Norton 's best punch was the left hook. Many others lauded his infamous overhand right. In a Ring Magazine article, Norton himself said that a right uppercut to Jerry Quarry was the hardest blow he recalled landing. Unlike many boxers, Norton would often not attempt to stare down an opponent while announcements were made before the match started. Instead, he 'd often look down at the floor and gather his thoughts. He was also widely noted for his fine athletic build. Awards and recognitions Norton is a 1989 inductee of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, a 1992 inductee of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, a 2004 inductee into the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame, and a 2008 inductee into the WBC Hall of Fame. The 1998 holiday issue of The Ring ranked Norton # 22 among `` The 50 Greatest Heavyweights of All Time. '' Norton received the Boxing Writers Association of America J. Niel trophy for `` Fighter of the Year '' in 1977. Norton, a proponent of motivational author Napoleon Hill 's writings ( e.g. Think and Grow Rich as noted above and Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude by Hill and W. Clement Stone ) also received the `` Napoleon Hill Award '' for positive thinking in 1973. In 2001, Norton was inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego 's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface. Norton was also inducted into the Marine Corps Hall of Fame in 2004 and into the California Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Later media career On set of Mandingo ( 1975 ) with actor Perry King Norton worked as an actor and TV boxing commentator following his retirement from boxing. He also was a member of the Sports Illustrated Speakers Bureau and started the Ken Norton Management Co., which represented athletes in contract negotiations. Norton continued making TV, radio and public speaking appearances until suffering injuries in a near - fatal car accident in 1986. It left him with slow and slurred speech. He appeared along with Ali, Foreman, Frazier and Holmes in a video, Champions Forever, discussing their best times, and in 2000 he published his autobiography, Going the Distance. Personal life Ken Norton was twice voted `` Father of the Year '' by the Los Angeles Sentinel and the Los Angeles Times in 1977. 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. '' His son, Ken Norton Jr, played football at UCLA and had a long successful career in the NFL. 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. Ken Jr was a member of three Super Bowl champion teams as a player and one as an assistant coach. He later became the linebackers ' coach for the Seattle Seahawks and currently works as the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. Ken Norton 's other son, Keith Norton, was once the weekend sports anchor for KPRC in Houston, Texas. He followed his father in serving in the Marine Corps. Death Norton died at a care facility in Las Vegas on September 18, 2013. He was 70 years old and had suffered a series of strokes in later life. Across the boxing world tributes were paid, with George Foreman calling him `` the fairest of them all '' and Larry Holmes saying that he `` will be incredibly missed in the boxing world and by many ''. Professional boxing record Professional record summary 50 fights 42 wins 7 losses By knockout 33 By decision 9 Draws No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes 50 Loss 42 -- 7 -- 1 Gerry Cooney TKO 1 ( 10 ), 0 : 54 May 11, 1981 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. 49 Win 42 -- 6 -- 1 Randall Cobb SD 10 Nov 7, 1980 HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. 48 Draw 41 -- 6 -- 1 Scott LeDoux SD 10 Aug 19, 1979 Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S. 47 Loss 41 -- 6 Earnie Shavers KO 1 ( 12 ), 1 : 58 Mar 23, 1979 Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. 46 Win 41 -- 5 Randy Stephens KO 3 ( 10 ), 2 : 42 Nov 10, 1978 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. 45 Loss 40 -- 5 Larry Holmes SD 15 Jun 9, 1978 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Lost WBC heavyweight title 44 Win 40 -- 4 Jimmy Young SD 15 Nov 5, 1977 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. 43 Win 39 -- 4 Lorenzo Zanon KO 5 ( 10 ), 3 : 08 Sep 14, 1977 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. 42 Win 38 -- 4 Duane Bobick TKO 1 ( 12 ), 0 : 58 May 11, 1977 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. 41 Loss 37 -- 4 Muhammad Ali UD 15 Sep 28, 1976 Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S. For WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles 40 Win 37 -- 3 Larry Middleton TKO 10 ( 10 ), 2 : 17 Jul 10, 1976 Sports Arena, San Diego, California, U.S. 39 Win 36 -- 3 Ron Stander TKO 5 ( 12 ), 1 : 19 Apr 30, 1976 Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland, U.S. 38 Win 35 -- 3 Pedro Lovell TKO 5 ( 12 ), 1 : 40 Jan 10, 1976 Las Vegas Convention Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. 37 Win 34 -- 3 Jose Luis Garcia KO 5 ( 10 ), 1 : 50 Aug 14, 1975 Civic Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. 36 Win 33 -- 3 Jerry Quarry TKO 5 ( 12 ), 2 : 29 Mar 24, 1975 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Won vacant NABF heavyweight title 35 Win 32 -- 3 Rico Brooks KO 1 ( 10 ), 1 : 34 Mar 4, 1975 Red Carpet Inn, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. 34 Win 31 -- 3 Boone Kirkman RTD 7 ( 10 ) Jun 25, 1974 Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington, U.S. 33 Loss 30 -- 3 George Foreman TKO 2 ( 15 ), 2 : 00 Mar 26, 1974 Poliedro, Caracas, Venezuela For WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles 32 Loss 30 -- 2 Muhammad Ali SD 12 Sep 10, 1973 Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S. Lost NABF heavyweight title 31 Win 30 -- 1 Muhammad Ali SD 12 Mar 31, 1973 Sports Arena, San Diego, California, U.S. Won NABF heavyweight title 30 Win 29 -- 1 Charlie Reno UD 10 Dec 13, 1972 San Diego, California, U.S. 29 Win 28 -- 1 Henry Clark TKO 9 ( 10 ) Nov 21, 1972 Sahara Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, U.S. 28 Win 27 -- 1 James J. Woody RTD 8 ( 10 ) Jun 30, 1972 San Diego, California, U.S. 27 Win 26 -- 1 Herschel Jacobs UD 10 Jun 5, 1972 San Diego, California, U.S. 26 Win 25 -- 1 Jack O'Halloran UD 10 Mar 17, 1972 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. 25 Win 24 -- 1 Charlie Harris TKO 3 ( 10 ) Feb 17, 1972 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. 24 Win 23 -- 1 James J. Woody UD 10 Sep 29, 1971 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. 23 Win 22 -- 1 Chuck Haynes KO 7 ( 10 ), 1 : 08 Aug 7, 1971 Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, California, U.S. 22 Win 21 -- 1 Vic Brown KO 5 ( 10 ) Jun 12, 1971 Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, California, U.S. 21 Win 20 -- 1 Steve Carter TKO 3 ( 10 ) Jun 12, 1971 Valley Music Theater, Woodland Hills, California, U.S. 20 Win 19 -- 1 Roby Harris KO 2 ( 10 ), 1 : 35 Oct 16, 1970 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. 19 Win 18 -- 1 Chuck Leslie UD 10 Sep 26, 1970 Valley Music Theater, Woodland Hills, California, U.S. 18 Win 17 -- 1 Roy Wallace KO 4 ( 10 ) Aug 29, 1970 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. 17 Loss 16 -- 1 Jose Luis Garcia KO 8 ( 10 ) Jul 2, 1970 Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. 16 Win 16 -- 0 Ray Junior Ellis KO 2 ( 10 ), 0 : 53 May 8, 1970 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. 15 Win 15 -- 0 Bob Mashburn KO 4 ( 10 ), 1 : 40 Apr 7, 1970 Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. 14 Win 14 -- 0 Stamford Harris TKO 3 ( 10 ), 1 : 59 Mar 13, 1970 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. 13 Win 13 -- 0 Aaron Eastling KO 2 ( 10 ), 3 : 06 Feb 4, 1970 Silver Slipper, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. 12 Win 12 -- 0 Julius Garcia TKO 3 ( 10 ) Oct 21, 1969 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. 11 Win 11 -- 0 Gary Bates TKO 8 ( 10 ) Jul 25, 1969 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S. 10 Win 10 -- 0 Bill McMurray TKO 7 ( 10 ) Jul 25, 1969 Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. 9 Win 9 -- 0 Pedro Sanchez TKO 2 ( 10 ) Mar 31, 1969 International Sports Center, San Diego, California, U.S. 8 Win 8 -- 0 Wayne Kindred TKO 9 ( 10 ) Feb 20, 1969 Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. 7 Win 7 -- 0 Joe Hemphill TKO 3 ( 10 ), 1 : 52 Feb 11, 1969 Valley Music Theater, Woodland Hills, California, U.S. 6 Win 6 -- 0 Cornell Nolan KO 6 ( 10 ) Dec 8, 1968 Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. 5 Win 5 -- 0 Wayne Kindred TKO 6 ( 10 ) Jul 23, 1968 Circle Arts Theatre, San Diego, California, U.S. Win 4 -- 0 Jimmy Gilmore KO 7 ( 8 ), 1 : 20 Mar 26, 1968 Community Concourse, San Diego, California, U.S. Win 3 -- 0 Harold Dutra KO 3 ( 6 ) Feb 6, 1968 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, U.S. Win 2 -- 0 Sam Wyatt PTS 6 Jan 16, 1968 Community Concourse, San Diego, California, U.S. Win 1 -- 0 Grady Brazell TKO 5 ( 6 ) Nov 14, 1967 Community Concourse, San Diego, California, U.S. Professional debut References Jump up ^ de Beauchamp, Joseph ( November 30, 2004 ) Rocky The Movie : The Kenny Norton Story or the Real Apollo Creed ? saddoboxing.com Jump up ^ Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. June 1973. pp. 152 --. ISSN 0012 - 9011. Jump up ^ ESPN Fitness Magazine, February 1985 ^ Jump up to : Ken Norton. MCCS Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame Jump up ^ Newman, Eric ( April 25, 2013 ) Best Late Bloomers in Sports, 4. Ken Norton. Bleacher Report Jump up ^ ( 1 ) How the spirit of Ken Norton 's Marine toughness lives on in Ken Norton Jr., CBS Sports, November 10, 2015 Jump up ^ Hypnotist Aided Norton -- Confidence Key To Upset Of Ali, AP, April 2, 1973 Jump up ^ Positive attitude key to Norton 's boxing, AP, March 27, 1975 Jump up ^ Think and Grow Rich. Life Training ( Discusses that Ken Norton attributed his win over Muhammad Ali to the principles he learned in Think and Grow Rich. ) ^ Jump up to : Norton, p. 46 Jump up ^ Ken Norton about Napoleon Hill 's `` Think and Grow Rich ''. youtube.com ^ Jump up to : Murray, Jim ( August 7, 1973 ) Ken the conqueror. The Free Lance - Star ^ Jump up to : Johnson, R.T. ( March 16, 2012 ) Ken Norton : The Man Who Shut Up Ali. The History Rat Jump up ^ Norton, p. 60 Jump up ^ Lewiston Morning Tribune, July 28, 1973 Jump up ^ The Southeast Missourian. March 12, 1976 Jump up ^ The Ring Magazine, September 1976, p. 43 Jump up ^ Norton autoBiography Going the Distance Jump up ^ Maffei, John ( July 6, 2013 ). `` Sports site No. 3 : San Diego Sports Arena ''. U-T San Diego. Retrieved July 8, 2013. Jump up ^ U-tube videos with Howard Coselle comentating, Jump up ^ Today in Sports History : Elvis and Ali. Mettachronicles.com ( January 2, 2013 ). Retrieved on June 21, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Pacquiao - Marquez III : Celebrating the trilogies ( Muhammad Ali -- Ken Norton ). Espn.go.com ( November 7, 2011 ). Retrieved on June 21, 2014. Jump up ^ Video on YouTube Jump up ^ Spinks Snub Miffs Norton, AP via Ludington Daily News, March 11, 1978 ^ Jump up to : Anderson, Dave ( March 9, 1978 ) No. 1 Contender -- Norton only boxer behaving like a champion, N.Y. Times via Star - News Jump up ^ `` Norton - Young Bout May Be for the Title '', Milwaukee Journal, November 5, 1977 Jump up ^ `` The judges ' cards for Holmes vs. Norton ''. boxrec.com. June 9, 1978. Retrieved March 17, 2011. Jump up ^ Holmes get boxing title. Associated Press via The Tuscaloosa News, June 10, 1978 Jump up ^ A Lesson in Manliness From the Ex-Marine : Ken Norton, The Art of Manliness, November 12, 2012 Jump up ^ Muhammad Ali biography float like a butterfly sting like a Bee, in 2015, Jump up ^ Norton 's biography Going the distance ^ Jump up to : Julian Compton. boxrec.com Jump up ^ LeDoux, Norton draw, UPI via The Bryan Times, August 20, 1979 Jump up ^ Norton, p. 164 Jump up ^ Grimsley, Will ( November 10, 1979 ) `` Ken Norton : Now He 's Fighting For Children '', AP via The Evening Independent Jump up ^ The 100 Greatest Punchers of All Time ! boxrec.com Jump up ^ Ken Norton. International Boxing Hall of Fame Jump up ^ Norton Has Philosophy Of Success. AP via Lewiston Morning Tribune. July 28, 1973 ^ Jump up to : Norton, Ken ; Hennessey, Donald, Jr. & Amodeo, John ( 2009 ). Believe : Journey From Jacksonville. Fairfield, Iowa : 1st World Publishing. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4218 - 9119 - 4. Jump up ^ `` Ken Norton ''. Archived from the original on January 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 01. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ). San Diego Hall of Champions Jump up ^ `` KENNETH HOWARD NORTON -- California Sports Hall of Fame 2011 Inductee ''. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 21. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ). California Sports Hall of Fame Jump up ^ Roberts, Rich ( December 26, 1987 ) `` Ken Norton Is Now Fighting Back : Former Champ Is Learning to Talk Again After 1986 Car Accident '', Los Angeles Times Jump up ^ Rosenthal, Phil ( October 4, 1986 ) Ken Norton Jr. helps father overcome crippling injuries, Daily News Los Angeles Jump up ^ City, Big. ( June 17, 2012 ) `` Ken Norton : Two - Time Father of the Year '', The Art of Manliness, June 17, 2012. Retrieved on June 21, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Keith Norton ''. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 06. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ). KPRC Houston Sports News. 2008 Jump up ^ Served with him in 29 Palms Jump up ^ Obituary Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. Jacksonville Courier, September 24, 2012 Jump up ^ `` Ken Norton, heavyweight boxing legend, dies at 70 ''. BBC. September 19, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013. Jump up ^ Dirs, Ben ( September 19, 2013 ). `` Ken Norton was a colossal figure in heavyweight boxing 's greatest era ''. BBC. Retrieved September 19, 2013. Bibliography Norton, Ken ; et al. ( 2000 ). Going the Distance. Champaign, Illinois : Sports Publishing. ISBN 1 - 58261 - 225 - 0. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ken Norton. Book : Ken Norton Professional boxing record for Ken Norton from BoxRec Ken Norton on IMDb Sporting positions Regional boxing titles Preceded by Muhammad Ali NABF heavyweight champion March 13, 1973 -- September 10, 1973 Succeeded by Muhammad Ali Vacant Title last held by Muhammad Ali NABF heavyweight champion March 24, 1975 -- January 1976 Vacated Succeeded by George Foreman World boxing titles Preceded by Leon Spinks stripped WBC heavyweight champion March 18, 1978 -- June 9, 1978 Succeeded by Larry Holmes Sugar Ray Robinson Award 1938 : Dempsey 1939 : Conn 1940 : Armstrong 1941 : Louis 1942 : Ross 1943 : Boxers of the Armed Forces 1944 : B. Leonard 1945 : Walker 1946 : Zale 1947 : Lesnevich 1948 : Williams 1949 : Charles 1950 : Robinson 1951 : Walcott 1952 : Marciano 1953 : Gavilán 1954 : Olson 1955 : Basilio 1956 : Patterson 1957 : Basilio 1958 : Moore 1959 : Johansson 1960 : Patterson 1961 : Fullmer 1962 : Tiger 1963 : Griffith 1964 : Pastrano 1965 : Ali 1966 : Tiger 1967 : Ortiz 1968 : Foster 1969 : Frazier 1970 : Buchanan 1971 : Frazier 1972 : Monzón 1973 : Foreman 1974 : Ali 1975 : Ali & Frazier 1976 : Davis Jr., S.R. Leonard, Randolph, L. Spinks & M. Spinks 1977 : Norton 1978 : Holmes 1979 : S.R. Leonard 1980 : Hearns 1981 : S.R. Leonard 1982 : Pryor 1983 : Hagler 1984 : Hearns 1985 : Hagler 1986 : Tyson 1987 : Chávez 1988 : Tyson 1989 : Whitaker 1990 : Holyfield 1991 : Toney 1992 : Bowe 1993 : Whitaker 1994 : Foreman 1995 : De La Hoya 1996 : Holyfield 1997 : Holyfield 1998 : Mosley 1999 : Lewis 2000 : Trinidad 2001 : Hopkins 2002 : Forrest 2003 : Toney 2004 : Johnson 2005 : Hatton 2006 : Pacquiao 2007 : Mayweather Jr. 2008 : Pacquiao 2009 : Pacquiao 2010 : Martínez 2011 : Ward 2012 : Donaire 2013 : Mayweather Jr. 2014 : Crawford 2015 : Mayweather Jr. 2016 : Frampton VIAF : 14322348 LCCN : no00091023 GND : 1044808691 BNF : cb142116303 ( data ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ken_Norton&oldid=807569968 '' Categories : 1943 births 2013 deaths African - American boxers Heavyweight boxers Sportspeople from San Diego Sportspeople from Jacksonville, Illinois Truman Bulldogs football players World Boxing Council champions Baptists from the United States International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees United States Marines United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame inductees American male film actors American male television actors American male boxers World heavyweight boxing champions Boxers from California Boxers from Illinois Hidden categories : CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown Use mdy dates from June 2014 BoxRec template with ID different from Wikidata Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Cymraeg Deutsch Español فارسی Français Gaeilge Bahasa Indonesia Italiano മലയാളം Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 28 October 2017, at 20 : 14. 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Question: who won the fight between norton and holmes
Answer: Holmes