Ken Norton boxer

Ken Norton boxer
bouts
50
won
42
lost
7
draw
1
Status
inactive
Division
heavyweight
Debut
1967-11-14
Height
6′ 3″/191cm
Reach
80″/203cm
Age
70
Born
1943-08-09
Death
2013-09-18
Nationality
USA

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 world heavyweight championship in 1978. He is best known for his fights with Muhammad Ali, in which Norton won the first by split decision, lost the second by split decision, and lost the final by a controversial unanimous decision. Norton also fought a slugfest with Larry Holmes in 1978, narrowly losing a split decision.Norton retired from boxing in 1981, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.Norton was an outstanding athlete at Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, Illinois. He was selected to the all-state football team on defense as a senior in 1960. His track coach entered him in eight events, and Norton placed first in seven. 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.Norton enlisted into the United States Marines Corps after leaving school, serving from 1963 to 1967. Norton was a manual morse intercept (MOS 2621), graduating from NCTC Corry Station, Pensacola, Florida. During his time with the Corps, he took up boxing, 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 Corps 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.Norton built up a steady string of wins, some against journeyman fighters and others over fringe contenders like the giant Jack O'Halloran. He suffered a surprise defeat in 1970 just after The Ring magazine had profiled him as a prospect, to heavy-hitting Venezuelan boxer Jose Luis Garcia, who was unknown at the time. Norton overpowered Garcia in their rematch five years later, when both were rated contenders.

Date Opponent Last Opponents' Results Place Result
1981-05-11 Gerry Cooney WWWWWW Madison Square Garden, New York LOST
Technical knockout
1980-11-07 Randall Cobb WWWWWW HemisFair Arena, San Antonio WIN
Split-decision
1979-08-19 Scott LeDoux DWWWWL Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington DRAW
Points
1979-03-23 Earnie Shavers WLLWWW Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas Hilton Pavilion, Las Vegas LOST
KO
1978-11-10 Randy Stephens LWWWLW Caesars Palace, Las Vegas WIN
KO
1978-06-09 Larry Holmes WWWWWW Caesars Palace, Sports Pavilion, Las Vegas LOST
Split-decision
1977-11-05 Jimmy Young LWWWWW Caesars Palace, Las Vegas WIN
Split-decision
1977-09-14 Lorenzo Zanon WWWWWW Caesars Palace, Las Vegas WIN
KO
1977-05-11 Duane Bobick WWWWWW Madison Square Garden, New York WIN
Technical knockout
1976-09-28 Muhammad Ali WWWWWW Yankee Stadium, Bronx LOST
Unanimous decision
1976-07-10 Larry Middleton DLLWLL Sports Arena, San Diego WIN
Technical knockout
1976-04-30 Ron Stander LWWWLW Capitol Center, Landover WIN
Technical knockout
1976-01-10 Pedro Lovell LWWWWW Convention Center, Las Vegas WIN
Technical knockout
1975-08-14 Jose Luis Garcia WWLLWW Civic Center, Saint Paul WIN
KO
1975-03-24 Jerry Quarry WWWWLW Madison Square Garden, New York WIN
Technical knockout
1975-03-04 Rico Brooks LLLLLL Red Carpet Inn, Oklahoma City WIN
KO
1974-06-25 Boone Kirkman WWWWWL Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle WIN
Corner retirement
1974-03-26 George Foreman WWWWWW El Poliedro, Caracas LOST
Technical knockout
1973-09-10 Muhammad Ali WWWWWL Forum, Inglewood LOST
Split-decision
1973-03-31 Muhammad Ali WWWWWW Sports Arena, San Diego WIN
Split-decision
1972-12-13 Charlie Reno WDLWLW San Diego WIN
Unanimous decision
1972-11-21 Henry Clark WWWWWL Sahara Tahoe Hotel, Stateline WIN
Technical knockout
1972-06-30 James J Woody LWWLLL San Diego WIN
Corner retirement
1972-06-05 Herschel Jacobs WLWWWL San Diego WIN
Unanimous decision
1972-03-17 Jack O'Halloran LLWWLW Coliseum, San Diego WIN
Unanimous decision
1972-02-17 Charlie Harris LLLLLL Coliseum, San Diego WIN
Technical knockout
1971-09-29 James J Woody WLLWWL Coliseum, San Diego WIN
Unanimous decision
1971-08-07 Chuck Haynes WWDLWL Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica WIN
KO
1971-06-12 Vic Brown WLWWWL Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica WIN
KO
1971-04-24 Steve Carter WWWWWL Valley Music Theatre, Woodland Hills WIN
Technical knockout
1970-10-16 Robie Harris LLWLWW Coliseum, San Diego WIN
KO
1970-09-26 Chuck Leslie WWWLLW Valley Music Theatre, Woodland Hills WIN
Unanimous decision
1970-08-28 Roy Wallace LWDLWW Coliseum, San Diego WIN
KO
1970-07-02 Jose Luis Garcia LWWWLW Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles LOST
KO
1970-05-08 Ray Junior Ellis LWWLWL Coliseum, San Diego WIN
KO
1970-04-07 Bob Mashburn WLDWLW Arena, Cleveland WIN
KO
1970-03-13 Stamford Harris LDWWWL Coliseum, San Diego WIN
Technical knockout
1970-02-04 Aaron Eastling WDLLLW Silver Slipper, Las Vegas WIN
KO
1969-10-21 Julius Garcia W Coliseum, San Diego WIN
Technical knockout
1969-07-25 Gary Bates LLWWLL Coliseum, San Diego WIN
Technical knockout
1969-05-29 Bill McMurray LWLLLW Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles WIN
Technical knockout
1969-03-31 Pedro Sanchez LLLLLL Sports Arena, San Diego WIN
Technical knockout
1969-02-20 Wayne Kindred WWWWLL Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles WIN
Technical knockout
1969-02-11 Joe Hemphill WWLDLL Valley Music Theatre, Woodland Hills WIN
Technical knockout
1968-12-05 Cornell Nolan WWWL Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles WIN
KO
1968-07-23 Wayne Kindred LWWWWL Circle Arts Theater, San Diego WIN
Technical knockout
1968-03-26 Jimmy Gilmore LWWLLL Community Concourse, San Diego WIN
KO
1968-02-06 Harold Dutra WWWWWW Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento WIN
Technical knockout
1968-01-16 Sam Wyatt WLLWWL Community Concourse, San Diego WIN
Points
1967-11-14 Grady Brazell LW Community Concourse, San Diego WIN
Technical knockout