Ken Norton: Now & Then

[GorDoom]

http://www.boxing.com/ken_norton_tha..._and_then.html

[GorDoom]

Ken Norton
(Kenneth Howard Norton)

BORN August 9 1943; Jacksonville, Illinois (Some sources report 1945)
HEIGHT 6-2 3/4
WEIGHT 200-225 lbs
MANAGER Bob Biron
TRAINER Eddie Futch
RECORD 42-7-1 (33 KO)
Norton was an outstanding heavyweight in perhaps the most talented heavyweight era of all time; He owned an excellent jab and a booming overhand right

He defeated Muhammad Ali in their first bout and a number of boxing writers believe that he won all three of his contests against Ali; He also fought Larry Holmes to a standstill in their desperate "near-even" battle for the WBC Heavyweight Championship

Ken was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992 and the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2004


1967
Nov 14 Grady Brazell San Diego, Ca KO 5

1968
Jan 16 Sam Wyatt San Diego, Ca W 6
Feb 6 Harold Dutra Sacramento, Ca KO 3
Mar 26 Jimmy Gilmore San Diego, Ca KO 7
Jul 23 Wayne Kindred San Diego, Ca KO 6
Dec 5 Cornell Nolan Los Angeles, Ca KO 6

1969
Feb 11 Joe Hemphill Woodland Hills, Ca KO 3
Feb 20 Wayne Kindred Los Angeles, Ca TK 9
Mar 31 Pedro Sanchez San Diego, Ca KO 2
May 29 Bill McMurray Los Angeles, Ca TK 7
Jul 25 Gary Bates San Diego, Ca KO 8
Oct 21 Julius Garcia San Diego, Ca KO 3

1970
Feb 4 Aaron Eastling Las Vegas, Nv KO 2
Mar 13 Stamford "Kid" Harris San Diego, Ca TK 3
Apr 7 Bob Mashburn Cleveland, Oh KO 4
May 8 Ray "Junior" Ellis San Diego, Ca KO 2
Jul 2 Jose Luis Garcia Los Angeles, Ca LK 8
Aug 29 Roy Dean "Cookie" Wallace San Diego, Ca KO 4
Sep 26 Chuck Leslie Woodland Hills, Ca W 10
Oct 16 Robie Harris San Diego, Ca KO 2

1971
Apr 24 Steve Carter Woodland Hills, Ca TK 3
Jun 12 Vic Brown Santa Monica, Ca KO 5
Aug 10 Chuck Haynes Santa Monica, Ca KO 10
Sep 30 James J. Woody San Diego, Ca W 10

1972
Feb 17 Charlie "Emperor" Harris San Diego, Ca KO 3
Mar 17 Jack O'Halloran San Diego, Ca W 10
Jun 5 Herschel Jacobs San Diego, Ca W 10
Jun 30 James J. Woody San Diego, Ca KO 8
Nov 21 Henry Clark Stateline, Nv KO 9
Dec 13 Charlie Reno San Diego, Ca W 10

1973
Mar 31 Muhammad Ali San Diego, Ca W 12
-NABF Heavyweight Championship
May 8 Mike Williams Washington, DC EX 4
Sep 10 Muhammad Ali Inglewood, Ca L 12
-NABF Heavyweight Championship

1974
Mar 26 George Foreman Caracas, Venezuela LT 2
-Heavyweight Championship of the World
Jun 25 Boone Kirkman Seattle, Wa TK 8

1975
Mar 4 Reco Brooks Oklahoma City, Ok KO 1
Mar 24 Jerry Quarry New York, NY TK 5
-NABF Heavyweight Championship
Aug 14 Jose Luis Garcia St. Paul, Mn KO 5

1976
Jan 3 Pedro Lovell Las Vegas, Nv KO 5
Apr 30 Ron Stander Landover, Md TK 5
Jul 10 Larry Middleton San Diego, Ca TK 10
Sep 28 Muhammad Ali Bronx, NY L 15
-Heavyweight Championship of the World

1977
May 11 Duane Bobick New York, NY TK 1
Sep 14 Lorenzo Zanon Las Vegas, Nv KO 5
Nov 5 Jimmy Young Las Vegas, Nv W 15
-WBC Heavyweight Championship Eliminator Bout

1978
Mar 29 -Norton was declared WBC Heavyweight Champion
Jun 9 Larry Holmes Las Vegas, Nv L 15
-WBC Heavyweight Championship of the World
Nov 10 Clifford "Randy" Stephens Las Vegas, Nv KO 4

1979
Mar 23 Earnie Shavers Las Vegas, Nv LK 1
Aug 19 Scott Ledoux Bloomington, Mn D 10

1980
Nov 7 Randall "Tex" Cobb San Antonio, Tx W 10
-Some sources report "El Paso, Tx"

1981
May 11 Gerry Cooney New York, NY LT 1
Record courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization

[PD99]

Can we call Norton a GREAT fighter?

If not, why not?

Norton has the scalp of a great fighter on his resume (Ali). Formally, 1 win vs 2 losses. Majority opinion however, 2 wins vs 1loss and an arguable 3 wins straight up.

An aged Norton also has a very close loss to another great fighter, Larry Holmes. Perhaps not Holmes in his substantive prime but a performance posted by Larry that leaves to little choose between any performance posted during his substantive prime.

But Norton was rolled by Foreman. So too was Joe Frazier. Then there is Shavers and Cooney to be getting on with. Well, Norton was older again and Earnie almost turned the trick against one of the greatest chins of all time (Ali) and a not too shabby chin in Holmes. Foreman and Co. also arguably rate as the top 3 punchers of all time and may have turned the trick against a few other of boxing's past greats.

Norton himself would arguably get the better of some past HW greats. While I perhaps understand some reservations, I would rate Norton as a great fighter, even if only just.

And, I try not to allow myself to be swayed by the perception that Norton is one hell of guy both inside and outside the ring.

[Overhand_Right]

I totally agree with everything you said PD99. Norton indeed deserves to be considered a Great for his body of work. Tremendous fighter.