Ken Norton has died aged 70

[grannyman]

That's the headline on sky sports news.

[SNG]

Sad news.

Norton-Holmes was a great fight.

[DougieCampbell]

Very sad news.

[dalcumly]

I think he had a starring role in the film Mandinga ??

[ILikeBeer]

RIP champ. :(

[danconnollyeire]

Legend



RIP

[Parson Cross]

Dalcumly,
Yes he was the original Mandingo alongside Susan George - lucky man.
Ken come over in 2002 and did a few dinner shows. Top man.
Don't think he was ever right after his horrific car crash.
Beat Ali once - although many will say twice.
RIP big fella.

[stevedoc]

sad to here .my first time watching Ali was the norton trilogy and i was gob smacked at how poor Ali was considering he called himself the greatest i guess what i'm saying what a great fighter norton was to beat and make Ali look so average .

strange i watched champions forever yesterday for the first time in 10 years and he passes on the same day

[Syntax Error]

Very sad news.

Condolences to the Norton family.

RIP Champ.

[Old bones Ian]

R.I.P champ.
The 15th round against Holmes is legendary.

[Johns]

Exceptional fighter and a good man.
Will be missed.
RIP Ken Norton

[Dixonian]

What a unique fighter. I remember trying to copy his crab defence as a kid. Heard that old Sun hack reminiscing about him this morning on Talksport. Apparently his son Ken Norton Jnr was a top-quality American footballer - won the Superbowl with the 49ers. RIP champ.

[DIRT SUGAR]

Tough in the ring tough outside it, the former Marine never recovered from the horrific car crash that nearly killed him in 1986 and in recent years had battle prostrate cancer, a quadruple heart bypass and a serious stroke.

A great athlete with an awkward cross-armed style who gave greats like Ali and Holmes absolute fits Norton, however, struggled against punchers like Luis Garcia (although he avenged that defeat), George Foreman, Ernie Shavers and Gerry Cooney (although he was past his best in what was his final fight in 1981).

After breaking Ali's jaw in their first fight in San Diego in 1973, Ali labelled Norton 'The man who shot Liberty Valence' and the rematch was another close affair with a better conditioned Ali sweeping to an early lead, with Norton coming on strong later on in the fight to make life very difficult for Ali.

The ex-marine made Ali's life so hard by taking away his jab for large parts of their fights and was unlucky to get the nod in the final match of their trilogy at Yankee Stadium in 1976. Norton uncharacteristically screamed at Ali after the final bell, seemingly convinced he'd got the best of the tiring champion after another strong finish.

Norton always believed he won all three of his fights against Ali, and after coming up on the wrong end of the decision in their third fight, in his next outing he took his frustration on unbeaten 'white hope' Duane Bobick (then with a record of 38-0 wins with 32 KOs), trouncing the highly-regarded prospect in just 58 seconds of the first round.

Defending the WBC title he was handed after Leon Spinks chose a rematch against Ali, Norton lost to Larry Holmes in a 15 round classic. The 15th round against Holmes is as good as any round of heavyweight boxing you will ever see, with both men furiously trading shots in a grandstand finish at the Pavilion in Caesars Palace.

His last fight against the aformentioned Cooney was a sad end to a great career, with Norton brutally knocked out and left sagging in a corner as Cooney took aim with the referee stepping in far too late.

The articulate former Marine my not have been the best, most fashionable heavyweight, but his resume is littered with the names of the standard-bearers of the division and top contenders alike, and he was among the best during what is arguably the most talent laden period of the division's history. RIP champ.

[spudder56]

R.I.P champ.
The 15th round against Holmes is legendary.

X2

[handsofstone]

RIP Ken

[Matt W]

Very sad news, excellent fighter and a good man. R.I.P.

[Old bones Ian]

Watched his fight against Jerry Quarry last night, the right uppercut that Norton lands in the 5th is a monster of a shot, there was bad blood between the 2 boxers. And the watching the fight you can see how much Norton wanted it.

[loaded_gloves]

One of the best fighters from the deepest talent pools. A real beast and his fights with Ali, Holmes, Young, Quarry, and Cobb were wonderful.

I really enjoyed his book 'Going the Distance', from the year 2000 - recommended reading.

[bennie]

Kenny turned to boxing late and nobody had even heard of him (outside California) when he smashed Ali's jaw and silenced the great man for a few weeks. Norton proved it was no fluke in the rematch (Ali needed a big last round to sneak the verdict) and when he beat the likes of Duane Bobick, Jerry Quarry and Jimmy Young to secure the WBC heavyweight title. He almost paralyzed Bobick with a right uppercut to the throat.
His fight with Larry Holmes is the last great 15-round world heavyweight title fight.

[Old bones Ian]

And he used to say he would of had a longer career if he had stayed away from all those ladies.
I'm pretty sure he didn't have to go looking for them.

[misterpunch]

just watched the holmes fight - I give it to ken

RIP kenny

[n1ebf]

Just came across this article from the New York Times on Ken. RIP Champ.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/19/sport ... .html?_r=0


interesting to note that he was ducked by Spinks so the WBC stripped Spinks and made Norton champion. None of this WBC Silver nonsense back then.

[bennie]

just watched the holmes fight - I give it to ken

RIP kenny

I agree. It was all on the last round and Norton definitely won that round. Holmes dug deep and put in an amazing flourish of right hands in the last 30 seconds but Norton had bossed the first two-and-a-half minutes. You could reasonably argue that Norton beat Holmes and the great Muhammad Ali all three times.
Reg Gutteridge once cracked that he would love to look like Norton for a day.