Ken Norton vs. Randy Stephens

Ken Norton 220 lbs beat Randy Stephens 209 lbs by KO at 2:42 in round 3 of 10

• Date: 1978-11-10
• Location: Caesars Palace, Sports Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
• Referee: Harold Krause

Notes

• The fight was televised by ABC with Howard Cosell announcing.
• In the main event, Larry Holmes knocked out Alfredo Evangelista in the seventh round in his first defense of the WBC heavyweight title, which he won from Norton five months earlier.
• The AP reported: "Stephens, 208¾, of Dallas pressured Norton constantly in the first round and kept Norton on the defensive with quick combinations. But in the second round, Norton alternated his punches between Stephens' head and body and used a series of left hooks to wear Stephens down. In the third round, Norton started strong with a solid left hook to Stephens' face, bringing a small amount of blood from his mouth. Norton moved in on Stephens with a flurry to the body and then caught him with a left hook. As Stephens staggered and weaved, Norton stepped away and the sixth-ranked Stephens went down."
• When the bout was over, Stephens' manager thanked Norton for letting up on his boxer.
• This bout was held on the 211th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Norton started boxing while serving in the Marine Corps from 1963 to 1967. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton and Camp Lejeune. Norton was inducted into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

External Links

• "Norton wants another shot at title" AP, Nov. 9, 1978 [1]
• "Off Tables, Into Ring" by Dick Young, New York News, Nov. 10, 1978 [2]
• "Holmes knocks out Evangelista to defend WBC title" AP, Nov. 11, 1978 [3]
• "A Lesson in Manliness From The Ex-Marine: Ken Norton" Nov. 10, 2012 [4]