Kenneth Howard "Ken" Norton Sr. (August 9, 1943 â€" 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 fight trilogy 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 team 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.
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 fight trilogy 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 team 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.
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