51 years ago
Muhammad Ali vs Ken Norton
Date: 31st March 1973
Venue: Sports Arena, San Diego, California, USATitle: NABF Heavyweight Title
Promoter: San Diego Presents
Referee: Frank Rustich
Muhammad Ali
(
41
-
1
-
0
)
Weight: 221 lbs
Ken Norton
(
29
-
1
-
0
)
Weight: 210 lbs
On March 31, 1973, at the Sports Arena in San Diego, California, Ken Norton, a 5-1 underdog, pulled off a stunning upset by defeating Muhammad Ali via split decision in a 12-round bout for the NABF Heavyweight Title. The fight, aired live on ABC in the United States, began a years-long rivalry between the two fighters.
Norton, weighing 210 lbs, outmanoeuvred Ali (221 lbs) with his unorthodox fighting style, which involved jabbing from below and crossing his hands for defence. The judges' scorecards were split: Hal Rickards scored it 4-5 for Norton, Fred Hayes 6-5 for Ali, and referee Frank Rustich 4-7 for Norton. Unofficial scorecards from the Associated Press and United Press International had the fight 7-4 for Norton and 6-4 for Ali, respectively.
During the bout, Ali suffered a broken jaw, which required hospitalisation and surgery to wire it together. The injury was severe, with jagged edges of the fractured bone poking into Ali's cheek and mouth. Despite the injury, there were no knockdowns in the fight.
The gate for the event was $240,792, with a paid attendance of 11,884. Ali received a guaranteed $210,000, while Norton earned $50,000, a significant increase from his previous fights.
In his autobiography Going the Distance, Norton credits Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich with inspiring his victory over Ali. He particularly noted the quote, "Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can."
Ali entered the ring wearing a rhinestone-encrusted white robe gifted to him by Elvis Presley, but he never wore it again after the loss. He graciously accepted his defeat, shaking Norton's hand in the ring. Norton visited Ali in the hospital after the fight, cementing their friendship.
The loss was a wake-up call for Ali, who admitted to not training correctly and underestimating Norton's abilities. Both fighters immediately began talks for a rematch, with Ali vowing to win and Norton claiming he would knock out Ali in their subsequent encounter.