I graduated from high school in June of 1978 with absolutely no idea what I was going to do for a living. During the same month, I tuned into ABC to watch Larry Holmes challenge WBC heavyweight champ Ken Norton for his title on Friday, June 9th. Boxing was something I would watch occasionally on television, most often when Muhammad Ali fought. This night turned out to be totally different.
The great fight was full of action for all fifteen rounds, from the first until the last. I sat glued to my little 11 inch black and white tv in my bedroom and got caught up in the bout like I never had before. It was like watching two rock ’em sock ’em robots going at it and I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. Every once in a while I would go into my mother’s bedroom to tell her what a great fight I was watching. She was happy to see me enjoying myself for a change since it had been a long senior year in high school for me.
Larry Holmes had been best known for being Muhammad Ali’s sparring partner for years, while Ken Norton had been a popular professional for five years. After a close fifteenth round, Holmes was awarded a split decision and was the new champion of the world. To celebrate, he ran and jumped into the pool at Caesar’s Palace, what I felt like doing since I felt completely drained after the fight.
That night lit a spark in me to follow boxing that grew bigger by the day. Boxing became my favorite sport by the end of the decade and has been a passion ever since. On June 9, 1978, Ken Norton and Larry Holmes fought their hearts out in a true ‘Boxing Classic’.
FOLLOW ME ON TIKTOK AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
FOLLOW ME ON YOUTUBE AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
LISTEN TO MY PODCAST ON SPOTIFY AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
