Muhammad Ali had been on a mission for a shot at the heavyweight title after his loss to Joe Frazier on March 8, 1971. He had fought numerous times in 1971 and 1972, and when George Foreman knocked out Frazier in January of 1973, Ali’s target had changed.
The ex champ admittedly took Norton lightly, and didn’t train as he should have. He was listed as a 5-1 favorite on March 31, 1973 when the two met at the San Diego Sports Arena. I had struck out 3 times in a practice Babe Ruth baseball game, and tuned into Wide World of Sports to watch the fight that Saturday afternoon to get my mind off of my troubles.
Norton was a muscular ex-Marine aggressor, and it was obvious from the opening bell that he was no joke. He was the constant aggressor, and kept Ali on his toes and against the ropes consistently throughout the bout. After the tussle, it was revealed Norton had broken Ali’s jaw in the match, with Muhammad insisting it was in the second round.,
When the scorecards were announced, Norton’s hand was raised via a split-decision victory and the heavyweight division had itself a new star. As far as Ali’s future was concerned, only time would tell.
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