June 9, 1978 was like any other Friday night in south Jersey for me. I would usually sit on my bed and watch tv with the window air conditioner cranked on high. Except this night was different. I came across the Heavyweight Championship fight between Ken Norton and Larry Holmes on ABC. I had watched Ken Norton fight a few times, and admired his muscular physique. His knockout of Duane Bobick in May of 1977 had stood out to me as his most recent big triumph. His opponent Larry Holmes I had seen fight once, and honestly knew little about him. I was not a serious boxing fan up until this point of my life. This bout changed that forever!
The ebb and flow action was furious from start to finish in the 15 round bout from Caesar`s Palace in Las Vegas. Both men exchanged heavy blows throughout the fight, and it was close and competitive. I vividly recall going into my mom’s bedroom to tell her how exciting the fight was, with the enthusiasm obvious in my young voice.
Larry Holmes won a close decision that night, and became the WBC Heavyweight Champion of the World! Something was different about that fight to me, and I thought about if for days and days after it ended. The action of the bout and the courage of the fighters affected me profoundly, and it was the first time I knew I was a boxing fan.
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