Rest in Peace, Ken Norton

Published

11 years ago

September 19, 2013

It wouldn’t be fair to Ken Norton, the former heavyweight champion who died on Sept. 18 at age 70, if the first words of this homage were “Muhammad Ali.” Norton deserved better than that, just as he quite likely deserved to have better than a 1-2 record against the Greatest.

No tears of woe for the former football, track and basketball star from Jacksonville, Illinois who entered the Marines, learned to fight in the corps, and exited this plane as arguably the toughest puzzle for Ali to attempt to decipher.

A story in the LA Times said Norton, who earned scores of fans for shutting up the mouthy Muhammad in their first bout, in 1973, when he broke Ali’s jaw, died in an Arizona hospital. Norton had a stroke last year, and was suffering from congestive heart failure.

The last few decades weren’t smooth sailing for Norton; in 1986, he was driving home from a fund raiser, lost control of his car, and crashed. He was left partially paralyzed on his right side, and his speech was affected. But he soldiered on, relying on many self-help aphorisms which helped him make the leap from contender to full-fledged Ali Kryptonite.

Norton turned pro in 1967, and in 1973, got a shot at an Ali with a lone loss, to Frazier, on his ledger. Norton won a split decision in San Diego, but Ali’d people had him convinced that it was more so his lack of respect for Norton, and for a properly rigorous training camp, which made his evening arduous. In the rematch, though, a more fit Ali still couldn’t solve the Norton puzzle with a degree of certainty. Another split decision resulted, with this one being awarded to Ali. The rivals gathered again in 1976, in the semi-majestic setting of a “Bronx Is Burning” era Yankee Stadium. By now, Norton was respected, wasn’t dismissed as merely pretty packaging, a bodybuilder reject. He’d do his self-hypnosis, and recite his favorite passages from his favorite book, “Think And Grow Rich,” and believe that this time, he’d do his thing, and the judges would do theirs, the right way.

They didn’t, not in Norton’s mind, nor a majority of watchers. He wept, openly, in the ring after the call. “I wasn’t even tired,” he said post-fight. “If I thought it was close, I’d have fought back harder and more. When you fight Ali, you’re behind at the start. It’s obvious you have to knock him out to win. When it’s that obvious, you have to think the judges stole it. They made asses out of themselves. The fight speaks for itself.” So will Norton’s role in that heavyweight golden age of the 1970s.

He leaves behind a 42-7-1 mark, with 33 KOs, and the respect of his peers, like George Foreman. “We were all were called handsome, Ali was called “pretty,” but Kenny Norton was the fairest of them all,” Foreman told me on Wednesday night. “You didn’t want to take off your shirt around him. He was a lovely man, inside and out.” That physique attracted attention, from ladies, from fellas, from Hollywood; Norton was cast in a feature called “Mandingo” which came out in 1975. The reviews he received for fighting were of a higher grade.

Norton bobbed and weaved against Ali, stalking him often, using an underrated accuracy to pierce Ali’s armor. He’d often outwork Ali, or so he thought, even if the judges perhaps gave Ali credit for some “rope a dope” strategizing. Norton’s left hook could bother you, as could his overhand right. The jab wasn’t a poleaxer like Holmes but it was a more than competent tool. You had to be aware from damage coming from underneath with Norton, who used the uppercut when called for, to great effect. He could work at medium range or inside, and didn’t mind getting into squared up, rock em sock em rumbles. You had to guard high and low against Norton, who could redden either side of your body. Norton left the stage in 1981, no longer willing to act as an offering to hot shots wanting to add a sweet scalp to their resume. Besides his 39 rounds with Ali, he stepped in with Foreman (losing a TKO2 in ’74), and was able to earn another crack at the glory, beating 38-0 Duane Bobick, Lorenzo Zanon and Jimmy Young, after which he was handed the WBC crown, because Leon Spinks didn’t want to defend that strap against Norton. Using that crossed arm defense, he started slow, but got cooking, and impressed all with a furious 15th round effort. All except the judges; they liked Holmes via, you guessed it, split decision.

The lack of love from the arbiters didn’t keep the International Boxing Hall of Fame from inducting Norton in 1992. To sum up Norton’s legacy, it might be most apt to emply an adage he held dear: “What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve.” Indeed…even if the judges don’t agree with you.

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Michael Woods

Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City

Published

17 hours ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his last three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).

Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.

In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.

The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.

Co-Feature

In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.

Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.

What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.

The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.

Also

In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).

A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, applied the exclamation point, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.

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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim

Published

1 day ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11^th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.

Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.

Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.

Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is Brandon Figueroa should he defeat former Inoue foe Stephen Fulton next weekend. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.

Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”

Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.

Semi-wind-up

In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.

Also

In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.

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Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino

Published

1 day ago

January 24, 2025

David A. Avila

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Model turned fighter Eric Priest jabbed and jolted his way into the super middleweight rankings with a shutout decision win over veteran Tyler Howard on Thursday.

In his first main event Priest (15-0, 8 KOs) proved ready for contender status by defusing every attack Tennessee’s Howard (20-3, 11 KOs) could muster at Commerce Casino, the second fight in six days at the LA County venue.

All ticket monies collected on the Folden Boy Promotions card were contributed to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation as they battle wildfires sprouting all over Los Angeles County due to high winds.

Priest, 26, had never fought anyone near Howard’s caliber but used a ramrod jab to keep the veteran off-balance and unable to muster a forceful counter-attack. Round after round the Korean-American fighter pumped left jabs while circling his opposition.

Though hit with power shots, none seemed to faze Howard but his own blows were unable to put a dent in Priest. After 10 rounds of the same repetitive action all three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Priest who now wins a regional super middleweight title.

Priest also joins the top 15 rankings of the WBA organization.

In a fight between evenly matched middleweights, Jordan Panthen (11-0, 9 KOs) remained undefeated after 10 rounds versus DeAundre Pettus (12-4, 7 KOs). Though equally skilled, Panthen simply out-worked the South Caroliina fighter to win by unanimous decision. No knockdowns were scored.

Other Bouts

Grant Flores (8-0, 6 KOs) knocked out Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-4, 12 KOs) with two successive right uppercuts at 2:59 of the second round of the super welterweight fight.

Cayden Griffith (3-0, 3 KOs) used a left hook to the body to stop Mark Misiura at 1:43 of the second round in a super welterweight bout.

Jordan Fuentes (3-0) floored Brandon Badillo (0-3-1) in the third round and proceeded to win by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight fight.

A super featherweight match saw Leonardo Sanchez (8-0) win by decision over Joseph Cruz Brown (10-12) after six rounds.

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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