Muhammad Ali vs Ken Norton III (On September 28. 1976, at Yankee Stadium)

[boxingmemories]

When Ali faced Ken Norton in their third fight, he won a close but unanimous 15-round decision.

Referee: Arthur Mercant 8-6
Judge: Harlod Lederman 8-7
Judge: Barney Smith 8-7

The January 1998 issue of Boxing Monthly ranked Ali-Norton as the fifth most disputed title fight decision in history.


Do you believe that Ali really won this fight? I am not convinced myself even though i am an Ali fan!!!

[fg2227]

Norton blew it by cruising the 15 th, people tend to forget that ALL 3 Judges gave it to Ali.

[Stevie G]

Originally Posted by fg2227

Norton blew it by cruising the 15 th, people tend to forget that ALL 3 Judges gave it to Ali.

This sums the affair up,pretty well. I'm a massive Ali fan,but I thought Muhammad was lucky in getting the decision. Although i'd hardly call it a robbery. It was close enough.

[alexvoce]

Originally Posted by boxingmemories

When Ali faced Ken Norton in their third fight, he won a close but unanimous 15-round decision.

Referee: Arthur Mercant 8-6
Judge: Harlod Lederman 8-7
Judge: Barney Smith 8-7

The January 1998 issue of Boxing Monthly ranked Ali-Norton as the fifth most disputed title fight decision in history.


Do you believe that Ali really won this fight? I am not convinced myself even though i am an Ali fan!!!

clay lost all 3 fights if all the decisions he got away with were the other way his record would be terrible....

[Stevie G]

Originally Posted by alexvoce

clay lost all 3 fights if all the decisions he got away with were the other way his record would be terrible....

The second fight was DEFINITELY an Ali win. Close as it was. If you want to see a robbery,then take a look at the first Pernell Whitaker-Jose Luis Ramirez fight,or when John Conteh got shafted against Mate Parlov.

[gentleman jim]

Norton won that fight. The look on Ali's face as the verdict was being read tells it all. Even in the last round Norton put some serious hurt on Ali. Ali may have landed more to the effect of light jabs but Ken bombed Ali into the ropes and was landing hard shots at the bell. I've said it before...The powers that be were not ready to let thier cash cow go just yet. Norton as champion wouldn't draw the crowds and publicity that Ali would and did. People may say that a close fight goes to the champion and that's ok but Holmes won the title from Norton by a point. Shouldn't Norton have kept the title in a close fight? It's all politics. Norton didn't have the charisma and drawing power of Ali or even Holmes but he was a useful contender and dangerous opponent...Perfect for the times.

[Duodenum]

Originally Posted by gentleman jim

People may say that a close fight goes to the champion and that's ok but Holmes won the title from Norton by a point. Shouldn't Norton have kept the title in a close fight? It's all politics. Norton didn't have the charisma and drawing power of Ali or even Holmes but he was a useful contender and dangerous opponent...Perfect for the times.

Actually, Holmes should have had Norton beaten on the cards after ten rounds, but the fact Ken was WBC Champion, with the onus by that organization to have him be established as a viable alternative to his WBA counterpart, made it far closer than he deserved.

Those considerations aside, Ken did not defeat a reigning titleholder to get awarded the WBC belt, diluting the benefit of a doubt normally granted a defending champion. If Holmes-Norton had been for the vacant title, few would be arguing today that Larry was the clear winner. Controversy was manufactured after the bout that it was even going into the final round, when the controversy should have been how it possibly could have been scored that way after 14 rounds.

Norton blew Ali III, just as he blew Ali II by following Muhammad around for the first several rounds while a dancing Ali also did all the punching.

[Gyro]

Norton lost a close bout and blew it simple as that. Many people don't know that Norton's corner told him he was winning going into the 15th round, they told him this during the break after the 14th round bell. While Dundee told Ali he needed the 15th round to ensure victory. Ali proceeds to outbox Norton and outland him in the 15th round as Norton simply tried to cruise, Norton lands a couple of shots right before the bell but clearly not enough to get the round.

I thought the judges got it right in every one of their fights. They were razor thin contested bouts simple as that.

[DudeGuyMan]

Ali was still nursing injuries from his battles in outer space.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9yn195wFZQ[/ame]

[RoosterC]

Ali lost and lost big, this fight was not close, it was a blowout. Ken won 10 rounds, only a non boxing fan could say Ali won more than 5 rounds of this fight . Corruption in boxing is just the way it has always been.

[Seamus]

The typical Ali snow job that became increasingly frequent as his career matured... playing the crowd, playing the refs, winning a popularity contest.

[MagnaNasakki]

Close fight. I tend to go back and forth on 8-7 scores, I can give it to either guy on any given night.


What is clear is Ken should have closed the show stronger. Letting Ali have a good final round in a fight you might be edging(Watching the fight as a professional boxer myself with 200 amateur fights, he might have thought he was ahead, but there is no way a seasoned pro like Ken could have thought he had it in the bag) was a kiss of death.

Ali needed the 15th round to have an argument for winning, even an argument, and he won it. The judges and his popularity did the rest.

Not a robbery, but a painful decision for Norton, as he was the better fighter that night.

[darling dame]

This bout was all Kenny Norton all the way. I went with two buddies Ali fans ,they growled all the way home knowing... the greatest.....LOST

[Gyro]

Norton gave it away but Ali haters will be haters.

Norton thought he was ahead after 14 rounds and it cost him the decision although it was his corner who told him just before the 15th round that he was winning the fight. While Ali's corner told him he needed the 15th to ensure a successful title defense. Ali came out and out boxed Norton as Norton decided to cruise and not fight. But you Ali haters choose not to know that little fact. This happens in boxing quite often. Where a fighter thinks he has it in the bag and chooses to cruise at the end and ends up loosing the decision...De La Hoya vs Trinidad anyone? Although that was more of a true robbery since Oscar took way too many rounds to have lost. Ali vs Norton was a lot closer and both fighters needed the 15th, the round which Ali took of course. To the guy above who said Norton took 10 rounds, you don't have a future as a judge.

[Gyro]

Originally Posted by alexvoce

clay lost all 3 fights if all the decisions he got away with were the other way his record would be terrible....

Yeah, a Frazier fan would say this of course.


Ali clearly won the second fight. When asked how Norton felt about the first two fights he said the first one could have gone either way and that Ali beat him fair and square in the second fight. He only insists he won the third bout. Which of course isn't the case, he should blame his corner and himself for trying to cruise in the 15th thinking he had it in the bag.