Ken Norton 'The Uncrowned Heavyweight Champion'

Friday Night - February 11, 1977

Convention Center - Las Vegas, Nevada

Kenny Norton defended his 'Heavyweight Championship' for the 'second time'
with a vicious 5th-Round 'knockout' over previously undefeated and #10 Heavyweight
John 'Dino' Denis.

The 33 1/2 year-old Kenny Norton improves his record to 40-3-0 (32 KO's)

The 6' 3" and 219 lb. Champion got off to a slow start, as the 25 year-old 6' 2" 215 lb.
Challenger boxed well in the opening round, by landing good left jabs, and stiff right
hand leads.

In Rounds 2 and 3, Denis controlled the action by firing quick right hands leads to the
Champion's chin, then backing out quickly, taking advantage of his younger legs. Kenny
was a bit slow in his countering, but the punches from Denis did not seem to effect him.

In Round 4, Denis got too confident, as he continued to attack with little regard for defense
over the first half of the round. But at the 1:45 Mark, as the Challenger was moving in, the
Champion timed him with an overhand right, that dropped him to his knee's.

Up at the 6-Count, Dino did all that he could to stay away from the 'rampaging' Norton.
As the Champion stalked, Denis used all his skill to make it through the round.

In Round 5, the Champion wasted little time, and bombed away with overhand rights,
driving the Challenger back into his own corner. There, Kenny unloaded with a 14-punch
flurry capped off by a tremendous left hook to the Challenger's jaw, dropping him
for the 'full-count' at 0:42 of Round 5.

John 'Dino' Denis
25 1/2 years old
6' 2" - 215 lbs.
30-0-1 (15 KO's)
#10 Heavyweight

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The Champion received a fight purse of $1,750,000.

The Challenger - John 'Dino' Dennis received a fight purse of $250,000.

 

May 1977

'Kenny Norton To Defend Title Versus Duane Bobick'

It's all set, for May 11, 1977 at Madison Square Garden. The 'highly anticipated'
match-up between the 33 year-old Champion, and the undefeated 26 year-old Challenger.

Norton will be defending his Championship for the '3rd' time in 6-months,
as he is true to his word, to be a 'fighting champion'. Kenny at 40-3-0 (32 KO's)
is in great condition at 222 lbs., and predicts a knockout victory by Round 8.

Duane Bobick, the 6' 3" 215 lb. Minnesota brawler, is 'ready-to-go' as he
stated in the press interview. The #4 Ranked Heavyweight will bring a
record of 38-0-0 (32 KO's) into the ring, along with his hard hooks.

The early betting line has the Champion as an 8-5 favorite.

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Stevie G...............'That is a bold prediction, my friend'.......

 

May 1977

Duane Bobick - 'The Great White Hope of the Moment'

'I've got Joe Frazier, Eddie Futch and Murphy Griffith in my corner, and
Angelo Dundee as an advisor. With that 'Dream Team', I will be well
prepared when I face Kenny.'

'Kenny is an old 33, and his legs are not what they once where. I will
hit his body hard. My plan will be to surprise him with hard punches to the
head in the first 3-rounds, then while he has his hands up, I will go to the
body in Round 4, and break him down. By Round 10, he should have
no legs left, and will be a 'sitting duck'.

'I may not be pretty, but I'm persistent. Kenny has great form, but I am
more effective, and will simply out-work him. Pressure and a consistent
attack is the way to beat Kenny. He doesn't like to work hard for all
3-minutes of a round. Just watch him, he only fights in 20-second spurts.
With all those muscles, he burns up his energy very fast.'

'Mark my words, you won't see Kenny in the Ring at the start of Round 12.'

'I'm not looking ahead, I'm completely focused on Kenny. Muhammad Ali's
people have already contacted me, and offered me $5,000,000 to fight
Ali after I beat Kenny. One step at a time I say.'

Duane Bobick will receive a fight purse of $1,750,000 for the May 11th
Championship bout at Madison Square Garden.

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Wednesday Night - May 11, 1977

Madison Square Garden

Attendance; 19,500

"Kenny Norton Destroys 'The Great White Hope' Duane Bobick In One"

For those who thought that Heavyweight Champion - Kenny Norton
was 'slipping', well that observaton was changed in just a short period,
as the Champion battered the 'Helpless and Great White Hopeless'
Duane Bobick into a '1st-Round' mess in only 1:10.

After a brief feeling out period for 27-seconds, The Champion landed a blistering
overhand right to the Challenger's temple, which wobbled him.

Kenny then attacked, and in a 25-second span, unloaded a 19-punch barrage of
overhand rights, right uppercuts and left hooks, felling Bobick at the 0:52 Mark.

As the Challenger crashed, he struggled to get up, and just beat the 10-Count of
Referee- Petey Della. The Referee at first wasn't sure whether to stop it or let
the bout continue, as he backed away from the 'dazed' Bobick. But as Bobick
was on unsteady legs, Referee Della moved in front of Bobick and waved his
hands signalling the end of the bout at 1:10 of the 'First Round'.

As the Referee walked Bobick to his corner, the Challenger said 'I'm all-right, I'm
all-right'.

The Champion - Kenny Norton improves to 41-3-0 (33 KO's), in his successful 3rd-Defense of
his Heavyweight Championship.

The Champion received a fight purse of $3,500,000.

Duane Bobick losses for the 'first time, and drops to 38-1-0. The Challenger received a
fight purse of $1,750,000.

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