A very good, fearless fighter. Was very well rounded: Had good speed, a good punch, strong, good skills, etc. Started out fighting battle royals in Maryland to fighting in organized sanctioned bouts. He made his name in Panama where he was very respected and even ran a boxing a gym for a time. Supposedly Norfolk first arrived in the Canal Zone in 1912 but I find no mention of him until late 1913 when he fought Soldier Kearns a 20 round draw on August 20. He was born in either 1895 or 1896 (I dont think Norfolk even knew for sure as he often told different versions on even official documents) and smallish for such a powerfully built man at 5' 8 1/2" Norfolk quickly put on weight in Panama and went from fighting in the high 140s or low 150s to 175 lbs. Tales of Norfolk's prowess down in Panama spread to the United States and when he returned in 1917 promoters were eager to match him against the best available contenders. His firs major fight came against Gunboat Smith at Buffalo, which at the time was a hotbed of boxing activity and acted as a springboard to bigger fights and bigger purses. Norfolk had his hands full with Smith. He was wary of Smith's power and used his speed to work in close, limiting Smith's ability to get range with his long lanky arms. Even so some felt Smith won and accused Norfolk of repeatedly hitting low. A rematch was signed for Rochester. In the interim Norfolk took on Gus Christie as a tuneup at Buffalo and what he expected to be nothing more than a workout turned into the fight of his life. Newspapers split on who won between Norfolk and Christie and when Norfolk arrived in Rochester to face Smith he was shy of several teeth. Norfolk had an easier time with Smith this time around. Norfolk's popularity in Buffalo was now such that a fight was discussed between he and Harry Greb (who was now one of Buffalo's favorite fighters). Greb was game but when Norfolk refused to make 175 pounds for the fight Gus Christie was secured for Greb instead and decisively beaten. Norfolk's next major fight was his clearcut decision victory over Billy Miske. This victory stamped Norfolk as a stumbling block and a guy who was too good to take chances with. As such he found getting big fights difficult. Norfolk took what should have been a relatively easy assignment at this point in facing Sam Langford at Denver in late 1917. Both fighters were given a big ovation when they entered the ring. Norfolk moved around on young legs as Sam stalked, unpurturbed. There was nothing he hadnt seen before in Norfolk and when he saw his first opening in the first round he let loose a right hand that sent Norfolk flailing around the ring. Langford pounced but Norfolk was saved from going down by the tap of the gong. It was a brief respite for Norfolk as the writing was on the wall. Norfolk came out for the second clearly afraid of Langford's power. After a few ineffective jabs to keep Langford at bay old Tham lashed out with a right that drove Norfolk to the canvas like a tent peg. Norfolk was up at the count of 7 and rushed into a clinch. Upon parting Langford sent in a powerful uppercut that dropped Norfolk for a count of 9. As Norfolk arose on wobbly pins Langford measured him and threw a right hand bomb that sent Norfolk halfway across the ring and down to be counted out. With this defeat it was felt the bloom was off the rose. Norfolk was still too dangerous to match with for anything less than a good purse but this loss, which according to his press buildup he should have won, made it easier to ignore him. As a result he labored in relative obscurity for the next several years. Losing two bouts to Clay Turner, drawing with Larry Williams, and beating the ailing Billy Miske in a bout Miske's sub par showing led many to believe he had tanked it (in reality he was showing the early signs of the illness that would kill him) didnt help. For the next two years Norfolk labored against primarily black fighters in primarily small clubs for small purses until late 1921. Harry Greb had been scheduled to face Frank Moran in an all Pittsburgh show. Moran lost to Bob Martin throwing the show into a disarray. Greb agreed to face the best opponent the club could find and Norfolk, who had been chasing a bout with champion Jack Dempsey for two years, was on the short list. Norfolk entered the ring blind in one eye from an injury sustained against Lee Anderson. On the flip side Greb was outweighed by nearly twenty pounds. Despite Norfolk's handicap he controlled the first four rounds with a combination of speed, skill, and punching power even scoring a flash knockdown in the third. Greb seemed to come to life in the fifth round, took over in the sixth, and from that point on was in command. He cut Norfolk and by the end of the fight was battering him around the ring. It had been a great battle and everyone seemed split right down the middle as to who had won. The fight came down to 2 rounds, the fifth and sixth. Depending on who you thought won those rounds won the fight. Both fighters left the ring damaged. Greb would never again have the sight in one of his eyes and Norfolk had been so badly battered at the end that he was laid up in a hospital and forced to cancel all bout for the next several months. For the next two years Norfolk was back on the chitlin circuit before getting called up to face Battling Siki in a big publicized bout at Madison Square Garden. It would be Siki's coming out party in the USA and his chance to shows his wares against a tough competitor. Norfolk turned the tables on Siki and brutalized him for 14 rounds before getting hurt by a punch in the final stanza. Even so Norfolk won the fight easily. It would lead to greater exposure and bigger purses for Norfolk but by this time he was too worn out to capitalize on them and had no real expectation of getting a title bout. He got another match with Greb in 1924 but the fight quickly devolved into an unsatisfactory street fight/wrestling match. Norfolk was lucky to get the victory on a DQ which he could have just as easily lost the same way but it did little for his career. Like a lot of older fighters, especially ones with poor vision, he was now relying on a mauling style and often dirty tactics to win fights. He was disqualified in his next bout by the end of the year when he was called up for a big fight with Tommy Gibbons he was basically playing the supporting role of the "victim." Gibbons stopped Norfolk in 6 pathetic rounds which witnessed Norfolk again hitting low repeatedly. Norfolk, at this point was basically finished. He fought on, half blind and broken down, for another two years against mixed opposition. He won less than half of those fights and none of any importance.
Excellent piece. Thank u. Up until now all I ever new of him was that he blinded Grebs eye supposedly with his thumb on purpose. This is great thanks again K2
I wouldnt feel comfortable stating it was on purpose. It was probably a punch that did it, not a thumb. I interviewed an eye specialist for my book who specializes in boxing injuries and he stated that it was likely trauma from a blow as a thumb would have likely produced a noticeable swelling (Which wasnt noted in the reports). Norfolk could be a dirty fighter but I doubt this is one of those occasions.
