For Ken Norton, San Diego Was a Career-making Moment
by Johnny McDonald

Howard Cosell was loud in his pre-fight criticism that to put ex-Marine Kenny Norton in the same ring with Muhammad Ali would be one of boxing’s biggest mismatches.

Sure, Norton had won his share of 50 professional fights, but he seemed to lack a big punch and was forced to go 10 rounds on several occasions. Sadly, he was not really a drawing card in San Diego.

But to Cosell’s chagrin, it all changed March 31, 1973 in the San Diego Sports Arena when he broke Ali’s jaw en route to a winning decision for the North American Boxing Federation championship. The nationally televised event was one of San Diego’s greatest sports moments.

That fight attracted 11,884 people. Six months earlier, Norton had fought Charlie Reno before a mere 450 fans in the old San Diego Coliseum.

Despite reaching the world championship and being a fighter who lost a 15-round title fight decision to Larry Holmes, that San Diego Sports Arena episode gave Norton the most fame.

"Because of a guy named Ali and his trainer (Angelo Dundee), I became known," he said when inducted in 1992 into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. "My bank account grew."

Norton had been a restless Marine who turned to boxing as a last resort. He wasn’t particularly fond of the sport.

At the time it might have been hard to realize that this young man with great high-school credentials in football and track would eventually parlay his ring abilities into the world heavyweight championship in 1978.

When he was at Camp Lejeune in 1965, Norton drilled as a fullback and linebacker. He undoubtedly would have made the team, because prior to the service, he had played two seasons at Northeastern State in Kirksville, Mo. But he quit the Marine squad.

"In the Corps, I only started boxing because I was unhappy with the football team and I was bored with getting up for reveille every day," he told Pat Putnam in a 1978 Sports Illustrated article. He had gone out for the boxing team at Camp Lejeune and continued fighting later at Camp Pendleton.

At first, he was embarrassed by his incompetence. Not until everyone else had left the gym would he jump rope or shadowbox. He was too self-conscious to train in front of others.

With a terrific physique, he could almost subdue an opponent before the bell rang. It would appear, if anything, he might tend to be muscle-bound. Without a supple body, an orthodox style and effective defense, his performance might be suspect.

Still, he became a three-time All-Marine (1965-’66-’67) champion and in 1967 won the Pan-American Trials. Then, he was told they were taking another heavyweight to the 1968 Games in Mexico City.

He was told that his style wasn’t "international" enough. Disappointed, he never fought as an amateur again.

"The Corps taught me who I was and what color I was," Norton told Putnam. "I didn’t know I was black. But in the Corps, everything is on a one-on-one basis and I found out what color I was and it made me proud to be black. For that, I am grateful to the Corps."

When Norton left the service, he was approached by Art Rivkin, a San Diego Coca-Cola executive and a boxing referee, about turning pro. He formed a group of businessmen and Norton was paid $100 a week plus a share of his purses.

The deal sounded good so he signed. He regretted it later.