Famed Boxer Ken Norton Dead at 70

[Dong]

RIP Ken.

The only time he beat Ali. He also broke his jaw, fight below.

 

[Wanker]

My Dad was a boxer fanatic and never forgave Cassius Clay for changing his name to avoid being drafted.

R.I.P. Norton.

 

[Wazzap]

Just glad that he kept his son out of boxing.

 

[Art Mann]

My Dad was a boxer fanatic and never forgave Cassius Clay for changing his name to avoid being drafted.

R.I.P. Norton.

Actually, the name change had nothing to do with the draft. The U.S. Army didn't want him at first. He flunked the qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were sub-par.

Cassius Clay changed his name to reflect religious conversion to Nation of Islam after meeting Malcolm X in 1962.

In 1966, the Armed Forces revised its qualifying tests, reclassifying Muhammad Ali as A1. By then he had solidified his religious convictions and become a conscientious objector, like Amish and Quakers.

When drafted in '67, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, stating publicly that, "no Vietcong ever called me nigger." As a result, he was stripped of his title, his boxing license was suspended and later he was sentenced to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for draft evasion. He appealed all the way to the Supreme Court and eventually won his case in 1971. By then the world, and most of America, had come to realize the folly of the U.S. intervention in Viet Nam.

Never been a boxing fan, but have always had great respect for Ali.

 

[Maurice Boscorelli]

^^^ Art is right on the money as usual.

I'm a big boxing and combative sports fan and remember Norton very well.

In his time he was one of the top four. That being Ali, Frazier, Foreman and Norton.

All three of his fights with Ali were razor close and most people think he won the last fight which was awarded to Ali.

His fight with Larry Holmes is still regarded as one of the top Heavyweight bouts of all time.

 

[Curly]

His fight with Larry Holmes is still regarded as one of the top Heavyweight bouts of all time.

Did he bite his ear off?.

 

[DannyDeVito]

Why is boxing still a sport. All the concussions boxers get is not proof enough that it should be banned?.

 

[socialstrat]

^^^ Art is right on the money as usual.

I'm a big boxing and combative sports fan and remember Norton very well.

In his time he was one of the top four. That being Ali, Frazier, Foreman and Norton.

All three of his fights with Ali were razor close and most people think he won the last fight which was awarded to Ali.

His fight with Larry Holmes is still regarded as one of the top Heavyweight bouts of all time.

Poor Holmes - one of the greatest who just missed the heavyweight golden era and thus never gets the respect he deserved. RIP Ken Norton.

 

[WhiteLion]

My Dad was a boxer fanatic and never forgave Cassius Clay for changing his name to avoid being drafted.

R.I.P. Norton.

I hope we didn't have the same Father. Something my dad always used to repeat himself with.