This Month in Boxing History: June 1978 – Ken Norton vs. Larry Holmes.

1978 was a very strange year in the heavyweight division. In February of that year, Leon Spinks in just his eighth professional fight defeated a thirty-six-year-old Muhammad Ali on a split fifteen round point’s decision in Las Vegas. At this

time, the number one WBC contender was Ken Norton. Spinks ended up stripped of this belt for failure to meet Norton, instead choosing to fight a lucrative rematch with Ali. Norton then received the dubious honor of being the only man to win the title outside the ring although the identical thing would happen to a certain Lennox Lewis some fourteen years later. Certainly bizarre to say the least, but the fight Ken Norton would have with Larry Holmes in June of that year would make up for that.

Ken Norton was born in 1944 (if you believe him), and had previously fought for the heavyweight crown twice. In 1974, he met the fearsome George Foreman in Venezuela, a fight that ended with Norton’s destruction in two rounds. Two years later in September 1976, Norton lost a disputed fifteen round division to Muhammad Ali in New York having previously split two bouts with Ali in 1973, breaking Ali’s jaw in the process in fight number one.

Larry Holmes on the other hand had worked his way through the heavyweight division, compiling an unbeaten record of twenty-seven consecutive wins. He had previously worked as an Ali sparring partner and fought on Ali under-cards including his momentous third fight in Manila with Joe Frazier. Holmes had earned his shot at the title by out-pointing the dangerous Earnie Shavers.

The Norton-Holmes bout happened on June 9 1978 at the indoor Caesars Palace Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. Holmes weighed 209-pounds and Norton scaled in at 220-pounds. Rumors were circulating a week before the fight that Holmes had injured his arm in training but there was no thought of postponing the fight. This was “The Eastern Assassin’s” big chance and he was determined to grab it.

It was one of the closest contested heavyweight title fights in history with the fight hanging on the last round. Earlier, it had seemed that Holmes had the upper hand, controlling the bout with his left jab. Norton however still had more than significant success. The bout hinged on the fifteenth and final round and it was one of the greatest final rounds in boxing history with Norton being the one who appeared to take charge. With about a minute left in the fight, a Norton uppercut knocked Holmes’ mouthpiece out. Holmes continued battling on without the mouthpiece and with only fifteen seconds left in the fight, he staggered Norton badly as the bout ended with both men thoroughly exhausted.

The fight went into the judges’ hands. Holmes was physically spent and even collapsed to the canvas at the end of the fight. Judge Lou Tabets’ score of 143-142 for Norton ended up overruled by scores of 143-142 in Holmes’ favor by Harold Bock and Joe Swessel. Holmes was the new WBC champion in one of the closest heavyweight fights ever. That was the end of the championship days for Ken Norton. He fought on until 1981 when he was knocked out by up and comer Gerry Cooney.

Holmes’ heavyweight legacy was about to begin as he dominated the division between the years 1978 and 1985. His list of challengers was like a who’s who of boxing as he defeated the likes of Mike Weaver, Muhammad Ali, Leon Spinks, Trevor Berbick, Gerry Cooney, Tim Witherspoon, Bonecrusher Smith and Carl Williams. One of his most dramatic defenses was against big punching Earnie Shavers in 1979. Floored by a crashing right hand, there seemed no way that Larry would survive but showing one of the greatest recuperative powers of any champion he got up to score an eleventh round stoppage

In September 1985, Holmes was 48-0 and had the chance to equal Rocky Marciano’s record of forty-nine successful wins but lost controversially to light heavyweight champion Michael Spinks on points. After losing to Spinks in the rematch in April 1986 again in controversial circumstances, he quit the ring, but twenty-one months later, aged thirty-eight, he made an ill-advised comeback, losing to the new superstar in heavyweight boxing Mike Tyson in four rounds.

Holmes retired again but was lured again back into action four years later in February 1992. He out-pointed the previously unbeaten Ray Mercer over twelve rounds and before his career was over, he would fight for the title twice more, losing on points to Evander Holyfield and Oliver McCall. Holmes last bout (for the moment) was in July 2002, he won a ten round decision over Butterbean.

After years of fighting, Holmes seems finally to be getting the respect he deserves. It was never going to be easy following a legend like, Ali but in his own way, he created his own legend.