Boxing Great Ken Norton Passes Away

Ken Norton Sr./Wikipedia

((ht: latimes.com))

Former Boxing Champ Ken Norton Sr. has passed away at an Arizona hospital early Wednesday.

For those unfamiliar, Norton beat Muhammed Ali in a famous 1973 fight, breaking his jaw and handing Ali only his second professional defeat.  In late 1977, he briefly held the World Boxing Council Heavyweight title before losing to Leon Spinks in early 1978.

The 70-year old Norton had been in declining health, and according to the Los Angeles Times, had been at an Arizona rehabilitation facility. He was recovering from a stroke and a battle with congestive heart failure.

For the young'uns in the audience, you may have recognized Norton the actor, who appeared in several movie and tv shows and was the father of former UCLA and Dallas Cowboy linebacker Ken Norton Jr.

If you have some time, take a look at a full video of the famous fight with Ali, it's quite impressive:

Smokin' Joe Frazier moves on

Young Joe Frazier vs. Ali

A sad story to report about a legend in his own sport.

67-year-old Joe Frazier, a former heavyweight boxing champion from Philadelphia passed away Monday after a battle with liver cancer.

Frazier will forever be remembered by people my age and fans of boxing as the 1st person to beat Muhammed Ali. Frazier won the title from Ali in a fight at Madison Square Garden in 1971. Their battle throughout that decade were the stuff...and stories of legend.

The two were rivals...and foils for each other for years. Though there was an underlying respect, it rarely showed in public until much later in both legendary fighters lives.

Frazier would lose his title as the heavyweight champ after holding it for 3-years. He lost to George Foreman in Jamaica in 1973. He would only fight two more times after that before retiring in the early '80's.

I got a chance to meet and interview Joe Frazier at a book signing about 4-years-ago at a Barnes and Noble. He wasn't a large man, but he commanded the room, even in his late 60's. He didn't move very well and his speech didn't flow like it did back in the day.

But he still had the mischievous smile of someone who knew more than you did. Someone who was happy with where he now was. It was an honor to meet him and a thrill to get an interview. My only regret was that I didn't get a photo.

Our prayers, thoughts and respect goes out to the entire Frazier family.

Enjoy this video, highlighting his 1st fight with Ali: (Thanks primeboxers)