• last year
Ken Norton defended his NABF heavyweight title against Muhammad Ali

Date: September 10, 1973

Venue: The Forum, Inglewood, California

Ali stance: orthodox

Norton stance: orthodox

Muhammad Ali suffered the second loss of his career when he was outpointed by Ken Norton in March 1973. Norton broke Ali's jaw in the second round and took his NABF belt. With his wounds healed, Ali sought an immediate rematch. Another loss might be the end of his quest to regain the undisputed world title that had been stripped from him for refusing to be drafted into the US military.

Ken Norton's victory over Ali in their first fight had given his pro career the boost it needed as he finally had a big name on his record. Norton had been ranked sixth by the WBC before their first meeting, and now he was a legitimate contender. Norton weighed in five pounds lighter for the rematch, leading some pundits to wonder if he had overtrained for the rematch.

For an in depth look at their respective records, visit:

Muhammad Ali - https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/000180

Ken Norton - https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/168

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