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Jenmonten (talk) 15:10, 26 April 2017 (UTC)talk here Muhammad Ali vs Ken Norton 1 Draft: Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton fought 3 historic matches against each other during their illustrious careers. Their first match, fought on March 31st, 1973, was to be the most historic one out of all. Still Racking up wins two years after his first professional loss to Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali was on a quest to retain his heavyweight championship. His next fight, against the newcomer Ken Norton, was supposed to be just a tune up match. But Ali and his camp got far more for what they bargained for, and started one of the greatest rivalries in boxing history. Ali came into the fight out of shape at 221 pounds. Ken Norton on the other hand, was in tremendous physical shape. One of his attributes was his sculpted body itself, but that's all he had, according to Ali and his camp. As the fight began, Ali was quickly outmatched. Norton possessed an awkward fighting style where he jabbed from below, crossing his hands for defense. Ali couldn't figure it out, and after the sixth round, it was clear Norton was in fact intimidating Ali. Ali's corner-man for the first time said there was blood in his mouthpiece, and he had to rinse it out between every single round. As the fight went on, Norton kept on adding points, punishing Ali. As the final bell rang, Ken Norton won on split decision, sending shock waves throughout the boxing world. Soon after the fight, Ali went straight to the hospital to repair his broken jaw. Rumors at the time were that Norton broke Ali's jaw in the second round, and that Ali fought like that for the rest of the fight. The second, said by Norton and Ali themselves, was that Norton broke his jaw in the last round. Not only did this unknown fighter defeat the greatest, but he added on by breaking his jaw.

Muhammad Ali vs Ken Norton 2 Draft: On September 10th, 1973, Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton met for their highly anticipated rematch. After the first fight, which came to be Ali's second professional loss, he made sure he would 'whip himself' back into peak physical condition, much like the 1960's. Ali trained relentlessly, forcing himself back into shape. He ended up being ten pounds less than their first fight, and it showed as soon as he stepped into the ring. But, there were some obstacles he had to overcome before he became victorious. The first was Norton himself. He was in miraculous shape as the first fight, and most of all he was not intimidated by Ali, knowing he beat him just months before. The other was Ali's age, or Father time. Many don't see 31 as old, but given what Ali had been through up until now, including his exile and brutal match up with Joe Frazier in 1971, the mileage was clear. As the fight began, it was clear Ali's training had paid off. But at the same time, Norton also looked in peak condition. After four rounds, it was clear Ali was ready this time, skipping without pause, and standing between rounds. As the bell rang for the fifth, Norton came out strong and fast. He was jabbing Ali into oblivion, and he knew it. Through the next 2 rounds, the fight seemed lively as ever, again balanced. As the bell for the final round rang, Ali came out with a barrage of combinations combined with his speed. Ali's training showed, Norton had no answer. As the fight ended, the crowd was anxious for the winner, as the decision could've went either way. Ali ended up winning the split with 2 votes to 1. Ali seemed happy, but not satisfied. He trained his hardest in years, getting into the best shape of his life at his age, but he couldn't knock Norton out. He went to the brink. Ali realized he would never be the same as he was in the 60's. He admitted, "I'm tireder than usual, because of my age."

Muhammad Ali vs Ken Norton 3 Draft: Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton met for the third and final time on September 28th, 1976, completing their trilogy. This time, a 34 year old Ali entered the ring as the Heavyweight champion. The match was highly anticipated, as it would be the tie breaker from their previous 2 fights. The fight itself was a lively one. Both fighters showed their strengths, with the fight looking even to many onlookers. The final outcome was Ali winning a split decision. Ali retained his title, and closed the case of Ken Norton forever. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ali02498 (talk • contribs) 15:15, 26 April 2017 (UTC)

Sources: - Snowden, Jonathan. "One Punch: How Ken Norton Became a Boxing Legend in a Single Night." Bleacher Report. Bleacher Report, 11 Apr. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

- Carbert, Michael. "Sept. 10, 1973: Ali vs Norton II." The Fight City. N.p., 03 Apr. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

- Carbert, Michael. "Sept. 28, 1976: Ali vs Norton III." The Fight City. N.p., 29 Mar. 2017. Web. 26 Apr. 2017.