Ken Norton, former heavyweight boxing champion died at age 70 in Las Vegas. After battling with health issues as a result of strokes for years, his son confirmed that his father died in hospice Wednesday.
"He's been fighting the battle for two years," Gene Kilroy, Ali's former business manager told the Associated Press. "I'm sure he's in heaven now with all the great fighters. I'd like to hear that conversation."
Norton began his boxing career while he was in the Marines. TMZ reports that Norton fought Muhammad Ali three times, and won one. He was a tough fighter. "Ali thought it would be an easy fight," Kilroy said. "But Norton was unorthodox. Instead of jabbing from above like most fighters he would put his hand down and jab up at Ali."
He won the WBC Heavyweight title in 1978. The boxer's record when he retired was 42-7-1 with 33 knockouts.
Norton also tried his his hand at acting, and was featured in several movies.
His son, Ken Norton Jr. is a coach for the Seattle Seahawks and was broken up about his dad's death.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
