One of the greatest rounds in heavyweight boxing history might not have happened had Larry Holmes listened to his corner.
It was June 9, 1978, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Ken Norton was making the first defense of the WBC heavyweight belt he was awarded after Leon Spinks had been stripped for accepting a rematch with Muhammad Ali instead of defending against Norton. Holmes, best known as Ali’s sparring partner, was challenging for the crown.
Both were near exhaustion after fighting 14 tough rounds. Fearing Norton still had plenty of knockout power left, Holmes’ corner instructed him to box cautiously over the final three minutes.
“I didn’t know I needed to win that round,” Holmes told The Post. “My manager and my corner told me I was winning and just go out there and stay away and don’t get caught. But I chose to go out and fight because I figured if I’m going to be champion I was going to fight like a champion. And I went out there and it was a toe-to-toe battle. We had a heck of a fight.”
With the crowd on its feet, Holmes started the 15th round by snapping a left jab at Norton, who had an accurate jab of his own. A quick combination by Holmes scored early, but Norton answered with a left to the gut and an over-hand right to the head. Back-and-forth it went. Along the ropes, in the center of the ring, the punches never stopped. Norton seemed to land more punches until the final 30 seconds, when Holmes rocked him with a left uppercut. Norton was essentially out, on his feet, until the final bell rang. Holmes was awarded a split decision by the narrowest of margins: 143-142, 143-142 and 142-143.
The Easton Assassin reminisced about the battle while acknowledging Norton’s death in Las Vegas, on Sept. 18, at the age 70.
“Ken Norton was a great guy,” Holmes said. “Everybody liked him. I was sitting with Earnie Shavers and Tommy Hearns. We all feel for him because he was part of us. He was family. It was a sad day for boxing.”
Holmes was at Madison Square Garden on Friday to tour the final phase of the building’s transformation. He visited with construction workers and signed a photo of his 1979 champion bout with Mike Weaver at the Garden. The photo will be on display in the new Signature Suites lobby along with other memorabilia.
Holmes won by TKO in the 12th round in the third of 20 straight title defenses.
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Brooklyn welterweight Sadam Ali gets the chance to impress a national television audience on Monday when he headlines a Golden Boy Live boxing card at the Barclays Center’s Cushman & Wakefield Theater. Ali (16-0, 10 KOs) faces Jay Krupp (17-15, 5 KOs) of Catskill, N.Y., in a welterweight bout. FOX Sports 1 will televise.
Ali fought just twice in 2012 as he tried to launch his own promotional company. He has since signed with Golden Boy Promotions.
“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity to go and get it and I will, full force” Ali said.
Undefeated light heavyweight Marcus Browne of Staten Island is also on the card. Tickets remain available.
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Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. continues to prove he can’t be trusted to be a professional. Chavez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) is scheduled to face Brian Vera (23-6, 14 KOs) of Austin, Texas, in what was supposed to be 12-rounder at 168 pounds. The non-title bout in Carson, Calif., has been changed to a 10-rounder at 173 pounds because of Chavez’s continued problems making weight. HBO is televising.
Chavez, now being trained by his legendary father, is fighting for the first time since being suspended for testing positive for marijuana after his Sept. 15, 2012, loss to Sergio Martinez.