Forty years after rising to the top of the boxing world and outdueling Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton lost his final fight -- a battle following a stroke -- at a Nevada medical facility, a friend said.
He was 70 years old when he died Wednesday at a Veterans Affairs' medical facility in Henderson, Nevada, according to Gene Kilroy, who had managed Ali and more recently visited Norton as he recovered from a stroke.
While some younger people may know him best as the father of former Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ken Norton Jr., the elder Norton was one of the most prominent figures in all of sports during the 1970s -- in large part because of his consistently great bouts with Ali.
Their first showdown, in 1973, ended with Norton earning a split-decision victory -- and breaking Ali's jaw in the process. But Ali got his revenge six months later, winning their rematch in another split decision.
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