WBC Countdown to #FuryWhyte Greatest Heavyweight Fights by OPUS: #HolmesNorton

The greatest ever fifteenth round in WBC heavyweight championship fight history.  Ken Norton was defending the title for the first time and Larry Holmes was the number one challenger. Jabbing effectively, Larry won four of the first five rounds. And then… Ken started a monumental charge which won him five of the next six. By the time they reached round thirteenth,  both were verging on exhaustion. Larry landed some heavy right hands. But in round fourteen Ken staggered Larry twice and landed six punches to head and body in the seconds leading up to the bell.  The crowd at Cesar`s Palace knew they were witnessing greatness. But the best was yet to come. The fight was balanced on a knife edge.

Whoever won the fifteenth and final round would be the champion. Blood was pouring from Larry mouth which had been cut in the eighth, and would need eleven stitches the next day.  Ken started strong with hard hooks. Larry was losing the round. But then with super human effort he dug deep and then still deeper. He hit Ken with some hammering straight punches and then staggered him. The crowd were on their feet roaring them on. The bell rang and Ken gently patted Larry on the shorts. A split decision which Larry won, and later he jumped into the hotel swimming pool with his WBC Belt on to celebrate. WBC President Don Jose Sulaiman, who was at ringside, said it was the greatest fight he`d seen in many years. But  Don Jose simultaneously realized that fifteen rounds was just too much.

The  championship limit needed to be twelve rounds, and so it happened. Years later Larry said it was by far the hardest fight of his entire career and paid tribute to his opponent and friend. He said: “Kenny`s now gone and how I miss him.”