- Ask Steven
World champion... without winning?
How was Ken Norton a world champion when, if I read his obituary correctly, he never won a world title fight? asked Glenn Martin
Ken Norton, who died in September aged 70, was unique among world heavyweight champions in that he never won a title fight.
Norton was probably best remembered for breaking Muhammad Ali's jaw - and beating him - in a non-title fight in 1973.
Five years later he was named world heavyweight champion by the WBC after Leon Spinks refused to fight him, preferring to give Ali a rematch after surprisingly defeating the great man in February 1978.
The WBC's reasoning was that Norton had beaten Jimmy Young in a final eliminator for a title bout the previous year.
However, Norton's only outing as champion, in June 1978, ended in a narrow defeat at the fists of Larry Holmes. Norton had earlier lost title fights to Ali and George Foreman.
Download ESPN's new UK sport app, a fresh and powerful new way to follow your favourite UK sports news, scores and video.
