Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers ever, once said he couldn't really beat Ken Norton. Ali felt he got lucky in their 1976 fight.
Ali's boxing career lasted over 20 years. He won the world heavyweight championship multiple times and beat legendary fighters like Sonny Liston, George Foreman, and Joe Frazier. His most famous fight was "The Rumble In The Jungle" against George Foreman. Ali won that fight in the 8th round using his "rope-a-dope" style, taking the WBC and WBA heavyweight titles.
But Norton was a different story. Ali and Norton fought three times. Norton won the first fight in 1973. Ali won the second. The third fight in 1976 at Yankee Stadium also went to Ali, but he wasn't sure he deserved it.
"I honestly thought he beat me in Yankee Stadium, but the judges gave it to me, and I'm grateful to them."
Ali didn't want to fight Norton again after that. He said:
"Kenny's style it too difficult for me. I can't beat him, and I sure don't want to fight him again. I can't spend my whole life fighting Norton. I mean, how many more times will the judges give me a break."
Ali told Mark Cronin in an interview how he struggled with Norton. It's rare for a champion like Ali to admit he couldn't beat someone. But that's how tough Norton was for him.
