Ken Norton scored numerous big and important wins during his sometimes underrated ring career: the former marine beating, among others, Muhammad Ali, Boone Kirkman, Duane Bobick, Jimmy Young, Randy “Tex” Cobb, and Jerry Quarry.
It was 50 years ago this month that Norton defeated Quarry, this in something of a grudge-fight. Going into the fight that took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, Quarry – who had once been dubbed “The Great White Hope” – stated to the media that he believed there was what he called a “black conspiracy” afoot; one that was preventing him from getting a big fight with any black fighters.
“It’s a black conspiracy,” Quarry said. “I’m being boycotted by Ali, Norton and Foreman. “Leave the little white boy out of it [they are saying.]”
It’s not clear why Quarry said this, or if he did in fact believe it, because as we know, Ali fought Quarry not once but twice, this in 1970 and again in 1972. In any case, if Quarry had wanted to get on Norton’s nerves with his words, he may well have succeeded. “I respect him as a fighter, but I don’t like him one bit,” Norton said of Quarry. “I don’t like him because he’s a prejudiced man.”
The fight proved memorable even though it was largely one-sided. Quarry, aged 29 to Norton’s 31, and sporting a 50-7-4 record to Norton’s 32-3 ledger, faced a fast-starting Norton, who dominated round one. Quarry came back well in the 2nd, while in the third round, “The Bellflower Bomber” suffered a cut to his right eye. Fighting back hard after shedding blood, Quarry, as was his way, showed heart and guts. Norton was forced into the ropes. However, this proved to be Jerry’s last bit of success, as Norton became the slugger in round four.
Kenny bossed the action, and both men were covered with Quarry’s blood. Norton then busted up Quarry’s other eye, with Jerry in essence fighting blind. There was, famously, no quit in a Quarry, but referee Johnny LoBianco, seeing Norton batter a helpless Quarry around the ring in the fifth, decided to halt the slaughter.
Norton was on his way towards another crack at the world title, currently the property of Ali. Quarry would retire from the ring after his bloody loss to Norton, only to come back two-and-a-half years later, with Quarry shockingly launching another comeback, this one doomed from the start and disgracefully allowed to happen, in October of 1992.
Norton was far too good for Quarry, as Norton was far too good for a number of great heavyweights during that golden era that was the 1970s.
