Going the Distance

The Norton Express

On March 31, 1973, in San Diego, California, Ken Norton stunned the world by defeating the most renowned heavyweight boxing champion ever--Muhammad Ali. Not only did Norton take the 12-round decision, but he broke Ali's jaw, a double feat that made him an overnight sensation.

In this revised and updated version, Going the Distance traces the incredible path of Ken Norton's life, including a stint in the Marines and a job on the assembly line at a Ford factory, followed by his nearly 15-year run as a professional boxer and a subsequent film career in Hollywood.

Norton's bouts with Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Earnie Shavers, Scott LeDoux, Gerry Cooney, Tex Cobb, and many others are presented in detail, as is his very public separation from and later reconciliation with his son, Ken Norton Jr., a former NFL All-Star linebacker.

Going the Distance includes exclusive personal photos from Norton's collection, as well as a chronology of his 49 professional fights and a new postscript written shortly before Norton's death in 2013.