Norton to defend his title against Holmes

Press, 14 April 1978, Page 24

Norton to defend his title against Holmes

NZPA New York; Ken Norton, the World' Boxing Council heavy-weight; champion, will defend his' title against the undefeatedi Larry Holmes in Las Vegas,! Nevada, on June 9, accord-) ing to Mr Don King, the| promoter. The W.B.C. proclaimed, Norton its champion after) stripping Leon Spinks of the crown for refusing to give; Norton, the No. 1 contender,! the first chance at the cham-i pionship. Spinks, who outpointed; Muhammad Ali to win the l title on February 15, and Ali

signed this week for a championship bout on Sep-

tember 15 in New Orleans. The World Boxing Association and the New York State Athletic Commission

considers Spinks the cham

pion. The 15-round Norton

I Holmes match will be held ■ i in the sports pavilion of I Caesar’s Palace Hotel in Las I Vegas. I Norton, aged 32, solidified; I his status as No. 1 heavy-1 1 weight contender when he I outpointed Jimmy Young in Las Vegas last November in I la match that was billed as al I title elimination. j The W.B.C. permitted Ali, to fight Spinks in a recog-1 nised championship fight on I ithe condition that both men ] [agree in writing that the] winner fight Norton next.) ■ But after Spinks scored a I tremendous upset in beating: Ali, the new champion l

11 declared he intended to give ■ Ali a return match before ; facing Norton. | The W.B.C. then stripped 11 Spinks of title recognition. I Norton, who beat Ali the ■I first time they met and then i j lost two close points decii i sions in their next two II fights, has won 40 fights jand lost four in his profesi sional career. I Holmes, aged 28, has won I all 27 of his matches. His i j most impressive victory '■came in Las Vegas on J March 25 when he easily i| outpointed the third-ranked-[contender, Earnie Shavers,) i 1 in 12 rounds.