Norton lasts 54s

Press, 13 May 1981, Page 44

Norton lasts 54s

NZPA-Reuter New York The undefeated heavyweight boxer, Gerry Cooney, belaboured the veteran, Ken Norton, with a vicious series of lefts and rights to the head and body to stop the former champion after 54 seconds of the first round in a scheduled 10round bout in New York yesterday. The Madison Square Garden crowd of about 10,000 had barely settled in their seats when the 24-year-old Irish-American had Norton in trouble with his first few punches. Cooney lashed five thunderous ieft hooks into Norton’s right rib cage as Norton was unable to stem his opponent’s onslaught. As Norton, his back ' against the ropes in his own . corner, started to sink slowly to the floor, Cooney hammered three more left hooks to his unprotected chin and then switched to his right hand to club Norton with four rights to the face. By this time, the almostsenseless Norton was on the floor in a sitting position. The referee, Tony Perez, pulled Cooney away from the stricken Norton and did not even bother to count for a knock-down as he signalled that the fight was over. The jubilant Cooney, who won his twenty-fifth consecutive fight as a professional, leapt into the air when he realised the brief match was over. It was the twenty-first time that Cooney had ended a fight within the distance.