Former heavyweight champion Ken Norton dies

Norton passed away in a care facility in Arizona on Wednesday after suffering congestive heart failure, his close friend and former manager Patrick Tenore confirmed.

Norton, who had been in poor health and suffered a stroke last year, fought in the 1970s era of magnificent heavyweights - a group that also included Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Leon Spinks and Jimmy Young - and ended his career with a record of 42 wins, seven losses, one draw and 33 knockouts.

It was Foreman, a former two-time heavyweight champion, who led the tributes, saying on Twitter: "They called us all handsome. Muhammad they called pretty. But the fairest of them all Ken Norton."

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who visited Norton in hospital, tweeted: "Ken Norton was always nice to me even when I was just an amateur fighter. He always treated me like I was somebody. Remarkable man."

Norton will be best remembered for breaking Ali's jaw in their first of three fights, in which he went on to beat him in a split decision, in 1973.

Ali narrowly won their second encounter by a split decision six months later before he claimed a second victory over Norton on September 28, 1976, at the Yankee Stadium in New York to retain his heavyweight title.

"He was a fighter," Tenore said. "He fought a tough battle and we thought he was out of the woods.

"He was a warm and generous man. He was a champion and a fighter and bright-eyed and anxious to see the next day and a dear friend of 20 years.

"Everyone will miss him. He never said a bad word about anyone."

Norton won the WBC heavyweight championship in 1977 when Leonard Spinks chose not to fight him, before he lost the title to Larry Holmes in a very close split decision in June the following year.

Following his boxing career, Norton made several film and television appearances before he suffered a near-fatal crash in 1986 when his car veered off the on-ramp to the Santa Monica Freeway in Los Angeles.

Despite being struck with ill health in later life, Tenore says Norton never blamed this on his professional boxing career, which began with a win over Grady Brazell in 1967 and ended with defeat against Gerry Cooney at Madison Square Garden in 1981.

"Ken Norton never blamed anyone for anything. He never had a bad word about boxing or any of his opponents. This is a man you have never heard say an ill word about anybody," Tenore added.

The World Boxing Council said: "The WBC regrets the passing away of our former champion Ken Norton. May he rest in peace."

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson added on Twitter: "Today a great man passed away. A legend in the boxing world and a good man. Condolences to Ken Norton's family on this very sad day.

"Ken Norton was always nice to me even when I was just an amateur fighter. He always treated me like I was somebody. Remarkable man."