Ken Norton Leaves Yankee Stadium Without Ali’s Title

Muhammad Ali retained his heavyweight championship by unanimous decision against Ken Norton on September 28, 1976, at Yankee Stadium. In the third meeting of their rivalry, the judges awarded Ali the 15th round, securing narrow victory margins across all three scorecards. Referee Arthur Mercante Sr. scored the bout 8–6–1, while judges Harold Lederman and Barney Smith each scored it 8–7 for Ali.

Norton reportedly landed 286 punches to Ali's 199 across the 15 rounds without any knockdowns occurring. Following the decision, Norton believed he had won nine or ten rounds, and 17 of 21 polled sportswriters scored the contest in his favor. The two fighters never faced each other in the ring again.