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Celebrating Ken Norton's Life - Heavyweight champion Ken Norton Sr. died Wednesday, due to complications from several strokes. The boxing great was a household name in the ‘70s and became one of few boxers to defeat Muhammad Ali in 1973. In honor of the late athlete, BET.com takes a look at his boxing career. — Dominique Zonyéé(Photo: The Ring Magazine/Getty Images)

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Boxing Beginnings - Norton started boxing in 1963, when he was in the United States Marine Corps. He won the All-Marine Heavyweight Championship three times. After receiving Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, Norton’s life was changed as he focused on his career as a professional boxer.(Photo: The Ring Magazine/Getty Images)

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Jaw-Breaking Win - After winning 13 consecutive fights, Norton made history when he defeated Muhammad Ali on March 21, 1973, in San Diego, California. He broke Ali’s jaw in the process and became the second boxer to defeat Ali. The 12-round battle ended in a split-decision win and Norton’s National American Boxing Federation heavyweight title. (Photo: AP Photo/File)

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Ali Challenges Norton Again - Six months after defeating Ali, Norton and Ali were set for a rematch at the Forum in Inglewood, California, on Sept. 10, 1973. Ali came back strong, as a second defeat could have tarnished his image. Ali beat Norton in a 12-round spilt decision.(Photo: AP Photo/File)

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Norton Stopped by George Foreman - Norton went on to face George Foreman in 1974 for the World Heavyweight Championship title. The fight was stopped when judges declared Foreman won in a second-round knock out.(Photo: The Ring Magazine/Getty Images)

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Reclaiming the Heavyweight Title - Although Norton lost his title to Ali in 1973, he regained his title in 1975 when he beat Jerry Quarry by TKO in the fifth round. (Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

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Fighter of the Year - After a first-round knockout of Duane Bobick in 1977, the Boxing Writers Association of America named Norton its Fighter of the Year.(Photo: AP Photo/File)

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End to the Ali and Norton Trilogy - Norton fought Ali for the final time at Yankee Stadium in 1976.  Ali was the current heavyweight champion of the world, and he maintained the title in a narrow defeat against Norton. The boxers became friends after their first bout in 1973.(Photo: AP Photo/File)

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Larry Holmes Boxes Norton Out - Following the Ali lost, Norton lost to Larry Holmes after a grueling 15-round match in 1978.(Photo: AP Photo/File) (AP Photo/File)

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Hanging Up the Gloves - Norton never regained the heavyweight championship title after the Holmes fight. He ended his career with a record of 42-7-1 and 33 knockouts in 1981. He later embarked on an acting career, appearing in several movies, and was a commentator at fights.(Photo: David Klein/Getty Images)

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International Boxing Hall of Fame - Norton was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992. He was named as "a fixture in the heavyweight ranks during a time that many consider the finest era of the division."(Photo: Scott Doctor/Splash News)

Photo By Photo: Scott Doctor/Splash News

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Health Issues and Saying Goodbye - Norton suffered a stroke in 2012, which left him only able to communicate by blinking his eyes. He was rehabilitating at a hospital in Arizona, when he died of congestive heart failure on Sept. 18.(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive)