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LAS VEGAS -- He was the second man to beat Muhammad Ali, breaking Alis jaw and sending him to the hospital in their 1973 heavyweight fight. Ken Norton frustrated Ali three times in all, including their final bout at Yankee Stadium where he was sure he had beaten him once again. Norton, who died Wednesday at the age of 70, lost that fight for the heavyweight title. But he was forever linked to Ali for the 39 rounds they fought over three fights, with very little separating one man from the other in the ring. "Kenny was a good, good fighter. He beat a lot of guys," said Ed Schuyler Jr., who covered many of Nortons fights for The Associated Press. "He gave Ali fits because Ali let him fight coming forward instead of making him back up." Norton is the only heavyweight champion never to win the title in the ring, and boxing fans still talk about the bruising battle he waged with Larry Holmes for the title in 1978. But it was his first fight with Ali that made the former Marine a big name and the two fights that followed that were his real legacy. Few gave Norton, who possessed a muscular, sculpted body, much of a chance against Ali in their first meeting, held at the Sports Arena in San Diego, where Norton lived. But his awkward style and close-in pressing tactics confused Ali, who fought in pain after his jaw was broken. "Ali tore up his ankle while training and we were going to call the fight off but didnt," former Ali business manager Gene Kilroy said. "Ali said its not going to be that tough." It was, with Norton breaking Alis jaw in the early rounds and having his way with the former champion for much of the night. The loss was even more shocking because Ali had only lost to Joe Frazier in their 1971 showdown and was campaigning for the title he would win again the next year against George Foreman in Zaire. "Norton was unorthodox," Kilroy said. "Instead of jabbing from above like most fighters he would put his hand down and jab up at Ali." Kilroy said after the fight Norton visited Ali at the hospital where he was getting his broken jaw wired. Ali, he said, told him he was a great fighter and he never wanted to fight him again. Ken Norton Jr., a coach with the Seattle Seahawks, confirmed his fathers death to The Associated Press before handing the phone to his wife, too distraught to talk. Norton had been in poor health for the last several years after suffering a series of strokes, Kilroy said. "Hes been fighting the battle for two years," he said. "Im sure hes in heaven now with all the great fighters. Id like to hear that conversation." Norton didnt have long to celebrate his big win over Ali. They fought six months later, and Ali won a split decision. They met for a third time on Sept. 28, 1976, at Yankee Stadium and Ali narrowly won to keep his heavyweight title. Norton would come back the next year to win a heavyweight title eliminator and was declared champion by the World Boxing Council when Leon Spinks decided to fight Ali in a rematch instead of facing his mandatory challenger. But on June 9, 1978, he lost a brutal 15-round fight to Holmes in what many regard as one of boxings epic heavyweight bouts and would never be champion again. Norton finished with a record of 42-7-1 and 33 knockouts. He would later embark on an acting career, appearing in several movies, and was a commentator at fights. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who visited Norton at the veterans hospital in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, 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." Ken Norton Jr. was a linebacker for 13 years in the NFL, playing for Dallas and San Francisco, and coaches the position for the Seahawks. He and his father were estranged for a time in the 1990s before finally reconciling. Norton always gave his father credit for his career, saying he learned how to train hard by watching him go for early morning runs when he was a child. "Its been noted that my father and I are on speaking terms and everythings back together now," Norton Jr. said in 1995. "Its part of what I do. No matter what I do, I cant get away from boxing." Norton, born Aug. 9, 1943, in Jacksonville, Ill., started boxing when he was in the Marines, and began his pro career after his release from duty in 1967. He lost only once in his early fights but had fought few fighters of any note when he was selected to meet Ali. At the time, Ali was campaigning to try to win back the heavyweight crown he lost to Joe Frazier in 1973. After that bruising first bout, they faced off two more times, including the final fight at Yankee Stadium on a night when police were on strike and many in the crowd feared for their safety. The fight went 15 rounds and Ali won a decision. Kilroy said Ali and Norton never had any animosity toward each other and became good friends over the years. Still, Norton always thought he had won all three fights. Norton would come back in 1977 to win an eliminator against Jimmy Young and was declared champion by the WBC when Spinks was stripped of the title. His fight against Holmes in 1978 at Caesars Palace was his last big hurrah, with the two heavyweights going back and forth, trading huge blows inside a steamy pavilion in the hotels back lot. The fight was still up for grabs in the 15th round and both fighters reached inside themselves to deliver one of the more memorable final rounds in heavyweight history. When the decision was announced, two ringside judges favoured Holmes by one point while the third favoured Norton by a point. Norton was badly injured in a near fatal car accident in 1986. He recovered but never regained his full physical mobility. "The doctors said I would never walk or talk," Norton said at an autograph session in 2011 in Las Vegas, lifting his trademark fedora to show long surgical scars on his bald head. Kilroy said Norton was visited at the hospital by former fighters, including Tyson, Earnie Shavers and Thomas Hearns. Norton fought only five more times after losing his title to Holmes. His final fight came Nov. 5, 1981, when he was knocked out in the first round by Gerry Cooney at Madison Square Garden. Information on services and other survivors was not immediately released by the family. Nike Vapormax Nz . Erik Cole scored on a breakaway with 4:49 to play, and the Stars rallied to defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Saturday night. Nike Vapormax Nz Cheap . The moves were the first punitive steps taken by the Dolphins since a report on the NFLs investigation of the case was released last week. 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Japan sealed its victory over Canada in the first-round Davis Cup tie after Nishikori downed an ailing Dancevic 6-2, 1-0.TSN Hockey Insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger have the latest on why the New York Rangers may trade Ryan Callahan, Thomas Vaneks future after the winger rejected a long-term extension from the New York Islanders, and if the Raphael Diaz trade means another Vancouver Canucks defenceman is on the way out. Ryan Callahan trade talks caught a lot of people off guard. Details are now emerging about why the Rangers would consider such a move. Darren Dreger: He wants a lot of money. Its been widely reported that Callahan is looking for a seven-year term around $6 million per year. That is not accurate. Im told that it is more than $6.5 million but less than $7 million per year on a seven-year term. Whether its $6 million per year or, as we know now, closer to $7 million, thats a lot of money; too much for the Rangers. Theres not a lot of wiggle room in this negotiation and thats why Glen Sather is considering and working towards moving his captain. It seems like a pressing issue. What are the chances Callahan gets either signed or traded before this Fridays Olympic roster freeze? Dreger: 50/50. I know thats an easy guess to make but I would say its more unlikely to get done because there is a willingness to push this as far as you can. But in the meantime the Rangers also need to get as much in return as possible for Callahan. The Chris Stewart deal with the St. Louis Blues is still there; Stewart would be a part of that. The Rangers also have to pay attention to whats going on with Dan Girardi. If he doesnt come to terms this week with the Rangers and avoid potential of unrestricted free agency, perhaps that sends a message to Sather that hes going to unrestricted free agency and he then joins Callahan in the trade speculation. Sounds more and more like New York Islanders forward Thomas Vanek wants to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. What does that mean for potential deals? Bob McKenzie: Youre right. News broke on Monday morning that Vanek rejected a verbal offer ffrom the Islanders; a lucrative, long-term deal.dddddddddddd The implication of course being that now hes going to get unrestricted free agency. He wants to at least test the market and see whats out there. So the Islanders are looking at trade scenarios for Vanek between now and the March 5 trade deadline. GM Garth Snow will continue to try and sign Vanek; try and sweeten the pot and push to get something done, but by the same token, hes on a track where hes talking to teams and finding out what hes going to get. The Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins are amongst those teams that would be interested in getting a scoring winger, a rental at the deadline. Pittsburgh has some cap issues, but Vaneks exactly what the doctors ordered for a lot of contending teams. Vancouver gets another defenceman in the Raphael Diaz for Dale Weise trade but isnt that an overabundance? Does this lead us to believe the Canucks will deal a defenceman at some point? McKenzie: Everybody assumes that this is the precursor to moving one of their veteran defencemen; getting Alex Edler to waive his no-trade clause or what have you. I dont believe theres any relation to the Diaz trade and making another move. Right now you have Kevin Bieksa, Chris Tanev, and Yannick Weber all battling injury. In my opinion, getting Diaz is nothing more than taking a fourth-line grinder with limited ability in Weise, and sending him to the Canadiens for a puck-moving defenceman who had fallen out of favour. I think this is about the here and now. Thats not to say the Canucks wont make a trade down the road, but I think this move is self-explanatory. David Legwand is a lifelong Nashville Predator with 951 career games, might he move? McKenzie: The Predators are shopping Legwand hard. The price is expected to be a first- or second-round pick but keep in mind he has a full no-move clause and he will decide whether or not he wants to be a rental or whether he wants to play out the string with Nashville. ' ' '