Terry Norris
Terry Norris was an American
boxer and a three-time world champion.
This
Lubbock,
Texas native later moved to
San Diego and made a name for himself in the early going. He lost a couple of early fights by disqualification, but for the most part compiled a solid record, including a stunning knockout win against
Steve Little in December
1988.
Terry Norris first challenged
Julian Jackson for a title - the
WBA junior
middleweight crown, to be exact - in July
1989. Norris frustrated Jackson in the first round, but a big second-round left hook from the champion froze Norris in his tracks and stopped him in that same round.
Early the next year,
1990, Norris traveled to
Tampa,
Florida the hometown of his opponent,
Ugandan-born
John Mugabi, who once fought
Marvin Hagler and entered the bout with Norris as the
WBC junior middleweight titlist. Norris wasted no time in getting busy (and stopping) the champion, flooring him twice in the first round - the second time for the full count - and thus starting what would be the first of three mostly impressive reigns as champion.
Many thought that Norris' reign would be a short one because his second defense was against the legendary
Sugar Ray Leonard in
Madison Square Garden in February
1991. Norris, though, proved he was for real by battering and bruising Sugar Ray while taking a 12-round unanimous verdict. His next defense, a June victory over another former welterweight kingpin -
Donald Curry - further cemented Norris' place in the history of the 154-lb. division as Norris wore down his foe and knocked him out in the eighth.
Other foes in that first reign included the tough
Argentinian Jorge Castro, who lasted twelve rounds in losing, and two welterweight champions,
Meldrick Taylor (then the WBA champion), and
Maurice Blocker (who held the
IBF version at the time of his challenge).
By late
1993, almost everyone thought that Norris was going to be champ forever, but then along came
Simon Brown, former WBC and IBF welterweight titlist, who just barreled over him in four rounds to win the title and halt Norris' defense streak at ten. Norris then regained the title in convincing fashion, by unanimous verdict over Brown in May
1994, before losing to
Luis Santana by DQ in November of that year, losing to Santana (AGAIN by DQ) in an April
1995 rematch, then finally beating Santana in bona fide style - 2nd-round TKO - to reclaim the WBC title in August
1995.
Norris then won a 12-round unanimous decision over hated San Diego rival
Paul Vaden in December
1995 to add Vaden's IBF title to his WBC version, and made a few more defenses against the likes of
Vincent Pettway (former IBF champion),
Nick Rupa, and
Alex Rios, before being stripped of the IBF title by that sanctioning body sometime in
1997 and relieved of the WBC version - via KO - by
Keith Mullings in December of that year.
Norris would continue to fight, though no longer as champion. He would fight
Dana Rosenblatt for a minor title, losing a unanimous decision, then would challenge
Laurent Boudouani of
France for the WBA junior middleweight title in late 1998, with Boudouani wearing down Norris in nine rounds to stay champion.
After the Boudouani match, Norris' career would then gradually 'peter out' into semi-oblivion.
He settled a lawsuit out of court with Don King for a sum of 7.5 million dollars in 2005.
Norris was elected into the
International Boxing Hall of Fame in January
2005*
List of male boxers*
List of WBC world champions*
Terry Norris' career boxing record
