Terry Norris vs. Keith Mullings, 12/06/1997
Terry Norris was finally in line for a multi-million dollar payday. He had recently signed with Top Rank with the goal of facing Oscar De La Hoya in the spring of 1998. All that stood between Norris and that career best payday was a little known Brooklyn journeyman with a pedestrian record named Keith Mullings.
De La Hoya was scheduled to headline a pay-per-view card on December 6th, 1997 against Wilfredo Rivera in Atlantic City, NJ. On the undercard, Top Rank wanted to showcase Norris to help build for the proposed De La Hoya fight. The idea was for Norris to fight someone he could look good against in front of De La Hoya’s audience to build momentum for the proposed fight.
Keith Mullings came into the Norris fight with a record of 14-4-1 and having lost four of his previous six bouts. He was known as a rugged club fighter but was coming off a career best performance in September against Raul Marquez. As a late substitute for Yori Boy Campas, Mullings took the fight to Marquez and seemed to do enough to earn an upset decision victory. However, the judges saw it differently handing Marquez a controversial split decision win. But the performance of Mullings caught the eye of many in the sport and earned him another opportunity.
Despite his performance against Marquez, Mullings entered the ring against Norris a solid 7-1 underdog. Many in the sport thought the Marquez fight was an aberration and that Norris would easily dispatch of the perceived overmatched Mullings.
The first round was largely a feeling out round between the two. Mullings came out aggressive and did manage did land a couple solid right hands. However, Norris was busier and landed some goodcombinations that seemed to carry the round for him.
Mullings continued to be aggressive in rounds two through four. At times, he baited Norris into a slugfest and though Norris got the better of almost all the exchanges Mullings would manage to land some solid punches including some hard body shots. However for the most part Norris was able in these rounds to box effectively from the outside and land powerful combinations on Mullings. Occasionally, Norris would also get in his signature overhand right that would stop the aggressive Mullings in his tracks.
Entering the fifth round, Norris seemed to be in total control. He did slow some in the fifththough as Mullings was able to get to the inside and successfully work the body of Norris. Late in the round, Mullings landed some solid rights and lefts upstairs that got the attention of Norris. It was Mullings best round of the fight and the first round that he won.
The pace slowed considerably in the sixth and seventh rounds. Norris was able to control the rounds boxing from the outside at a measured pace using the jab to control range and landing the occasional combination. Mullings was neutralized to throwing one punch at a time as Norris seemed to right the ship back in his favor.
In the eighth, Norris stood flat footed in front of Mullings instead of using his legs. Though Norris had success early in the round, Mullings began to land his own power shots to the head and body all the while pushing Norris backwards. With about a minute left in the round Mullings landed a hard right hand that dropped Norris. Norris got up hurt and absorbed some more hard head and body shots from Mullings who was trying to finish things. Just as Norris seemed to regain some composure, he was hurt at the end of the round with a flush right hand to his chin.
Mullings came out aggressive at the start of the ninth and landed two hard straight right hands. The second of those right hands hurt Norris again and sent Norris back into the ropes. Though Norris managed to momentarily get off the ropes, Mullings kept coming and kept landing hard power shots once again staggering Norris to the ropes. Mullings kept pouring on the punches with Norris helpless against the ropes forcing referee Tony Perez to save Norris from further punishment.
This was a shocking upset in the sport. Not only was the big fight with De La Hoya gone but the career of Terry Norris as a top level fighter was over. Norris would fight twice more the following year. He would lose a decision to Dana Rosenblatt and then get stopped in nine by Laurent Boudouani in what would be the final bout for Norris.
As for Mullings, the win earned him a title belt and positioned him well for some more big opportunities in 1998. Mullings successfully defended his belt one time in 1998 with a decision win over David Ciarlante. However, the following year Mullings would lose his belt in a controversial decision in Spain against Javier Castillejo.