Athletes - Archie Moore

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	Athletes - Archie Moore

Archie Moore whose birth name was Archibald Wright (December 13 1913 or 1916 – December 9 1998) was a light heavyweight world boxing champion who set many records in boxing. The native of St. Louis, died five days short of his 85th (or 82nd) birthday. He was also a social figure, and a man who got involved in African American causes once his days as a fighter were finally over. His nickname was The Ol' Mongoose, and one of his records, the knockout record, has always been up to debate: Some say he scored 145 knockouts, which is his generally accepted knockout mark, and boxing's all time knockout wins record. Others say the actual number was 144, and yet others claim it was actually 126, and that he scored 19 knockouts which were added to his professional record but scored when he was still an amateur. The 126 knockouts figure would put him third among boxing's all time knockout winners.

Moore usually found himself in trouble as a youngster, and he was in a reformatory until 1934. In 1935, he began his amateur career, and had nine fights as an amateur, winning 5 and losing 4. But he claimed that he boxed some fights under the name of Fourth of July Kid, therefore, he might have had more fights as an amateur.

He began his professional career in 1936, with a six round win over Murray Allen. After a draw with Speedy Schaeffer, he and Allen met again, and this time Moore won by a knockout in 2. In 1937, he won nine bouts in a row by knockout until he suffered his first defeat, an eight round decision loss to Billy Adams. Some historians say that fight actually took place in 1936, but officially it took place in 1937. He then won seven straight fights, six by knockout, before losing again, to Johnny Bandit Romero by a decision in ten in San Diego in 1938. He boxed all but one of his 12 bouts in San Diego that year. In a rematch with Romero, he won by a knockout in four.

Moore had eight bouts in 1939, going 5-2 during that span, with one no contest. He lost to fringe contender Teddy Yarosz during that time, and his no contest was against Jack Coggins, in eight rounds. In 1940, Moore went on a tour of Australia, fighting in Melbourne, Tasmania, Adelaide and Sydney. He won all of his seven bouts there, including six by knockout. Upon returning to the United States, he defeated Pancho Ramirez by a knockout in five, but lost to Shorty Hogue on a six round decision.

Moore had four fights in 1941, period during which he went 2-1-1, and he drew with Eddie Booker. By then, however, he had suffered several stomach ulcers, with their resulting operations. So he announced his retirement from boxing.

His retirement lasted a short period of time however, and in 1942, he was back in the ring. He won his first six bouts that year, including a second round knockout over Hogue in a rematch, and a ten round decision over Jack Chase. Then, he met Booker in a rematch, and they had the same result as in their previous meeting: another 10 round draw.

In 1943, Moore had seven bouts, winning 5 and losing two. He won and lost the California State Middleweight title against Chase, both by 15 round decisions, and beat Chase again in his last bout of that year, by a ten round decision. He also lost a decision to Aaron Wade that year.

In 1944, he had nine bouts, going 7-2. His last bout marked his debut on the Atlantic Coast. That year, his opposition level began to improve, and he beat Jimmy Hayden by a knockout in five, lost to Charlie Burley by a decision, and to Booker by a knockout in eight.

He won his first eight bouts of 1945, impressing Atlantic coast boxing experts, and earning a fight with fringe contender Jimmy Bivins, who defeated Moore by a knockout in six at Cleveland. He returned to the Eastern Seaboard, and fought five more times before that year was over. He met, among others, Holman Williams during that span, losing a ten round decision, and knocking him out in eleven in the rematch.

By 1946, Moore had moved to the Light Heavyweight division, and he went 5-2-1 that year, beating fringe contender Curtis Sheppard, but losing to future world Heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles by a decision in ten, and drawing with old nemesis Chase. By then, Moore began complaining that, according to him, none of boxing's world champions would risk their titles against him.

1947 was basically a year of rematches for Moore. He went 7-1 that year, his lone loss being to Charles. He beat Chase by a knockout in nine, Sheppard by a decision in ten and Bivins by a knockout in nine. He also defeated Bert Lydell, by a decision in ten.

He had 14 fights in 1948, losing again to Charles by a knockout in nine, losing to Leonard Morrow by a knockout in the first, to Henry Hall by a decision in ten and to Lloyd Gibson by a disqualification in four. But he also beat Ted Lowry, by a decision in ten, and Hall in a rematch, also by decision.

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