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| Archie Moore (December 13, 1916 – December 9, 1998) Click for larger pic |
Today would've been Archie "The Old Mongoose" Moore's 98th Birthday!
Moore wound up his career with a record of 185 Wins, 23 Losses, 10 Draws for 219 total fights. His 131 KO’s is the most in Boxing History!! Ring Magazine named him the 4th greatest puncher of all time. In Boxing History, Moore had the longest reign in Light Heavyweight Championship history. He is rated by prominent boxing website BoxRec as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all-time.
My friend 'martinburke' had this to say about Archie Moore (excerpted from Underground's Boxing forum):
No other fighter better illustrates the changes in boxing after WWII. Moore was a member of Murderers' Row, a formidable group of black fighters from the mid 1930s-mid 1940s. These guys were ducked shamelessly and were forced to fight one another repeatedly to make a living. As a result, their records are not indicative of their talent.
Moore was a great fighter, truly great, but he wasn't great enough to separate himself from the pack. He got his wins, but he lost some too, and that kept him out of title consideration.
But after WWII, things changed. Moore and his contemporaries passed their peaks, and while Moore hung on, the rest retired. And the new crop of fighters coming into their primes didn't have as much experience, with less fights per year against other less experienced opponents.
Against this crop of fighters, regular old Archie Moore became the Ol' Mongoose. Did he somehow become better as he got older and fatter??
No, his competition became worse. Not as well-schooled, not as battle-hardened, not as experienced. The same Moore who was just a middle-of-the-pack contender in the war era became one of the PfP greats of the 1950s.
Posting 2 documentaries in Archie Moore's honor. Enjoy!
And Still Champion! The Story of Archie Moore
The 1967 documentary about the light heavyweight champion boxer Archie Moore. Written by Frank Chin. Narrated by Jack Palance. Photography by Phil Sturholm.
Other Archie Moore related-posts that you may have missed:
- IN MEMORY OF: Archie Moore (Dec 13, 1916 - Dec 9, 1998)
- THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Archie Moore vs Yvon Durelle I (Dec 10, 1958) (Full fight)
For more information, please check out:
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