Archie Moore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Archie Moore |
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Archie Moore in 1955
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Archibald Lee Wright |
| Nickname(s) | The (Old) Mongoose Ancient Archie |
| Rated at | Middleweight Light heavyweight Heavyweight |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Reach | 75 in (191 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | December 13, 1913 or 1916 Benoit, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | December 9, 1998 (aged 84) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 220 |
| Wins | 186 |
| Wins by KO | 132 |
| Losses | 23 |
| Draws | 10 |
| No contests | 1 |
| 2nd President of the Cauliflower Alley Club | |
| In office 1991–1992 |
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| Preceded by | Mike Mazurki |
| Succeeded by | Lou Thesz |
Archie Moore (born Archibald Lee Wright; December 13, 1913 – December 9, 1998) was an amazing American professional boxer. He holds the record for being the longest-reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion ever, from December 1952 to May 1962. His boxing career was one of the longest in history, lasting from 1935 to 1963.
People called him "The Mongoose" because of his clever and defensive boxing style. Later in his career, he was known as "The Old Mongoose." Experts like BoxRec and The Ring magazine consider him one of the greatest boxers of all time. After he stopped fighting, Moore even trained other famous boxers like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
Archie Moore grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, in a poor family. For 15 years, he fought many matches but was not given a chance to fight for a world title. He was also an important person in the African American community and worked for good causes after his boxing days. He also became a successful actor in movies and on TV. Archie Moore passed away in San Diego, California, when he was 84 years old.
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Archie Moore was born Archibald Lee Wright. His father left the family when Archie was a baby. His mother, Lorena Wright, gave him and his older sister to their aunt and uncle, Cleveland and Willie Pearl Moore, in St. Louis. Archie later took their last name, Moore, to make things simpler.
He went to schools for Black students in St. Louis but did not finish high school. After his uncle died, Archie started hanging out with a street gang. He even stole things, like oil lamps, to buy boxing gloves. He knew he would get caught, but he wanted money in his pocket. He was arrested for trying to steal money from a streetcar and was sent to a reform school for almost two years.
Around 1933, Moore joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, a program that helped young men find work during tough times. He worked in the forestry division and decided to use his work as a way to train for boxing. He would stand in the back of a moving truck and duck or weave to avoid tree branches, which helped him practice his moves for boxing.
Becoming a Boxing Legend
Archie Moore started his professional boxing career in 1935. He fought many matches, often traveling a lot, and gained a lot of experience.
Winning the World Title
After many years of hard work, 1952 was a huge year for Archie Moore. Even though he was older, around 39, he finally got a chance to fight for the World Light Heavyweight Championship. He faced Joey Maxim, who had just beaten the famous Sugar Ray Robinson. Moore won the fight after 15 rounds, becoming a world champion after 16 long years!
He defended his title many times. In 1954, he beat Maxim again and also defeated Harold Johnson. In 1955, he knocked out Bobo Olson, who was the World Middleweight Champion.
Facing Heavyweight Giants
Archie Moore also tried to win the World Heavyweight Championship twice.
His first big heavyweight title fight was against the undefeated champion Rocky Marciano in 1955. In the second round, Moore knocked Marciano down, which was a huge moment! However, Marciano got back up and eventually won the fight in the ninth round. Moore later felt that the referee gave Marciano too much time to recover, but others disagreed.
In 1956, after Marciano retired, Moore fought Floyd Patterson for the vacant heavyweight title. Patterson won, becoming the youngest World Heavyweight Champion at that time.
Amazing Comebacks and Final Fights
Moore continued to fight, even as he got older. In 1958, he had a memorable fight against Yvon Durelle. Moore was knocked down four times in the early rounds but showed incredible strength and knocked Durelle out in the 11th round to keep his title!
In 1960, some boxing groups took away his Light Heavyweight title, but many still recognized him as the champion. He kept fighting and even beat Durelle again in 1959.
His very last important fight was in 1962 against a young boxer named Cassius Clay (who later became Muhammad Ali). Moore had briefly trained Clay, but they didn't get along because Moore wanted to change Clay's style. Clay famously predicted he would win in four rounds, and he did, knocking Moore out. Archie Moore is the only boxer to have fought both Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali. He retired for good in 1963.
Life After Boxing
Even after retiring from boxing, Archie Moore remained a public figure and continued to make a difference.
Acting Career
In 1960, Archie Moore played the role of Jim in the movie The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Many people thought he did a great job playing the character. He also appeared in other movies and TV shows like The Fortune Cookie, Family Affair, and even an episode of Batman.
Helping Others: The "Any Boy Can" Program
Archie Moore was a big believer in helping young people. In 1957, he started a non-profit organization called "Any Boy Can" (ABC) in San Diego, California. The program taught boxing to kids who needed guidance. More importantly, it taught them important life skills like self-control, self-reliance, and respect. He wanted to help young people "step off in life with their best foot forward."
His work with youth was recognized with awards, including the Freedom Foundation's Patriotism Award. In the 1980s, he worked for the government, teaching boxing to kids in housing projects in California. He believed that "Any Body Can" achieve their goals.
Family and Legacy
Archie Moore had seven children. His daughter, J'Marie Moore, followed in his footsteps and became a professional boxer in 1997. Later in his life, Archie Moore joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Archie Moore passed away in 1998 from heart failure. He is remembered as one of the greatest boxers of all time and a true humanitarian who cared deeply about helping young people.
Accolades
- In 1980, he was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
- In 1990, he became one of the first members inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
- In 2002, Archie Moore was honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
- The Ring magazine ranked Moore as one of the best punchers and fighters of all time.
- The International Boxing Research Organization and the Associated Press both ranked him as the #1 light heavyweight boxer of all time.
Images for kids
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Archie Moore and Onyx Roach in 1956
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Archie Moore and Eddie Hodges in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Archie Moore and Joan Hardy in 1956
See also
- List of light heavyweight boxing champions
