Archie Moore

Archie Moore, also known as "The Old Mongoose," was a professional boxer whose career spanned over 27 years, from 1935 to 1963. During this time, he fought a total of 220 times, accumulating an impressive record of 186 wins, 23 losses, 10 draws, and 1 no-contest. He also registered 132 knockouts throughout his career.

Moore made his professional boxing debut at the age of 21 on September 3, 1935, defeating Billy Simms via 2nd round knockout. He went on to win two more consecutive fights after his debut. He had his first world title fight at the age of 39 on December 17, 1952, after 161 professional fights, against Joey Maxim for the light-heavyweight NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring titles. He defeated Maxim via 15-round unanimous decision to become the light-heavyweight champion of the world.

Over the course of his career, Moore won a total of three world titles, one at light-heavyweight and two at the cruiserweight division. He successfully defended his titles nine times, with six of those fights ending in knockout victories. Some of Moore's best fights and notable victories include wins over seven Hall-of-Famers, including Bobo Olson, Harold Johnson, Joey Maxim, Jimmy Bivins, Billy Smith, Holman Williams, and Lloyd Marshall.

Unfortunately, Moore also suffered 23 losses in his professional boxing career, two of them in title bouts and 21 in non-title bouts. His first loss was against Billy Adams via 8 round PTS on September 1, 1937, which put an end to his 15-fight win streak. He was stopped seven times and lost 16 times via decision.

Despite his impressive record, Moore didn't always have an easy road to success. In the early stages of his career, he struggled to find opponents and often had to fight multiple times in the same night to make ends meet. But these early struggles helped shape him into the fighter he would become, as he learned to stay focused and persevere through adversity.

One of the hallmark traits of Moore's fighting style was his tremendous punching power. He had a legendary right hand that could end fights in an instant, and he wasn't afraid to use it. But even more impressive than his power was his technical prowess in the ring. Moore was a master at using angles and footwork to create openings for his punches, and he had a near-perfect sense of timing that allowed him to land devastating blows.

Moore's career highlights include his first remarkable performance against Harold Johnson on January 29, 1952, where he defeated Johnson via 10th round unanimous decision. Moore won his first world titles on December 17, 1952, after defeating Joey Maxim via 15-round unanimous decision. He successfully defended his NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring light-heavyweight titles against Maxim on two separate occasions in June 1953 and January 1954, both via 15-round unanimous decision. He also defended his titles against Harold Johnson on August 11, 1954, winning the fight via 14th round TKO.

But perhaps Moore's most impressive feat was his longevity. He fought well into his late 40s and remained a top contender for many years, even as younger fighters began to emerge. Moore retired from professional boxing in 1963, at the age of 49, with a record of 186-23-10, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

Archie Moore will always be remembered as one of the greatest boxers of all time, with an incredible record of wins, knockouts, and world titles. But more than that, he will be remembered as a fighter who never backed down from a challenge and who always gave his all in the ring. His legacy as "The Old Mongoose" will continue to inspire generations of boxers to come.

Archie Moore Fight Record