Archie Moore

Archibald Lee Wright was born in Benoit, Mississippi, and raised by his aunt and uncle in St. Louis, Missouri. Enduring poverty, reform school, and a near-fatal perforated stomach ulcer during the 1930s, Moore turned professional in 1935. For nearly two decades, Moore was systematically denied a title shot by the boxing establishment, forced to campaign across the United States, Australia, and South America in the 'Black Murderers' Row' of feared fighters.

Finally granted a world light heavyweight title fight in December 1952 at the age of thirty-nine, Moore outpointed Joey Maxim over fifteen rounds in St. Louis to capture the crown. Known as 'The Old Mongoose' for his cagey patience, hypnotic pacing, and impenetrable cross-arm defense, Moore held the light heavyweight championship for a decade, until he was forty-eight years old.

Moore stepped up to challenge heavyweight champions Rocky Marciano in 1955 (knocking Marciano down in the second round before being stopped) and Floyd Patterson in 1956. In 1958, at age forty-five, Moore authored boxing's greatest comeback against Yvon Durelle in Montreal: knocked down three times in the first round, Moore rallied to knock out Durelle in the eleventh round. Following retirement with 186 wins and 132 knockouts, Moore trained champions including George Foreman and dedicated his life to coaching underprivileged youth through his Any Boy Can foundation in San Diego.