Archie Moore
| Archie Moore | |
|---|---|
| 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, 1916 Benoit, Mississippi |
| Died | December 9, 1998 (aged 81) San Diego, California |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 219 |
| Wins | 186 |
| Wins by KO | 136 |
| Losses | 23 |
| Draws | 10 |
| No contests | 1 |
Archie Moore (born Archibald Lee Wright; December 13, 1916 – December 9, 1998) was an American professional boxer and the longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion of all time (December 1952 – May 1962). He had one of the longest professional careers in the history of the sport. Nicknamed "The Mongoose", and then "The Old Mongoose" in the latter half of his career, Moore holds the record for the most career knockouts (131) in boxing history. Moore was a highly strategical and defensive boxer, with a great chin and bludgeoning power, he ranks #4 on The Ring's list of "100 greatest punchers of all time". Moore is rated by prominent boxing website BoxRec as the 3rd greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all-time. Moore was also a trainer for a short time after retirement. He trained boxers such as Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and James Tillis.
A native of Benoit, Mississippi, Moore was raised in St. Louis, Missouri. A victim of racism for much of his career, Moore was an important figure in the American black community, and became involved in African American causes once his days as a fighter were over. He also established himself as a successful character actor in television and film. Moore died in his adopted home of San Diego, California. He was 81 years old.
Born Archibald Lee Wright, the son of Thomas Wright, a farm laborer and drifter, and Lorena Wright. He always insisted that he was born in 1916 in Collinsville, Illinois, but his mother told reporters that he was actually born in 1913 in Benoit, Mississippi. His father abandoned the family when Archie was an infant. Unable to provide for him and his older sister, his mother gave them into the care of an uncle and aunt, Cleveland and Willie Pearl Moore, who lived in St. Louis, Missouri. Archie later explained why he was given their surname: "It was less questions to be called Moore." He attended all-black schools in St. Louis, including Lincoln High School, although he never graduated. His uncle and aunt provided him with a stable upbringing, but after his uncle died in a freak accident around 1928, Moore began running with a street gang. One of his first thefts was a pair of oil lamps from his home, which he sold so that he would have money to buy boxing gloves. He later recalled of his stealing: "It was inevitable that I would be caught. I think I knew this even before I started, but somehow the urge to have a few cents in my pocket made me overlook this eventuality". After he was arrested for attempting to steal change from a motorman's box on a streetcar, he was sentenced to a three-year term at a reform school in Booneville, Missouri. He was released early from the school for good behavior after serving twenty-two months.
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