In his last big professional fight, Moore went up against Cassius Clay, his former student. Clay fired Moore as his coach because he didn’t want to do the janitorial work Moore suggested during his training. Clay told the press that “Archie Moore must fall in four.” And in the 4th round, Moore was TKO’d. Shortly after, Moore announced his retirement.
Moore’s final record was 185 wins, 23 losses, 11 draws and 1 no contest, with 131 official knockouts. He started an acting career, appearing in episodes of “Family Affair”, “Batman”, “Wagon Train” and “Perry Mason”. He also played a runaway slave in a film adaptation of Huckleberry Finn.
Archie Moore died on December 9, 1998 in San Diego. According to the New York Times, Moore was 84 years old.
The oldest boxer to win the world’s light heavyweight crown, Archie Moore, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.
(Photo: AP)
Little Known Black History Fact: Archie Moore, Boxing Champ was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
