Today, I ran across an article about Archie Moore, and it made me remember one of the most amazing battles I’ve ever seen—and a testament to the human spirit—Moore vs. Durelle.
This fight stands out as vividly in my mind as the best of Gatti-Ward, round I of Hagler- Hearns and Graziano and Zale.
I was still fighting at the time and watched it with some others from the 5th St. Gym in Miami, and hoping to pick something up from Moore. He had been a legend for as long as I’d been around boxing. It seemed like he was hundreds of years old.
What he showed me still has me shaking my head. It’s one thing to be cunning, not show when your hurt, mount a rally, but I’ve never seen anybody dead and buried and refuse to stay there. He must have been part zombie..
Every time Moore went down, it was like Gonzales went down with Letterlough, or when Gatti detached Gamache’s head with his last hook, or Jefferson’s KO of MO Harris, where it looked like he was going to need last rites. Each time, Moore got to his feet at 9 and half, as if in a dream.
After that 1st round, all of us in the room felt it was going to be a short night: a raw, crude slugger, who wouldn’t have stood a chance with Moore a few years earlier, caught him cold at the right time and was going to overwhelm him, and make clear Moore’s time was over.
But, Moore showed what those years of experience had taught him. Even on automatic pilot, he was able to shuck-and-jive and fool and con and roll, and paw-out with an uppercut jab to stay in it. All without a wasted movement-- always relaxed. And all on instinct.
It’s what people see in James Toney now.
For the entire fight, all I could do is watch with my mouth open at the impossible, and with admiration for Moore.
Ultimately, what made the difference in Durelle and Moore was: Moore took the shots and was so relaxed that they didn’t shatter him. Durelle was like a brick wall; he took them and took them and took them… and showed nothing, until he cracked and collapsed.
I have a suspicion, not seeing Moore crumble under what he dished out, contributed as much to Durelle’s undoing as Moore’s punches.
If you’ve not seen this classic, rush out to get it.
When Archie Moore returned from the dead
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john garfield
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 95
- Joined: 29 Dec 2001, 20:00
watched that one on tv and couldn't believe what i was seeing. have watched it on tape many times since. I think you're right, john...durelle was a tough gutsy guy....but seeing moore come back from that pounding had to deflate him at least somewhat.
an added note...after that bruising battle was over, moore took the time in the post fight interview to send a word of encouragement or something to someone who was , I believe, ill and he knew was watching. not sure of the details, but it was a gracious gesture, especially for him to even think to do it in those circumstances.
an added note...after that bruising battle was over, moore took the time in the post fight interview to send a word of encouragement or something to someone who was , I believe, ill and he knew was watching. not sure of the details, but it was a gracious gesture, especially for him to even think to do it in those circumstances.
Not long after the Durelle fight Archie Moore again threw his hat into the ring running for the San Diego City Council.
Although respected widely in his home town, with no campaign funds, program nor organization, Moore finished among the "also rans" and his
political carrer ended. During the campaign, however, he spoke to many
neighborhood groups and men´s clubs which, no doubt, sharpened the
political instincts he used so well in later years to promote his youth program, "Any Boy Can" (ABC).
In the early 1960´s, as part of a television film crew, I was allowed inside
Archie Moore´s most prized possession, the lovely brick California ranch
home he had built near Market and 47th Streets. Situated on property
originally the home of Moore´s grandmother, and surrounded by a grove
of fruit trees, the champion´s residence was crowned by an outdoor swimming pool shaped like a boxing glove. The pool was a gift received
when he was honored on the television program, "This Is Your Life."
I only saw Archie Moore in the ring on one occassion. On a chilly, damp
night at the downtown bullring in Tijuana, Mexico, I watched during the
first round as Moore hit his sometime sparring partner\oft timed opponent, Howard King, with a "phantom" punch. As rain began to fall
and the fog rolled in from off shore, King, as if on cue, collapsed in a corner of the ring....his own, no less.
Oh well, it must be added that the majority of spectators had actually paid to see Jesse "Chu Cho" Pimentel score his 11th first-round knockout in
twenty fights so there was little disapointment and no rush to the box office for refunds.
Looking back over forty years later that doesn´t seem like a bad night
at all. Imagine, "Little Poison" and the "Old Mongoose" on the same card
and both winning by first-round knockouts.
Although respected widely in his home town, with no campaign funds, program nor organization, Moore finished among the "also rans" and his
political carrer ended. During the campaign, however, he spoke to many
neighborhood groups and men´s clubs which, no doubt, sharpened the
political instincts he used so well in later years to promote his youth program, "Any Boy Can" (ABC).
In the early 1960´s, as part of a television film crew, I was allowed inside
Archie Moore´s most prized possession, the lovely brick California ranch
home he had built near Market and 47th Streets. Situated on property
originally the home of Moore´s grandmother, and surrounded by a grove
of fruit trees, the champion´s residence was crowned by an outdoor swimming pool shaped like a boxing glove. The pool was a gift received
when he was honored on the television program, "This Is Your Life."
I only saw Archie Moore in the ring on one occassion. On a chilly, damp
night at the downtown bullring in Tijuana, Mexico, I watched during the
first round as Moore hit his sometime sparring partner\oft timed opponent, Howard King, with a "phantom" punch. As rain began to fall
and the fog rolled in from off shore, King, as if on cue, collapsed in a corner of the ring....his own, no less.
Oh well, it must be added that the majority of spectators had actually paid to see Jesse "Chu Cho" Pimentel score his 11th first-round knockout in
twenty fights so there was little disapointment and no rush to the box office for refunds.
Looking back over forty years later that doesn´t seem like a bad night
at all. Imagine, "Little Poison" and the "Old Mongoose" on the same card
and both winning by first-round knockouts.
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john garfield
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 95
- Joined: 29 Dec 2001, 20:00
Simonpure wrote:Not long after the Durelle fight Archie Moore again threw his hat into the ring running for the San Diego City Council.
Although respected widely in his home town, with no campaign funds, program nor organization, Moore finished among the "also rans" and his
political carrer ended. During the campaign, however, he spoke to many
neighborhood groups and men´s clubs which, no doubt, sharpened the
political instincts he used so well in later years to promote his youth program, "Any Boy Can" (ABC).
In the early 1960´s, as part of a television film crew, I was allowed inside
Archie Moore´s most prized possession, the lovely brick California ranch
home he had built near Market and 47th Streets. Situated on property
originally the home of Moore´s grandmother, and surrounded by a grove
of fruit trees, the champion´s residence was crowned by an outdoor swimming pool shaped like a boxing glove. The pool was a gift received
when he was honored on the television program, "This Is Your Life."
I only saw Archie Moore in the ring on one occassion. On a chilly, damp
night at the downtown bullring in Tijuana, Mexico, I watched during the
first round as Moore hit his sometime sparring partner\oft timed opponent, Howard King, with a "phantom" punch. As rain began to fall
and the fog rolled in from off shore, King, as if on cue, collapsed in a corner of the ring....his own, no less.
Oh well, it must be added that the majority of spectators had actually paid to see Jesse "Chu Cho" Pimentel score his 11th first-round knockout in
twenty fights so there was little disapointment and no rush to the box office for refunds.
Looking back over forty years later that doesn´t seem like a bad night
at all. Imagine, "Little Poison" and the "Old Mongoose" on the same card
and both winning by first-round knockouts.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed your post, Simonpure. Just to get glimpse behind the scenes about a fighter and little-known events is what I look for and enjoy immensely about these boards. Keep’em coming, and I’ll do likewise
I just finished an in-depth interview with Pimental and some other fight greats that I’ll post here. In it is a funny story about Archie Moore.