BoxRec

Just three days before this was to happen, George Reeves took his life. In his days before acting, Reeves had fought as an amateur boxer, so it is not like he was some guy off the street in this scenario---but Reeves was every bit as old as Archie Moore, being in his 40's. The two men had been friends for years, Reeves often sparring with the light heavyweight champ.

Whether this was to be an exhibition or an actual match, I have no clue, though some have speculated it was a stunt, as Archie Moore in the past had fought professional wrestlers in actual boxing matches, and Reeves for a time had 'competed' in staged wrestling events as the character Superman against guys like Gene LeBell who would don a costume similar to Reeve's and go under the name "Kryptonite".

Conflicting reports on how the fight was to be staged varies. Some say it was scheduled for two rounds, while some say it was scheduled for ten. Reeves, despite rumors to the contrary, had trained diligently for the match, either to look more fit than he had in years [it depressed him that he no longer looked like the superman of old] or to actually be prepared to give Moore an actual contest.

The contract, the media attention, was all there to back this up. It's a shame this little bit of history never came to be, and it also raises the question if Reeves did kill himself, as he was quoted as saying: "The Moore fight will be the highlight of my life." He apparently, had alot to live for. Archie Moore himself was dumbfounded that his friend had apparently killed himself, saying the whole incident was bizarre.

Side Note- Just before this arranged match, Moore took on professional wrestler Sterling 'Dizzy' Davis, and had knocked him out in three rounds, giving the wrestler a cut over his left eye, dropping him three times.

Nvm, I tracked down the poster for the event. It was scheduled for two rounds, and evidentially was the real deal, as Reeves was billed as George "Superman" Reeves, and his credentials said he was the 1933 Pasadena Golden Gloves participant. Plus, the picture depicts Reeves in boxing gear, not as Superman.

Good bit of History! I'm going to have my sim fighters notch back a bit on the beatings coming your way as a result of this bit of good will!

Seriously that's quite a poster and a great bit of boxing memorabilia. I wonder what it would go for on E-bay?


He was lucky he was able to associate the name of the character with him personally. The Lone Ranger was robbed of that option!

Is it just me or does that 'poster' look as fake as a $3 note?

And who has been showing his prowess recently with Paintshop Pro over at the "Others Sports" page?

Have I been bamboozled? Hoodwinked? Led down the primrose path? Damn I always believed in Superman! Just when did Archie get the nickname? That might cinch it. Not that this would determine anything (although people used to use better english) but wouldnt' it be "2 round exhibition...rather than 2 rounds exhibition?

It does look strangely modern....especially the fonts and the underlining. But the quotes are retro......tough one.

I kinda doubted the poster too, but at the same time, the fight is chronicled in 'The Ageless Warrior' a book on Archie Moore and other independant sources. Fake or not, it does give an insight that this little known [least today] match was indeed apart of history.

HomicideHenry wrote:I kinda doubted the poster too, but at the same time, the fight is chronicled in 'The Ageless Warrior' a book on Archie Moore and other independant sources. Fake or not, it does give an insight that this little known [least today] match was indeed apart of history.

Can you point me to the site where you found the poster in situ, Rufus?

I just googled "george reeves vs archie moore" and looked under images, and it popped up. someone had it uploaded on photobucket.

http://www.myspace.com/carlglass


^^^That is where the pic originates, when I googled the pic

As suspected, a cut and paste hoax (like an earlier one you and BRR fell for Rufus):

http://www.jimnolt.com/yearinreview2008.htm

http://www.jimnolt.com/photosofmonth08.htm

While the poster is a fake, I believe the exhibition to have been a true story. It was chronicled in newspapers following Reeves death, and as I stated before, was mentioned in 'Ageless Warrior', a biography on Archie Moore. It holds more water, imo, than the Johnson/Dempsey legend.

Btw, I wonder where they got the picture of Reeves as a boxer from?

Collins2000 wrote:As suspected, a cut and paste hoax (like an earlier one you and BRR fell for Rufus):

- We thinks you ate too much paste back in your school boy days collie.

Nobody but you have fallen into an obsession with me, you following me around like a lost puppy in downtown Manhattan after claiming to ignore me. You can't ignore me any more than you can ignore your only buddy, that single brain cell rattling 'round your noggin that you nicknamed Sparky.

HomicideHenry wrote:While the poster is a fake, I believe the exhibition to have been a true story. It was chronicled in newspapers following Reeves death, and as I stated before, was mentioned in 'Ageless Warrior', a biography on Archie Moore. It holds more water, imo, than the Johnson/Dempsey legend.

Btw, I wonder where they got the picture of Reeves as a boxer from?

Why not ask the dude who fooled you with the poster?

Hoax... Collins, you are not a genius just because you quickly recognized this for what it is. But neither are you slow and slovenly.

Not hard to find the unraveled story as a bit of it appears below.....


It was friends of Jim Beaver, boxing aficionados who are to be credited for spotting the fake poster. With certain tell-tale signs they immediately became suspect. Still, I can safely say to several of my buddies out there, "I got'cha!!" After the ring-side dust cleared, Carl Glass contacted Gene LeBell who put an end to the mystery surrounding whether or not this exhibition bout was ever going to take place. Gene's answer was simple. "I'd never heard of it." These five words speak volumes. Gene's background comes from a San Diego based family business which promoted wrestling and boxing. Contemporary newspapers of the time reporting on George's death stated San Diego was the town the event was to be held. Gene was best friends with George Reeves in 1959 and so therefore it stands to reason he is best qualified to once and for all shed light on the subject. What remains a mystery is how the information ever got into the newspapers to begin with. The only explanation is Bob Condon a boxing sport magazine writer who was meeting with Archie Moore to ghost write his biography, and also do a feature magazine article on George's boxing days with the Pasadena Golden Gloves. Mr. Condon was a guest in George's home at the time of the tragic incident.


'enry.....Do not post such tripe and dribble unless you have done the proper background checking. Othewise Collins will be dispatched once again to point and press a can of "whupasstruthspray" directly on the infection.

Bobby Boxbuzz, as junior trainee boxing historian 2nd class, I thought you yourself might have spotted the obvious fake.

Bazza wouldn't have been so easily fooled, that's for sure.

Sorry I had to piss on your parade. I know how you fellows, especially BRR and Jimbo, love passing off bullshite as fact but this one was so obvious even Jose Feliciano would have seen it for what it is. So I take no credit.

Collins...it was SUPERMAN vs my all time Favorite fighter......I wanted to believe....I just wanted to believe, I admit I drank the Kool Aid for a moment. But you just beat me to the response.....the more I looked at it the more I knew it was from a different Time.

Anyway.... I know Archie would have starched him!

Here's what was going on in the 50's for posters.....not much resemblance....

I can post a page from the book on Moore, if you'd like to back up the Moore/Reeves exhibition?

Page 159 of 'Ageless Warrior', a biography on Archie Moore. Was after the Sterling Davis bout that this exhibition was to take place. It was also before Moore got in the ring with Durrelle.

is george reeves any relation to that other superman christopher reeves?

No. George Reeves real name was George Bellso I believe, Reeves was an alias. Christopher Reeve was his own legal name.

HomicideHenry wrote:I can post a page from the book on Moore, if you'd like to back up the Moore/Reeves exhibition?

Perhaps BRR will be able to dig up some footage of them fighting on the secret Canadian circuit.

Collins, your sarcasm is quite ignorant, at least in that statement. How could Moore fight Reeves when "Superman" was already dead? Hmm?

HomicideHenry wrote:Collins, your sarcasm is quite ignorant, at least in that statement. How could Moore fight Reeves when "Superman" was already dead? Hmm?

I may be ignorant, Rufus, but I didn't fall for that ridiculous poster like you did.

That was the daftest thing posted in here since BRR's story about Dempsey fighting Johnson in a secret bout. You fell for that shite too, didn't you.

Go and make some more ridiculous posters of decapitated kids so we can all see your amazing wit and intellect.

Excuse me for making a mistake. I'm sure it fooled alot of people, not just me.

Besides, all I am pointing out is that this exhibition WAS a reality. While it never happened, it was scheduled to happen. There's proof of that to back it up, even if no poster exists. Tbh, I never seen a poster for Moore/DiBiase either, or any of Archie's bouts with wrestlers, but the fact remains the fights were scheduled and happened.

Thats all I am stating.

HomicideHenry wrote:Excuse me for making a mistake. I'm sure it fooled alot of people, not just me.

Besides, all I am pointing out is that this exhibition WAS a reality. While it never happened, it was scheduled to happen. There's proof of that to back it up, even if no poster exists. Tbh, I never seen a poster for Moore/DiBiase either, or any of Archie's bouts with wrestlers, but the fact remains the fights were scheduled and happened.

Thats all I am stating.

It wouldn't fool anybody who knew anything about boxing. That explains why it fooled you, Rufus.

Remember what Stacy told you. "You need to stop fukcing up, son".