Archie “NO B.S.” Moore
GREAT FIGHTERS IN BOXING NO LONGER EXIST!
Charlotte, NC– Where is Archie Moore when you need him? Although Archie is no longer with us, I feel positive he is looking down from heaven after this weekend’s heavyweight “championship” fight and shaking his head. Archie fought as a pro from 1935 to 1963. During that time, “The Mongoose” had recorded 229 fights of which he won 194, including 141 KO’s. Moore is the all time knockout leader. He was almost 40 years old when he finally got his shot at the light heavyweight title, which he won from Joey Maxim. By the way, it was Moore’s 177th professional fight!
NEVER AN EXCUSE FROM “THE MONGOOSE”
Of the 35 fights that Archie Moore lost, never once did he offer an excuse, especially a broken little toe. If I hear the words “great” or “top ten of all time” or even “dominant” in reference to boxing or boxers today, I think I will blow a gasket! There are no great fighters today, and under the circumstances that modern fighters come up in, it will be next to impossible to produce one. Oh sure, there will be some exciting moments here and there, but no great fighters. Why do I say that? Because it is true. Many of the reasons for this I have touched on, but let me give a quick run-down on why pugilism’s greatest era was “Old School” and spanned roughly from the mid 1920’s till the mid 1960’s.
1. Back then the talent pool wasn’t diluted. One sanctioning body, eight weight classes, eight world champions, period.
2. Today there is a lack of neighborhood gyms, especially where they’re needed, in the poor parts of town, arenas, and fight clubs. Back then there was almost one on every corner.
3. A decline in qualified coaches, trainers and teachers of the art and craft of boxing. (I will never forget the sight of the Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas fight, when in Tyson’s corner, instead of using an Endswell, or even a fifty cent piece on ice, for goodness sake, they were using a freaking rubber glove filled with ice water on Tyson’s eye’s!)
4.Today there is too much emphasis on an undefeated record and it hampers the fighters learning process. Because of the perceived need to remain undefeated, so as to get on TV, managers tend not to match their fighter with other fighters that will stretch their guy, so a fighter doesn’t get exposed to different styles, situations, and levels of competition.
5. Today’s fighters fighting too infrequently. It is a law of nature that the more you do something, the more proficient you become. Experience and challenge are necessary for growth in any field of endeavor. However, the days when fighters could/would attain the type of extensive professional experience of Archie Moore are long gone. Again, Roy Jones Jr., and Bernard Hopkins each fought for 17 years before reaching the same 50 fight mark the the ‘ol Mongoose had reached in just 4 years. (Plus, the kind of experience that Moore had, the kind that come from fighting many different styles, levels, and situations, that kind of experience can carry a fighter even when the physical skills begin to fade. When Floyd Mayweather’s considerable physical skills begin to slip, I daresay there won’t be much left, whereas Moore was almost 50 years old when he fought future heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay; and although Moore lost, he was able to account himself well because he learned the craft and skill, and because of experience.)
REPEAT AFTER THE PROFESSOR: “THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE!”
6. Another difference between “Old School” fighters and today’s sport is true toughness; physical and mental. Many of today’s fighters have less “heart” than the Old School guys. They simply are not as tough. Maybe it’s because of the money, or the way they are raised, I don’t know. But boxing is not a livelihood for today’s fighters, they don’t have to fight every two or three weeks to put food on the table. Boxing seems like something today that is used as a vehicle to stardom. Whatever it is, today’s fighters don’t seem to have that grittiness, that hunger, or even that “Eye of the Tiger.”
7. Finally, today’s fighters don’t want to “pay their dues.” The emphasis today is on unblemished records and money, and it has brought about changes in competition. Old School fighters went against so many different styles, and you didn’t have to worry so much about a loss as long as a fighter was developing and growing.
PROFESSOR’S BOTTOM LINE IS…
You see, it all boils down to this; it doesn’t matter if you are a fighter or a writer, if you are allowed to do less and get away with lesson a regular basis, eventually you will become less!
BROKEN JAWS VS. BROKEN LITTLE TOES!
Yes, I know a legitimate injury can hamper a fighters performance. I also know that James J. Braddock won the heavyweight championship with broken ribs, and that Rocky Marciano had chronic injuries to both his hands and back, and that Archie Moore would never offer a broken little toe as an excuse for a loss!
Professor Chuck Marbry