And now it's time for the cards that I couldn't find the photos to match up with, it's a shame but that's the way it goes in this game. This is actually my favorite Archie Moore card, the 1991 All World - Archie Moore. Love this image. I know the image was taken in the late 80s when Moore was working with George Foreman because there's a photo of the two together and he's wearing the same Pony jacket and beret as the image on the card but I can't pin down the exact match.
1977-79 Sportscasters - Italy Printing - Geneva C Edition - Archie Moore. I can't believe I cannot find the photo to match with this rarity, the Geneva C edition can be really difficult to find. Archie Moore and Joey Maxim fought three times, you would think this photo would be out there somewhere. This is as close as I could get to it.
Archie Moore and Joey Maxim fought three times, Maxim was a slick technician with a chin made of iron. Throughout a long and grueling professional career spanning over 100 fights against top-tier heavyweights and light heavyweights, Maxim was only officially knocked out once. His only knockout loss came early in his career against heavy-hitter Curtis "Hatchet Man" Shepherd in 1946—and Maxim famously came back to defeat Shepherd by decision just weeks later. He regularly faced fierce punchers and all-time greats like Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, "Irish" Bob Murphy, Archie Moore, Floyd Patterson, and Sugar Ray Robinson, absorbing heavy punishment without going down.
Let's get some photos of Archie Moore in here. The brutal power of Archie Moore on display here, as he connects with a left to the bloody face of Yolande Pompey in 1956. Moore won by TKO in the 10th.
Archie Moore knocks down the tough Harold Johnson before stopping him in the 14th round of their 1954 fight. They fought each other five times between 1949 and 1954, Harold Johnson was one of the greatest pure ring technicians to ever live.
Archie Moore knocks out Carl "Bobo" Olson in round 3 of their 1955 bout. Bobo Olson was a great fighter as well, he moved up from middleweight to try and get the light heavyweight crown but Archie's power was just too much. It was too much for a lot of people, 132 to be exact.
Wicked image of Archie Moore holding up his hand after the Bobo Olson knockout. Like I said before, Archie was an extremely clever fighter, he was around a long time and knew boxing like the back of his hand, he set Olson up with his right hand and knocked him out with his left.
Archie Moore was a great pound-for-pound fighter, he had success at middleweight, of course light heavyweight, and heavyweight. Moore had 65 wins at Heavyweight and beat fighters who weighed 200+ pounds including the likes of Nino Valdes who was 6'3" 200+. These are photos from his second fight with Nino Valdes, which took place in 1955, a violent encounter.
"In the rough battle, referee Jim Braddock took one round away from each battler because of low blows. There were no knockdowns but each was knocked back onto his heels several times during the exciting slugging match. Archie Moore was bleeding from the nose and mouth at the finish, and his left eye also was swollen. But he could see very well. Nino Valdes forced the fighting in nearly every round and tried to impale his bobbing-weaving opponent with long left jabs and whistling rights. In the 13th session, Nino's left eye was closed tightly shut and he fought on half-blinded and fatigued. Moore's superiority in the 14th and 15th rounds clinched the fight and gave Moore his 20th straight victory." - United Press
Archie Moore also beat Bob Baker, in 1954. Baker was a very very good fighter who was 6"2', 210. This is a brutal photo showing Archie's power as he catches Baker with a right hand that distorts Baker's face.
"Light heavyweight champion Archie Moore said today he "felt wonderful" as he carried 190 1/4 pounds - the heaviest fighting weight of his career - to a slashing non-title victory last night over Bob Baker. Moore boxed Baker through the first three rounds and there were a few scattered boos before the champion leaped to the attack seriously in the 4th, when he first brought blood from Baker's nose and mouth. Baker, retreating throughout the fight, brought Archie to sudden attention with a pair of hard rights to the nose in the 6th and Moore responded with an angry assault that opened cuts over Baker's eyes. Referee Petey Sarron stopped the Miamai Beach Auditorium battle at 2:08 of the 9th round with Baker reeling under a savage attack by Moore." -Associated Press
Another savage photo showing the effects of Archie's power and technical brilliance, as he lands a right hand to the bloodied face of Giulio Rinaldi in 1961. This was their second fight and Archie Moore's last defense as light up champion.
BoxingInsider.com
Defining Greatness: Giulio Rinaldi and The Last Hoorah of Archie Moore
By: Geoff Booth
You’re probably asking yourself who is Giulio Rinaldi? Is he any good? How come he’s never mentioned in any boxing discussions with Archie Moore? I have the answer to all three of those questions. But first, let’s go back to 1960.
Archie had just come off two of his most glorious moments in the ring. First, his 1958 knockdown drag out dog fight with Yvon Durelle which saw Archie come off the canvas 4 times to knock Yvon down in the 7th, and 10th rounds before finally knocking him out in the 11th. The next year they had a rematch, and he destroyed Yvon Durelle in 3 rounds. After that night Archie went back to “tuning up” against fringe Heavyweight contenders. In comes Giulio Rinaldi.
For all intents and purposes Giulio was supposed to be just another victim on Archie’s list of tune ups. Giulio boasting a respectable journeyman like record of 25-5 was big, hittable, not very fast, and didn’t have the greatest of chins. There was no reason that Archie shouldn’t win this fight, aside from 2 very important factors; Archie’s conditioning and where the fight would take place. (in Giulio Rinaldi’s backyard of Rome, Italy.)
The only film of this fight that has made its way to the public’s eye is a Pro Rinaldi highlight package that is in Italian. The film is only a couple minutes long and shows a wild Rinaldi swinging for the fences on a visibly pudgy, but elusive Moore. The final sequence shows the Italian Referee administer a completely unwarranted 8 count, in a situation where Moore was clearly “playing opossum.” After 10 rounds, Giulio Rinaldi was awarded the decision. A points decision where none of the scorecards have yet to be seen, suggested or revealed. Taking all of that into consideration along with the fact that this fight was fought in Italy may bring you to a slightly “pre educated” guess of what we in boxing call “Homecooking.”
At this point I must emphasize “pre educated” because I didn’t have enough proof to say one way or the other what had happened. Archie was known to come into fights out of shape, (most famously against Floyd Patterson in 1956) and even though Moore kept his age a secret, we all knew he was between 43 and 49 at this point in his career. Logically, you can connect the dots and come to a conclusion that an aging, out of shape man was just bested by a bigger, younger fighter. BUT…. thanks to modern technology we now have the option to look through newspaper clippings, SO….. That’s exactly what I did. What I found confirmed my original hypothesis that Moore was likely shafted by hometown politics. The only score that I have seen printed in the fight was from the Associated Press who scored the fight 5-3-2 for Archie. I have not read any article that has indicated to me that Rinaldi did any better than a draw. All the other articles go on to say that Archie appeared to be in control for the first 9 rounds and only lost the last round clearly in part by the standing 8 count. Now Archie, being the man he was never screamed robbery. He simply extended his hand to Rinaldi for a rematch. This time it would be a 15 round affair, in New York, at the Light heavyweight limit of 175 lbs., for what was to be Archie Moore’s last title defense in his already legendary career.
June 10nth 1961, in Madison Square Garden. The stage was set and it was a full on event, complete with boxing greats such as Ray Robinson and Rocky Marciano being honored before your typical prefight introduction. Even before Archie took his robe off you could see from his lean face that he was in shape. The question that was on ringsider’s minds however was simple, “Will we see the Ageless Archie or an Aging one?”
The bell sounded and the first round began. Rinaldi came out quick looking to set the pace and establish his distance behind the jab. It’s no secret that the best way to beat Moore is to keep him from countering with his trade mark right hand. A right hand that can come in the form of a razor sharp shot as well as a looping clubbing blow. As the round goes on you see Rinaldi just being the busier of the two. He’s not landing much but Archie has yet to throw with conviction. The round ends and Giulio takes the lead 1-0.
The second round picks up abit and while Rinaldi is doing most of the leading he’s not landing much at all, and the trained eye begins to see Archie closing the gap and getting underneath the jab while looking to find a home for the right hand. You can also see that even though Archie’s reflexes are diminishing, his brain is in its boxing prime. Using very subtle footwork, he is slowly setting traps for Rinaldi to fall into. The second round ends just as the first did with Rinaldi winning on activity alone. I have him ahead 2-0. In the third, Rinaldi picks up right where he left off by continuing to push a jab in Archie’s direction. By this time you can start to see what I’m seeing and I’m sure what Archie is seeing.
Rinaldi’s jab is beginning to lose its snap and Archie lands his right with authority. Rinaldi still wins the third on activity with his jab, but in that round you saw what was to come. A lot “Moore” right hands. Archie comes out in the fourth like he’s finally ready to fight and Rinaldi is aware of it. He continues to push his jab at Archie mixing in a lazy right and lethargic hook when pressured. Archie sets a trap and Rinaldi eats a big right hand, followed by two left hooks. Rinaldi would remain on the retreat for the remainder of the round and the fight. After Four rounds Archie gets on the board. 3-1 Rinaldi.
The fifth round was All Archie. He walked Rinaldi down, slipped the jab and began to land his right at will. Towards the end of the round Rinaldi begins to attempt using his left hook as a weapon. These left hooks were easily slipped under and countered. By the end of this round it was official; Archie had taken Rinaldi’s jab away. The Sixth round saw Rinaldi’s nose badly bloodied from repeated right hands from Moore. Archie was now dictating the tempo in every way as the bell rang to end the round. After six, it was all tied up 3-3.
The seventh round was probably the slowest of the fight as both fighters visibly took the round off. Rinaldi was probably hoping that the previous round was Archie’s “last hoorah,” while Archie did what he usually did in his over 220 fight career, coast through the middle rounds and by the end of the seventh, Rinaldi was now spitting blood. Both guys came out looking to win the 8th round. In doing so it produced the best exchanges of the night for Rinaldi. Moore on the other hand was content to just walk his man down while slipping most of Rinaldi’s winging blows. Going into the ninth I have it tied up at 4-4. A weakened Rinaldi spent most of the round trying to tie Archie up on the inside. (A tactic remnant of Moore’s fight with Maxim.) Giulio however, was no Joey Maxim, and Archie had little trouble touching the target when his hands were free. The tenth round saw Giulio not throwing for over half of the round. Archie, calmly stalking his foe, caught him with another right hand and jumped on him to close the round. The eleventh saw more of the same for the first half of the round with Rinaldi looking to tie up, while Archie spent the last half outclassing Rinaldi.
With under a minute left, Archie sets a trap for his bloodied and outgunned foe and lands a perfect right that wobbles Rinaldi to clearly close the round. Archie went right back to work in the twelfth and stunned Rinaldi again with a razor sharp right and then landing jabs, more rights, and short hooks with relative ease. (It is in these sequences where a true fan of pugilism smiles because they know what they are viewing is nothing short of violently yet brilliantly beautiful.) Rinaldi holds on to get out of the round. After 12 rounds Archie has a crystal clear 8-4 lead. Unfortunately for Giulio and all of Italy, there were still 3 rounds to go.
The thirteenth was a mirror image of earlier rounds as Archie continued to walk a badly beaten Rinaldi down, and for the first time in the fight, Rinaldi looks confused. Nothing he has attempted has been successful and Archie only continues to paint the ring with Rinaldi’s blood until the bell rings. The fourteenth round was by far the most dominant and one sided. (And yet another example of just how great Moore was.) Rinaldi attempted to fight him off, But the Ol mongoose resembled a God more than a human in countering everything Giulio threw. Rinaldi is wobbled repeatedly by Moore’s right hands and once again holds as the fourteenth round ends. (In modern scoring this could have been scored a 10-8 round.) As they walk to their corners you can see how old the young man looks and how young the old man really is. Rinaldi came out with everything he had in the final round for about the first 30 seconds. Moore once again walked him down for the remainder of the round, clipping Giulio with two more big shots to make his point even clearer as the fight ended. After 15 bloody rounds the decision was as clear as the blood on Rinaldi’s trunks. Archie dominated by official scores of 11-3, 11-4, and 9-5. (11-4 on my card.) To put it all into perspective, At either 44, 47, or 50, and almost 10 years after winning the title, Archie had proven for the 9th and final time that he was still by far and away, the best fighter in the light heavyweight division.
Whatever really happened in their first encounter will remain a mystery until the footage is made public, if ever. But in the rematch, Archie Moore made sure boxing forgot about Giulio Rinaldi just as quickly as he was even thought about. On May 12th 1962 Archie was stripped of what was left of his Light heavyweight championship in order to campaign at heavyweight. To this day his title reign is the longest in Light heavyweight history and it is a title that he never lost in the ring. If that doesn’t define greatness, I don’t know what does.
I can't stress enough what a gladiator Archie Moore was. These are photos of Archie after his attempt at Rocky Marciano's heavyweight title in 1959, yawning as if he doesn't have a care in the world, and having the time of his life playing the Cello. What a warrior.
Archie Moore floors "The Cleveland Spider Man" Jimmy Bivins, another all-time great fighter, in 1951. This was their fifth fight. Archie sent Bivins down hard before the end of the 9th round and nearly closed Bivins eye. The bout was stopped before the start of the 10th.
Archie Moore's power on full display here, as he sends Joey Maxim to the canvas during their third fight on January 27, 1954. Seeing Joey Maxim on the canvas was as rare as a Bigfoot sighting, he had a chin made of Iron.
This iconic photograph captures "The Old Mongoose" doing his daily roadwork in 1955 at his legendary "Bucket of Blood" training camp, dressed in layered clothes and heavy boots. Old school boxers heavily favored these unique training garments for several practical reasons: Aggressive Weight Cutting: Moore was a natural light heavyweight who frequently struggled with his weight throughout his career. Running in several heavy shirts, slacks, and a beanie trapped body heat and induced excessive sweating to quickly shed stubborn water weight. Resistance Training: Jogging in stiff trousers and thick, heavy work boots—rather than lightweight running shoes—added significant weight and physical resistance. This built exceptional calf strength, ankle stability, and leg endurance, mimicking the fatigue a fighter experiences in later rounds.
The "Bucket of Blood" was a rugged, rustic training gym built inside a converted barn on Archie Moore's remote 110-acre property in Ramona, California. Situated up a dirt road, Moore called his entire property the "Salt Mine" camp and named the indoor ring and gym the "Bucket of Blood". Boxers ran through the surrounding rough terrain, sometimes crossing paths with rattlesnakes and mountain lions. In the early days, trainees lived off-grid and handled their own cooking and cleaning. Future legends like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman also spent time training on the famous and historic property.
Interesting note, Ali had huge boulders brought in and had them placed around the property at Deer Lake. His father, Cassius Clay, Sr. (a sign painter by trade), then painted on them names of other famous fighters that Ali admired. Ali got this idea from the brief time he spent training early in his career at Archie Moore’s training camp, "Salt Mine”, in California.
A main road in the Mt. Woodson neighborhood in Ramona, California, is named Archie Moore Road. San Diego County named the road—originally a dirt path—in honor of the legendary boxing champion. The road leads to the site of his former training camp, the "Salt Mine."
Archie Moore and Eddie Hodges in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960). Archie portrayed Jim, a runaway slave who befriends Huckleberry Finn. At the time of this film, Archie was the reigning world light heavyweight champion.
Archie Moore brawling with Charles Bronson in the 1975 film Breakheart Pass. The film is a mystery thriller starring Charles Bronson that follows a train traveling through the snowy Rocky Mountains where passengers are mysteriously murdered one by one. Archie played Carlos, the train's cook and chef.
I love this image of Archie Moore showing up to the weigh-in for the Harold Johnson fight wearing an all black cowboy outfit. Harold Johnson is standing on the left and the expression of disbelief on his face is priceless.
Archie Moore was a big inspiration to kids, they were fascinated by him and loved the guy. He liked to work with them and keep them out of trouble. Here he is pictured cruising around in his 1956 Ford Thunderbird with a car load of kids.
Archie Moore after his knockout of Bobo Olson. You can see the long, nasty scar across his stomach. He got that scar from extensive emergency surgery in February 1941 to repair a life-threatening perforated stomach ulcer. Archie suffered from severe stomach ulcers during his early boxing career, worsened by extreme and unusual dietary experiments. He loved food. In early 1941, a perforated ulcer ruptured, nearly killing him and leaving him unconscious for five days following extensive surgery. The operation left him with a long, hockey-stick-shaped surgical scar on his abdomen that became a famous physical trademark throughout his legendary career.
Like I said in the aforementioned post, Archie Moore loved food. He regularly allowed himself to get remarkably out of shape between fights, often ballooning 25 to 40 pounds over the 175-pound light heavyweight limit due to his immense love for food. However, "The Old Mongoose" was famous for always finding a way to sweat and starve the weight off in time for the official weigh-ins. He relied on a mix of brutal, old-school physical torture and eccentric dieting tricks to reshape his body at a moment's notice: "Sweatbox" Gyms: To cut weight rapidly before a title defense, Moore's trainers would lock the doors and windows of the gym and turn off the ventilation, transforming the room into a suffocating steam cabinet. Swaddled in skintight rubber suits, Moore would shadowbox and spar furiously in the extreme heat to shed water weight. The Australian Secret: Moore claimed he learned a secret weight-loss diet from Indigenous Australians during his travels. His method involved chewing steak or other meats to extract the juices and nutrients, but spitting out the fiber rather than swallowing it, allowing him to taste food without consuming the heavy calories. Severe Dehydration: In the final 24 to 48 hours before stepping on the scales, Moore would completely cut off his liquid intake, sometimes surviving on nothing more than half a lemon to keep his mouth from drying out. While Moore routinely showed up to training camps heavy and out of shape, his incredible work ethic during those camps ensured he rarely took his weight issues into the ring. He had the remarkable ability to gain and lose weight as it suited him. He successfully managed these massive weight fluctuations throughout a legendary career that spanned four decades.
Archie Moore helps in the training of George Foreman before his fight with Gerry Cooney in 1990. We all know how that fight ended, the famous walking uppercut knockout of Cooney, one of the most spectacular knockouts ever.
Comments
And now it's time for the cards that I couldn't find the photos to match up with, it's a shame but that's the way it goes in this game. This is actually my favorite Archie Moore card, the 1991 All World - Archie Moore. Love this image. I know the image was taken in the late 80s when Moore was working with George Foreman because there's a photo of the two together and he's wearing the same Pony jacket and beret as the image on the card but I can't pin down the exact match.
I want to go ahead and get this in for tomorrow.
1977-79 Sportscasters - Italy Printing - Geneva C Edition - Archie Moore. I can't believe I cannot find the photo to match with this rarity, the Geneva C edition can be really difficult to find. Archie Moore and Joey Maxim fought three times, you would think this photo would be out there somewhere. This is as close as I could get to it.
Archie Moore and Joey Maxim fought three times, Maxim was a slick technician with a chin made of iron. Throughout a long and grueling professional career spanning over 100 fights against top-tier heavyweights and light heavyweights, Maxim was only officially knocked out once. His only knockout loss came early in his career against heavy-hitter Curtis "Hatchet Man" Shepherd in 1946—and Maxim famously came back to defeat Shepherd by decision just weeks later. He regularly faced fierce punchers and all-time greats like Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, "Irish" Bob Murphy, Archie Moore, Floyd Patterson, and Sugar Ray Robinson, absorbing heavy punishment without going down.
1953 Unknown - Metal Disk - Archi Mur (Archie Moore). I never have any luck finding the photos to match with these pogs.
1959 Figuritas - Archie Moore.
1960 Swedish Rekord Journal - Archie Moore/Owe Adamsson.
Let's get some photos of Archie Moore in here. The brutal power of Archie Moore on display here, as he connects with a left to the bloody face of Yolande Pompey in 1956. Moore won by TKO in the 10th.
Archie Moore connects with a left to the face of Howard King in 1956. Moore knocked King down twice and won by unanimous decision.
Archie Moore catches Tony Anthony with a brutal right hand in the 6th round of their 1957 bout and then stops him in the 7th
Archie Moore knocks down the tough Harold Johnson before stopping him in the 14th round of their 1954 fight. They fought each other five times between 1949 and 1954, Harold Johnson was one of the greatest pure ring technicians to ever live.
Archie Moore knocks out Carl "Bobo" Olson in round 3 of their 1955 bout. Bobo Olson was a great fighter as well, he moved up from middleweight to try and get the light heavyweight crown but Archie's power was just too much. It was too much for a lot of people, 132 to be exact.
Wicked image of Archie Moore holding up his hand after the Bobo Olson knockout. Like I said before, Archie was an extremely clever fighter, he was around a long time and knew boxing like the back of his hand, he set Olson up with his right hand and knocked him out with his left.
Archie Moore was a great pound-for-pound fighter, he had success at middleweight, of course light heavyweight, and heavyweight. Moore had 65 wins at Heavyweight and beat fighters who weighed 200+ pounds including the likes of Nino Valdes who was 6'3" 200+. These are photos from his second fight with Nino Valdes, which took place in 1955, a violent encounter.
"In the rough battle, referee Jim Braddock took one round away from each battler because of low blows. There were no knockdowns but each was knocked back onto his heels several times during the exciting slugging match. Archie Moore was bleeding from the nose and mouth at the finish, and his left eye also was swollen. But he could see very well. Nino Valdes forced the fighting in nearly every round and tried to impale his bobbing-weaving opponent with long left jabs and whistling rights. In the 13th session, Nino's left eye was closed tightly shut and he fought on half-blinded and fatigued. Moore's superiority in the 14th and 15th rounds clinched the fight and gave Moore his 20th straight victory." - United Press
Archie Moore also beat Bob Baker, in 1954. Baker was a very very good fighter who was 6"2', 210. This is a brutal photo showing Archie's power as he catches Baker with a right hand that distorts Baker's face.
"Light heavyweight champion Archie Moore said today he "felt wonderful" as he carried 190 1/4 pounds - the heaviest fighting weight of his career - to a slashing non-title victory last night over Bob Baker. Moore boxed Baker through the first three rounds and there were a few scattered boos before the champion leaped to the attack seriously in the 4th, when he first brought blood from Baker's nose and mouth. Baker, retreating throughout the fight, brought Archie to sudden attention with a pair of hard rights to the nose in the 6th and Moore responded with an angry assault that opened cuts over Baker's eyes. Referee Petey Sarron stopped the Miamai Beach Auditorium battle at 2:08 of the 9th round with Baker reeling under a savage attack by Moore." -Associated Press
Another savage photo showing the effects of Archie's power and technical brilliance, as he lands a right hand to the bloodied face of Giulio Rinaldi in 1961. This was their second fight and Archie Moore's last defense as light up champion.
BoxingInsider.com
Defining Greatness: Giulio Rinaldi and The Last Hoorah of Archie Moore
By: Geoff Booth
You’re probably asking yourself who is Giulio Rinaldi? Is he any good? How come he’s never mentioned in any boxing discussions with Archie Moore? I have the answer to all three of those questions. But first, let’s go back to 1960.
Archie had just come off two of his most glorious moments in the ring. First, his 1958 knockdown drag out dog fight with Yvon Durelle which saw Archie come off the canvas 4 times to knock Yvon down in the 7th, and 10th rounds before finally knocking him out in the 11th. The next year they had a rematch, and he destroyed Yvon Durelle in 3 rounds. After that night Archie went back to “tuning up” against fringe Heavyweight contenders. In comes Giulio Rinaldi.
For all intents and purposes Giulio was supposed to be just another victim on Archie’s list of tune ups. Giulio boasting a respectable journeyman like record of 25-5 was big, hittable, not very fast, and didn’t have the greatest of chins. There was no reason that Archie shouldn’t win this fight, aside from 2 very important factors; Archie’s conditioning and where the fight would take place. (in Giulio Rinaldi’s backyard of Rome, Italy.)
The only film of this fight that has made its way to the public’s eye is a Pro Rinaldi highlight package that is in Italian. The film is only a couple minutes long and shows a wild Rinaldi swinging for the fences on a visibly pudgy, but elusive Moore. The final sequence shows the Italian Referee administer a completely unwarranted 8 count, in a situation where Moore was clearly “playing opossum.” After 10 rounds, Giulio Rinaldi was awarded the decision. A points decision where none of the scorecards have yet to be seen, suggested or revealed. Taking all of that into consideration along with the fact that this fight was fought in Italy may bring you to a slightly “pre educated” guess of what we in boxing call “Homecooking.”
At this point I must emphasize “pre educated” because I didn’t have enough proof to say one way or the other what had happened. Archie was known to come into fights out of shape, (most famously against Floyd Patterson in 1956) and even though Moore kept his age a secret, we all knew he was between 43 and 49 at this point in his career. Logically, you can connect the dots and come to a conclusion that an aging, out of shape man was just bested by a bigger, younger fighter. BUT…. thanks to modern technology we now have the option to look through newspaper clippings, SO….. That’s exactly what I did. What I found confirmed my original hypothesis that Moore was likely shafted by hometown politics. The only score that I have seen printed in the fight was from the Associated Press who scored the fight 5-3-2 for Archie. I have not read any article that has indicated to me that Rinaldi did any better than a draw. All the other articles go on to say that Archie appeared to be in control for the first 9 rounds and only lost the last round clearly in part by the standing 8 count. Now Archie, being the man he was never screamed robbery. He simply extended his hand to Rinaldi for a rematch. This time it would be a 15 round affair, in New York, at the Light heavyweight limit of 175 lbs., for what was to be Archie Moore’s last title defense in his already legendary career.
June 10nth 1961, in Madison Square Garden. The stage was set and it was a full on event, complete with boxing greats such as Ray Robinson and Rocky Marciano being honored before your typical prefight introduction. Even before Archie took his robe off you could see from his lean face that he was in shape. The question that was on ringsider’s minds however was simple, “Will we see the Ageless Archie or an Aging one?”
The bell sounded and the first round began. Rinaldi came out quick looking to set the pace and establish his distance behind the jab. It’s no secret that the best way to beat Moore is to keep him from countering with his trade mark right hand. A right hand that can come in the form of a razor sharp shot as well as a looping clubbing blow. As the round goes on you see Rinaldi just being the busier of the two. He’s not landing much but Archie has yet to throw with conviction. The round ends and Giulio takes the lead 1-0.
The second round picks up abit and while Rinaldi is doing most of the leading he’s not landing much at all, and the trained eye begins to see Archie closing the gap and getting underneath the jab while looking to find a home for the right hand. You can also see that even though Archie’s reflexes are diminishing, his brain is in its boxing prime. Using very subtle footwork, he is slowly setting traps for Rinaldi to fall into. The second round ends just as the first did with Rinaldi winning on activity alone. I have him ahead 2-0. In the third, Rinaldi picks up right where he left off by continuing to push a jab in Archie’s direction. By this time you can start to see what I’m seeing and I’m sure what Archie is seeing.
Rinaldi’s jab is beginning to lose its snap and Archie lands his right with authority. Rinaldi still wins the third on activity with his jab, but in that round you saw what was to come. A lot “Moore” right hands. Archie comes out in the fourth like he’s finally ready to fight and Rinaldi is aware of it. He continues to push his jab at Archie mixing in a lazy right and lethargic hook when pressured. Archie sets a trap and Rinaldi eats a big right hand, followed by two left hooks. Rinaldi would remain on the retreat for the remainder of the round and the fight. After Four rounds Archie gets on the board. 3-1 Rinaldi.
The fifth round was All Archie. He walked Rinaldi down, slipped the jab and began to land his right at will. Towards the end of the round Rinaldi begins to attempt using his left hook as a weapon. These left hooks were easily slipped under and countered. By the end of this round it was official; Archie had taken Rinaldi’s jab away. The Sixth round saw Rinaldi’s nose badly bloodied from repeated right hands from Moore. Archie was now dictating the tempo in every way as the bell rang to end the round. After six, it was all tied up 3-3.
The seventh round was probably the slowest of the fight as both fighters visibly took the round off. Rinaldi was probably hoping that the previous round was Archie’s “last hoorah,” while Archie did what he usually did in his over 220 fight career, coast through the middle rounds and by the end of the seventh, Rinaldi was now spitting blood. Both guys came out looking to win the 8th round. In doing so it produced the best exchanges of the night for Rinaldi. Moore on the other hand was content to just walk his man down while slipping most of Rinaldi’s winging blows. Going into the ninth I have it tied up at 4-4. A weakened Rinaldi spent most of the round trying to tie Archie up on the inside. (A tactic remnant of Moore’s fight with Maxim.) Giulio however, was no Joey Maxim, and Archie had little trouble touching the target when his hands were free. The tenth round saw Giulio not throwing for over half of the round. Archie, calmly stalking his foe, caught him with another right hand and jumped on him to close the round. The eleventh saw more of the same for the first half of the round with Rinaldi looking to tie up, while Archie spent the last half outclassing Rinaldi.
With under a minute left, Archie sets a trap for his bloodied and outgunned foe and lands a perfect right that wobbles Rinaldi to clearly close the round. Archie went right back to work in the twelfth and stunned Rinaldi again with a razor sharp right and then landing jabs, more rights, and short hooks with relative ease. (It is in these sequences where a true fan of pugilism smiles because they know what they are viewing is nothing short of violently yet brilliantly beautiful.) Rinaldi holds on to get out of the round. After 12 rounds Archie has a crystal clear 8-4 lead. Unfortunately for Giulio and all of Italy, there were still 3 rounds to go.
The thirteenth was a mirror image of earlier rounds as Archie continued to walk a badly beaten Rinaldi down, and for the first time in the fight, Rinaldi looks confused. Nothing he has attempted has been successful and Archie only continues to paint the ring with Rinaldi’s blood until the bell rings. The fourteenth round was by far the most dominant and one sided. (And yet another example of just how great Moore was.) Rinaldi attempted to fight him off, But the Ol mongoose resembled a God more than a human in countering everything Giulio threw. Rinaldi is wobbled repeatedly by Moore’s right hands and once again holds as the fourteenth round ends. (In modern scoring this could have been scored a 10-8 round.) As they walk to their corners you can see how old the young man looks and how young the old man really is. Rinaldi came out with everything he had in the final round for about the first 30 seconds. Moore once again walked him down for the remainder of the round, clipping Giulio with two more big shots to make his point even clearer as the fight ended. After 15 bloody rounds the decision was as clear as the blood on Rinaldi’s trunks. Archie dominated by official scores of 11-3, 11-4, and 9-5. (11-4 on my card.) To put it all into perspective, At either 44, 47, or 50, and almost 10 years after winning the title, Archie had proven for the 9th and final time that he was still by far and away, the best fighter in the light heavyweight division.
Whatever really happened in their first encounter will remain a mystery until the footage is made public, if ever. But in the rematch, Archie Moore made sure boxing forgot about Giulio Rinaldi just as quickly as he was even thought about. On May 12th 1962 Archie was stripped of what was left of his Light heavyweight championship in order to campaign at heavyweight. To this day his title reign is the longest in Light heavyweight history and it is a title that he never lost in the ring. If that doesn’t define greatness, I don’t know what does.
I can't stress enough what a gladiator Archie Moore was. These are photos of Archie after his attempt at Rocky Marciano's heavyweight title in 1959, yawning as if he doesn't have a care in the world, and having the time of his life playing the Cello. What a warrior.
Archie Moore floors "The Cleveland Spider Man" Jimmy Bivins, another all-time great fighter, in 1951. This was their fifth fight. Archie sent Bivins down hard before the end of the 9th round and nearly closed Bivins eye. The bout was stopped before the start of the 10th.
Archie Moore's power on full display here, as he sends Joey Maxim to the canvas during their third fight on January 27, 1954. Seeing Joey Maxim on the canvas was as rare as a Bigfoot sighting, he had a chin made of Iron.
Archie Moore knocks out Yvon Durelle during their epic 11-round war in 1958.
Archie hitting the speed bag with intensity.
Love the intense look on his face in these training photos.
A young Archie Moore at the beginning of his career.
This iconic photograph captures "The Old Mongoose" doing his daily roadwork in 1955 at his legendary "Bucket of Blood" training camp, dressed in layered clothes and heavy boots. Old school boxers heavily favored these unique training garments for several practical reasons: Aggressive Weight Cutting: Moore was a natural light heavyweight who frequently struggled with his weight throughout his career. Running in several heavy shirts, slacks, and a beanie trapped body heat and induced excessive sweating to quickly shed stubborn water weight. Resistance Training: Jogging in stiff trousers and thick, heavy work boots—rather than lightweight running shoes—added significant weight and physical resistance. This built exceptional calf strength, ankle stability, and leg endurance, mimicking the fatigue a fighter experiences in later rounds.
The "Bucket of Blood" was a rugged, rustic training gym built inside a converted barn on Archie Moore's remote 110-acre property in Ramona, California. Situated up a dirt road, Moore called his entire property the "Salt Mine" camp and named the indoor ring and gym the "Bucket of Blood". Boxers ran through the surrounding rough terrain, sometimes crossing paths with rattlesnakes and mountain lions. In the early days, trainees lived off-grid and handled their own cooking and cleaning. Future legends like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman also spent time training on the famous and historic property.
Interesting note, Ali had huge boulders brought in and had them placed around the property at Deer Lake. His father, Cassius Clay, Sr. (a sign painter by trade), then painted on them names of other famous fighters that Ali admired. Ali got this idea from the brief time he spent training early in his career at Archie Moore’s training camp, "Salt Mine”, in California.
A main road in the Mt. Woodson neighborhood in Ramona, California, is named Archie Moore Road. San Diego County named the road—originally a dirt path—in honor of the legendary boxing champion. The road leads to the site of his former training camp, the "Salt Mine."
Love this photo of Archie Moore in an old school fight pose.
Archie Moore relaxes by playing the trumpet at this training camp in North Adams, New York in 1955.
George Foreman and Archie Moore in the 1970s. Moore helped train and mentor Foreman early in his career and during his comeback in the 80s.
Archie Moore posing in the 1940s. Awesome up-close image.
Archie Moore and Eddie Hodges in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960). Archie portrayed Jim, a runaway slave who befriends Huckleberry Finn. At the time of this film, Archie was the reigning world light heavyweight champion.
Archie Moore brawling with Charles Bronson in the 1975 film Breakheart Pass. The film is a mystery thriller starring Charles Bronson that follows a train traveling through the snowy Rocky Mountains where passengers are mysteriously murdered one by one. Archie played Carlos, the train's cook and chef.
Archie Moore with Joe Louis in 1956.
I love this image of Archie Moore showing up to the weigh-in for the Harold Johnson fight wearing an all black cowboy outfit. Harold Johnson is standing on the left and the expression of disbelief on his face is priceless.
Archie Moore was a big inspiration to kids, they were fascinated by him and loved the guy. He liked to work with them and keep them out of trouble. Here he is pictured cruising around in his 1956 Ford Thunderbird with a car load of kids.
Archie Moore showing local kids his training camp headquarters in North Adams, Massachusetts in 1955.
Archie Moore with Marvelous Marvin Hagler in 1984.
Man, I turned this game off last night in disgust when it was 23-3, thinking it was over. What a comeback by Texas.
Archie Moore with James "Quick" Tillis in the 80s.
Awesome photo sequence of Archie Moore wearing the top hat in the ring before his fight with James J. Parker in 1956.
Archie Moore poses in London before his fight with Yolande Pompey in 1956.
Love this image of Archie Moore gazing out into the crowd during his fight with Giulio Renaldi in 1961.
Archie Moore after his knockout of Bobo Olson. You can see the long, nasty scar across his stomach. He got that scar from extensive emergency surgery in February 1941 to repair a life-threatening perforated stomach ulcer. Archie suffered from severe stomach ulcers during his early boxing career, worsened by extreme and unusual dietary experiments. He loved food. In early 1941, a perforated ulcer ruptured, nearly killing him and leaving him unconscious for five days following extensive surgery. The operation left him with a long, hockey-stick-shaped surgical scar on his abdomen that became a famous physical trademark throughout his legendary career.
Like I said in the aforementioned post, Archie Moore loved food. He regularly allowed himself to get remarkably out of shape between fights, often ballooning 25 to 40 pounds over the 175-pound light heavyweight limit due to his immense love for food. However, "The Old Mongoose" was famous for always finding a way to sweat and starve the weight off in time for the official weigh-ins. He relied on a mix of brutal, old-school physical torture and eccentric dieting tricks to reshape his body at a moment's notice: "Sweatbox" Gyms: To cut weight rapidly before a title defense, Moore's trainers would lock the doors and windows of the gym and turn off the ventilation, transforming the room into a suffocating steam cabinet. Swaddled in skintight rubber suits, Moore would shadowbox and spar furiously in the extreme heat to shed water weight. The Australian Secret: Moore claimed he learned a secret weight-loss diet from Indigenous Australians during his travels. His method involved chewing steak or other meats to extract the juices and nutrients, but spitting out the fiber rather than swallowing it, allowing him to taste food without consuming the heavy calories. Severe Dehydration: In the final 24 to 48 hours before stepping on the scales, Moore would completely cut off his liquid intake, sometimes surviving on nothing more than half a lemon to keep his mouth from drying out. While Moore routinely showed up to training camps heavy and out of shape, his incredible work ethic during those camps ensured he rarely took his weight issues into the ring. He had the remarkable ability to gain and lose weight as it suited him. He successfully managed these massive weight fluctuations throughout a legendary career that spanned four decades.
George Foreman were close to each other and he witnessed firsthand the insane eating and weight loss routine of Archie Moore.
Archie Moore and George Foreman playing table tennis in the 1970s.
Archie Moore helps in the training of George Foreman before his fight with Gerry Cooney in 1990. We all know how that fight ended, the famous walking uppercut knockout of Cooney, one of the most spectacular knockouts ever.
George Foreman listens to Archie Moore during a training session in 1987.