174) Rocky Marciano KO9: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Rocky Marciano 21st September 1955 New York: [r1] … Not too much has happened … [r2] … The count was four [Marciano] … The champion’s in trouble … Rocky still shaky a little … [r3] … Moore is a trickster but fifteen rounds are long … Good right hand from Marciano … Archie’s on the defensive now … [r4] … The last round was a dandy … Powerful right by Marciano … Both a little rocky … [r5] … Very elusive, Archie … [r6] … Moore doesn’t seem to be worried about being in those corners … Right hand! Right hand! Moore’s in bad trouble … Another right by Rocky … Now he punches back … Moore’s legs are gone, he’s done again … [r7] … Very arm weary Marciano … Two great right hands from Moore … Marciano’s the one in trouble … Toe to toe in Moore’s corner … [r8] … Moore’s terribly tired on that rope … Rocky’s stronger … Rocky’s still chasing him … Right hand! Right hand! The bell saved him [Moore] … [r9] … Just a bombardment … There he [Moore] goes … That’s all. US fight commentary
186) Floyd Patterson Lost KO5:
204) Yvon Durelle KO11: Raymond Fraser - US Fight Commentary TV -
The weigh-in was a memorable affair. To Moore it was never a mere formality. Always looking for an edge, he conceived it as ‘as ceremony of suggestive importance ... part of my cunning and devious planning. In order to cause anxiety in the mind of my opponent I would deliberately stall for him’. The delay had the added effect of building suspense among the press. When he finally arrived forty minutes late, valet in attendance, Moore was dressed in a camel’s-hair coat, a shawl-collared tuxedo with matching Monburg hat, and he was swinging a silver-headed cane.
By contrast Durelle had on work pants, laced rubber boots, three heavy knit sweaters, and a flattened-out old felt hat. Raymond Fraser, The Fight of the Year
It happened only a minute after the opening bell when Durelle came out of a crouch with a blinding right to the chin. Moore froze at the punch, then fell heavily to the canvass. His lips worked mutely as referee Jack Sharkey counted to nine. Durelle leaped at Moore, drove him across the ring, then half-hit, half-pushed Moore to the canvas again. He staggered to his feet immediately. Moore moved wobbly-legged away from the Canadian. Durelle swung rights and lefts, and Moore sighed and slipped to the canvas again. He lifted himself to his feet at the count of nine and the bell saved him. ibid.
Durelle was a downcast figure in his dressing room, when he talked to reporters. ‘I should have got him in the first,’ he said ruefully.
And Eddie Quinn was eager to put it on: ‘This was the best fight I’ve seen in my 32 years of promoting,’ he said. ibid.
Yvon Durelle I 10th December 1958 Light Heavyweight Montreal ***** [r1] … A right hand to the jaw … Up at nine Moore staggers … Durelle all over him … Staggering about the ring … three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine … Moore seems to be fighting him way out of him … [r2] … He’s [Moore] been flicking out a sharp jab … now beginning to step out his own attack … [r3] … Durelle: he is in the best of condition … Those shots of Durelle’s are blocked … [r4] … Moore looks as if he’s beginning to step up the pace of his own attack now … Moore peppering that left now into the face of Durelle and reddening it … Good right hand shot by Archie Moore … [r5] … Durelle came in with a beautiful right hand shot and Moore is down again, up at the count of six … Archie Moore staggering but fighting back … Moore now throwing out some dynamite of his own … [r6] … The right hand shot … The amazing Archie Moore … [r7] … Archie punching sharply once again … Now Archie moore … Up at the count of three Durelle … [r8] … Right hand by Moore … [r9] … Durelle tying to get through the defensive of shell of Archie Moore … [r10] … Archie Moore seems to get stronger as the fight goes along … Durelle weathers the storm … Down goes Durelle … [r11] … Durelle seems to be on his way … Up at the count of nine … down again … He is out! Man oh man, what a dramatic turn in this fight. US fight commentary
215) Muhammad Ali Lost KO4: US Fight Commentary TV -
v (Cassius Clay) Muhammad Ali 15th November 1962 Los Angeles [r1] … Clay holding his hands down dangerously [sic] … Archie doing a good job of covering up … It is also contempt Clay is showing for Moore … [r2] … Clay is going high in almost all his punches … He actually thinks he will knock out Moore in the fourth round … Good right hand by Clay … [r3] … His hands appear so fast … Right and another right and Moore is on his way … Moore very groggy … [r4] … He is wobbling … And it’s all over. US fight commentary
[8.8] MICHAEL SPINKS 32-31(21)-1: Boxing Scene online -
He is one of the least appreciated all-time great fighters in fistic history, at any weight. This all time great champion’s career accomplishments measure up favorably to any other fighter who ever held the same title. In fact Michael Spinks never lost once in the division he ruled as undisputed champion, and this was during a time when the division may have never been more loaded with top fighter’s in its history.
Michael Spinks is the only undefeated light heavyweight champion in boxing history. Something that can’t be said about Tommy Loughran, John Henry Lewis, Billy Conn, Archie Moore, Bob Foster, or Roy Jones. In 101 years of crowning light heavyweight champion’s, only one of them never tasted defeat while weighing 175 pounds, Michael Spinks. Spinks was also the first reigning light heavyweight champion to challenge and defeat the reigning heavyweight champion. Something past greats Billy Conn, Archie Moore, and Bob Foster also attempted as light heavyweight champ, but failed to do.
In one fight Spinks made history and defied history. The night Michael Spinks won a 15 round unanimous decision over Larry Holmes, Holmes was 48-0. On top of that he made 20 consecutive title defenses during his seven year reign as heavyweight champion, only Joe Louis made more with 25. On September 21st 1985, Larry Holmes was one win shy of matching the record of histories only undefeated heavyweight champion, Rocky Marciano, who retired 49-0. By virtue of his upset win over Larry Holmes, a fighter who weighed 50 pounds more than any fighter he ever fought, Michael Spinks added a page to light heavyweight history and preserved a page of heavyweight history.
After defeating Holmes in a rematch, Spinks fought the once beaten Steffen Tangstad and knocked him out in the fourth round. Nine month’s later Spinks took on the 6’ 6’ 238 lb Gerry Cooney, whose only loss was to undefeated heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. At the time, Cooney’s punching power was thought to be as formidable as any heavyweight in the world, including Mike Tyson. In what could best be described as a five round clinic, Spinks stopped the favored Cooney. In his next fight Spinks fought Mike Tyson for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. Tyson who was in his prime was undefeated in 34 fights. In one round, Tyson did what no fighter ever did, beat Michael Spinks and knock him off his feet.
In a career that spanned 12 years, Spinks fought 32 times winning all but his last fight. The last 16 fights of his career were all title fights in which he went 15-1, 11-0 at light heavyweight and 4-1 at heavyweight. He is also one of only six light heavyweight champs who never lost a Light Heavyweight title fight. Michael Spinks was never hurt or knocked off his feet while campaigning as a Light Heavyweight. It wasn’t until the last fight of his career that Spinks was knocked down, and it took one of the greatest punchers in heavyweight history to accomplish it. Those are some of Michael Spinks monumental accomplishments.
Spinks the fighter was complete and could do it all inside the ring. To compliment his talent and ability, Spinks had another advantage, his size. At 6’ 2’ Spinks was one of the biggest light heavyweight Champions in history. His fighting style is best described as being a boxer-puncher. He was a tremendous two handed puncher who could box and dictate with his jab and knew how to utilize his height and reach versus taller and shorter opponents. As he was forced to do in his Light Heavyweight unification bout with 5’ 7’’ WBC Champ Dwight Muhammad Qawi, and against the 6’ 6’’ Gerry Cooney.
Michael Spinks is one of only a handful of great fighters who had the ability to take out his opponent with three different punches, needing only one to do it. He is best known for his over hand right, dubbed ‘The Spinks Jinx’. The Spinks ‘Jinx’ was a life-taker. However, Spinks knocked out two time light heavyweight champ Marvin Johnson with one devastating left uppercut. And his left hook was every bit as formidable and devastating as his uppercut.
The word great is thrown around too freely today in my opinion. But in the case of former Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight champion Michael Spinks, it’s the only word that accurately capsules his career. I haven’t the slightest reservation saying Michael Spinks was not just a great fighter, he was an all time great fighter.
Spinks wasn’t flashy, and never ranted on about how great he was. He was always in top condition and never took an opponent light. Before and after his fights he was always respectful of his opponent, but in the ring he was a killer. He showed no mercy on a hurt opponent and fought bell-to-bell every round. Spinks was also a ring technician who if he hadn’t figured out his opponents weakness and vulnerabilities before the fight, it didn’t take him long during the fight.
The only negatives on Michael Spinks are, he wasn’t flashy like Roy Jones, nor did he have a personality like Muhammad Ali that drew attention making it impossible for his accomplishments to be overlooked. What hurts the memory of Spinks, is losing his last fight to Mike Tyson in a convincing fashion, being stopped in one round.