Davey Moore: A Friend Remembers the Late WBA Junior Middleweight Champion

By Vinny “Glory Days “Lucci

Looking back on any boxing career that was cut too short by travesty can only lead one to wonder aloud, “what might have been?” Davey Moore once the Junior middleweight boxing champion, was taken from us far too young. At the time of his death, he was working on a two bout win streak and physically still a marvel to behold, always in shape and lived in the gym. Yet his life took a trajectory when he was on top of the world and the climb back up was quickly appearing to be a much more difficult if not impossible task the second time around.

Born in the Bronx, New York, the skinny kid with knockout power in either hand began his journey in the New York Golden Gloves where he won the lightweight sub novice, and followed with four welterweight open titles. His forward momentum earned him a spot on the 1980 Olympic team, which was boycotted by the United States and never received the chance to become a household name, via Moscow Olympics. At 5’10” and with a 71 inch reach, he had to join the ranks of professional boxers without the fanfare that the ’76 Olympic Boxing team enjoyed. What was to follow, probably wasn’t expected by Davey even in his wildest dreams.

After winning his first eight fights, the last five by TKO, he earned a shot at than junior middleweight champion Tadashi Mihara in 1982. Having traveled to Mihara’s backyard of Japan he dethroned the undefeated WBA champion with a TKO in six rounds. He was on a fast ride to a collision course with greatness and the stars all seemed to all align for his journey.

One had to wonder if he would be another Leon Spinks, too much too soon being offered a shot at ring legend Muhammad Ali in only his eighth pro fight, that was already spotted with a draw. A highly motivated Spinks caught an unprepared Ali off guard, and mugged him for fifteen rounds, only to lose the title in an immediate rematch. The rest of Spinks career was littered with losses going 26-17-3,14 KO’s.

Davey was much more focused, but thrust into the limelight much too quickly where he was now forced to always be at the top of his game with no room for a learning curve. Most boxers at some time in their careers will tell you they graduated “The School of Hard Knocks,” having had to deal with promoters, contracts, and fighting their way out of obscurity. Avoiding a beating in the ring or a stoppage by way of knockout was always a plus, but getting your ticket punched gave a fighter resolve to see what he was truly made of and he would rebound. Davey fought like a thoroughbred race horse out of the gate with three impressive title defenses against Charlie Weir, Ayub Kalule, and Gary Guiden all by stoppage. While Davey will never make the world forget Thomas Hearns’ foreboding power run at 154, Davey was pretty impressive himself with a tireless output of punches that felt like bricks swung on the end of a whip.

It was here at the utopia of a short lived stardom, that events would play out as to who would hold the true supremacy of the division. A Hearns fight was mentioned but never materialized. The ink was barely dry on a contract to fight young knock out sensation Tony Ayala but wasn’t brought to fruition due to the nineteen-year-old being arrested on a burglary and sexual assault charge which abruptly ended his career with a conviction that carried a thirty-five-year sentence. Ayala was a murderous body puncher who fought like a bull let loose in a China Shop. His short lived career had several fights televised on NBC gaining a huge fan base of his own with early betting odds favoring the challenger. This was a sure win match up for any promoter as both contestants didn’t care much for any real estate that wasn’t inside the pocket. Having trained with Davey for a short time, I knew his work ethic and the incredible shape he kept himself between fights would make a closer fight in the ring than it did perhaps on paper. In a fifteen rounder, this battle would be contested of attrition, not boxing.

The real questions at the time was who at junior middleweight would not only be able to stand up to Ayala’s tactics, but hurt him as well? Boxing scribes, promoters and fans alike were drooling at future possible match ups on the densely populated 154 pound landscape, which also featured John Mugabi, Mike McCullum, Wilfred Benitez, James Green, Mark Medal, David Braxton, Fred Hutchings, and Francisco DeJesus with each one was making a name for themselves.

Enter Duran. Sounds like a movie title, but after destroying former welterweight champion Pipino Cuevas in four rounds, Roberto was awarded a chance at redemption over the Ray Leonard rematch debacle, as well as being soundly out boxed by the still great Wilfred Benitez and out hustled by unheralded Kirkland Laing. The conventional wisdom was that Duran’s best days were behind him, and he would be the final step to greatness for Moore. The name “Duran” was not only legendary in its own time, but iconic as he was a breed unto himself. A master boxer who loved to brawl with unparalleled skill in his ability to turn his foes in ring center into the combinations of his choice. A win over this beast would propel Davey into the pantheons of great fighters, but it wasn’t to be.

History will remember Moore taking a savage eight round beating at the “Hands of Stone,” but there was back story to this saga which escaped attention as it was never brought to light as an excuse for losing. Fact was, Davey told me just days before the fight he had root canal on several teeth, as well as stitches inside his jaw bone.

Unable to take pain killers due to pre and post-fight drug testing, he had to endure the pain and discomfort on aspirin alone. I begged him to end the insanity and postpone the fight, but with a huge sold out gate at Madison Square Garden, he was afraid of lawsuits, having his title stripped, or at the very least, losing out on a payday that might not see a future rebooking. For me, it was impossible to imagine how he could fight through the pain with any contender, let alone Duran. I had flashbacks of Davey telling me not to eat a Mound’s Bar after a workout for energy, to eat some fruit instead. To bust his chops I’d eat two, having busted up a knee around the time he started his career and knowing I’d never turn pro so it didn’t matter. The fact he wouldn’t take my advice made me secretly ill knowing all too well that the first time he was hit square on the jaw he would endure unimaginable pain.

In round one the jaw was put to the test and swelling began almost immediately. By round two, Davey had caught a thumb in the eye, accidental or not, which Roberto denied ever landing. Ringsiders and television cameras were capturing the redemption of Duran who fought with fiery eyes and a passion for fury not seen in its entirety since he lifted Leonard’s title in Quebec. The subsequent rounds had Roberto beating Davey at will like a rag doll being tormented by a mischievous child. Those closest to the carnage second guessed referee Ernesto Magana’s stoppage believing he should have had a more insightful eye for mercy stopping the contest as early as the sixth round.

The beating truly took something out of Moore forever. It was the kind of punishing fight where Roberto landed at will to every exposed pore of his upper body. Davey would go on to fight ten more times winning six, two of which were his last fights. While he managed to starch the great Wilfred Benitez in two rounds, he was unable to best Buster Drayton, Lupe Aquino, Louis Acaries and John David Jackson. Davey’s name still was recognizable as a worthy opponent, but it was abundantly clear his championship winning ways were now vintage memories, in a very short span of time.

On June 3, 1988, I read the sad news that Davey had passed the day before from a freak accident in his drive way. His car was parked on a wet incline and started to roll backwards. Conflicting details by different reporters at the time as to whether he was actually working on his vehicle or simply existing it without emergency brake in position. The result regardless was tragic as Davey stepped behind it and tried in vain to impede its progression into the street. Davey lost his very last battle against two tons of metal when he lost his footing and dragged under the car. The paramedics called to the scene found him pinned under its center and pronounced him dead, asphyxiation by compression of chest. He was survived by his wife and two children.

With his beguiling confident smile that once graced the cover of now defunct KO Magazine, it’s easy to look back at Moore’s star power and envision a different career had he postponed the Duran fight. While many would argue, based on his performances against Marvin Hagler and Iran Barkley that a healthy Davey had no chance in beating Duran. I envision an exciting give and take battle nonetheless to chalk up for the record books. Davey always gave it all he had and for that alone is greatly missed.

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