RSR Looks Back at “The Old Mongoose”
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Not long ago I took part in an on-line debate as to who were among the top five best light heavyweights of all-time. Shortly after that I began reviewing the career of Bob Foster for a feature I penned. Leading into that the gist of that banter played significantly on my mind. Essentially, I have come to learn over the course of many years that fans stick with the heroes they came up with, and this little debate again drove that notion home. Case to point; I came up watching Michael Spinks turn “ugly” into an art form. His style was no style. The Spinks Jinx was an apt description of his application in the ring. His skills and power took a back seat when you broke down what it was that made him effective. But to me he was perhaps the very best light heavyweight champion of all-time, if for nothing else he was right up there with those that came up before him and he remained unbeaten, dominant in fact, at his natural weight.
Younger fans like to throw Roy Jones JR. out there, pointing out that when he was at his best he was virtually untouchable. The name Dariusz Michalczewski also came up a few times, but if anything there was more debate about who would have won between Michalczewski and Jones circa 1998-99 than about where The Pole fit in among all-timers in the division. Older fans that remember the campaign of Bob Foster like to point out the Howitzer Effect his right hand had on foes, and his considerable boxing ability. Going back even further though, there is one man that absolutely must be looked at whenever a review of past light heavyweight champions is embarked upon, and whether you are a believer in him relative to the shock and awe Foster often delivered or the uncanny, even supernatural athleticism Jones specialized in, there can be no discounting the remarkable achievements of Archie Moore, who had one of the longest professional careers in the sport.
Archie Moore turned professional in 1938 and boxed all but one of his twelve bouts that year in San Diego. Moore had eight bouts in 1939, going 5-2 during that span, with one no contest, losing to former middleweight champion and future Hall of Famer Teddy Yarosz. In 1940, Moore packed his suitcase and embarked on a tour of Australia, fighting in Melbourne, Tasmania, Adelaide and Sydney, going 7-0. Upon returning to the United States, he defeated Pancho Ramirez by knockout before dropping a six round decision to Shorty Hogue. Moore had four fights in 1941, during which he went 2-1-1, with the draw against Eddie Booker. By then, however, he had suffered through several stomach ulcers, with the resulting operations, prompting him to announce his retirement.
Full of resolve and needing to make money, he resumed his career in 1942. He won his first six bouts that year, including a second round knockout of Hogue in a rematch, and a ten round decision over Jack Chase. He met Booker in a rematch with the same outcome as in their first encounter, another ten-round draw.
In 1943, Moore went 5-2. He won and then lost the California State Middleweight title against Jack Chase, both by fifteen- round decisions, going on to ultimately defeat Chase by ten round decision to close out the year. His record for 1944 was 7-2. His last bout that year marked his debut on the Atlantic Coast, and the level of his opposition began to improve. He stopped Jimmy Hayden in five, lost to future Hall of Famer Charlie Burley by decision, and continued to be frustrated by Eddie Booker, this time losing by knockout in eight rounds.
He won his first eight bouts of 1945, impressing Atlantic coast boxing experts, earning himself a match with future IBHOF inductee Jimmy Bivins, who stopped Moore in six. Quickly regrouping, “The Mongoose” returned, going to the post five times before the year was over. He met, among others, future IBHOF inductee Holman Williams dropping a verdict over ten before stopping him in eleven rounds in the rematch.
In 1946 Moore moved up fifteen pounds to the light heavyweight division, posting a 5-2-1 record that year, beating contender Curtis Sheppard, but losing to future world heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer Ezzard Charles by a decision in ten, and drawing with old nemesis Jack Chase. 1947 was essentially a year of rematches for Moore. He went 7-1 that year, his lone loss again to Ezzard Charles. He exacted revenge on troublesome nemesis Chase, flattening him in nine before defeating old foes Sheppard, Bivins. He capped the year by posting a points verdict over Burt Lytell, easily dominating him over ten rounds.
“The Mongoose” had a busy year in 1948, a period which started badly for him. He lost again to Charles, this time by stoppage in nine rounds before being knocked-out in one by Leonard Morrow. Later, his shaky start was underlined by a ten-round loss to Henry Hall and after that with Lloyd Gibson by disqualification in four. After those disappointments he went on to defeat Ted Lowry and Hall in the rematch, posting convincing, return to form ten-round decisions.
Moore went 12-1 in 1949. He defeated the Alabama Kid twice by knockout before posting stoppage wins over Bob Satterfield and Jimmy Bivins, and a convincing decision over future world light heavyweight champion and IBHOF inductee Harold Johnson. In 1950, Moore had only two bouts, winning both, but if that schedule was relatively light 1951 would prove to be downright insane, going 16-1-1 on a South American tour that saw him visit Argentina and Uruguay, where he defeated Vicente Quiroz by knockout, later stopping Bivins in nine, and after that splitting two decisions with familiar foe Harold Johnson.
1952 was one of the most important years in Moore’s professional career. After defeating Harold Johnson in their fourth go-round over ten and after having turned back the challenge of larger heavyweight contenders in Jimmy Slade, Bob Dunlap, and Clarence Henry, Moore was given the opportunity to fight for world light heavyweight title against reigning champion and future IBHOF inductee Joey Maxim. Posting a dominant fifteen-round decision, “The Old Mongoose” realized his dream, becoming the light heavyweight champion of the world at age 39, sixteen long years after embarking on his professional career.
Moore was far from satisfied. The next year, he won all nine of his bouts, including a ten-round non title lathering of fringe heavyweight contender Nino Valdez of Cuba, and a fifteen- round decision over former light heavyweight champ Joey Maxim in a rematch to retain his title. In 1954, he had only four bouts, retaining the title in a third match with Maxim, who once again went the full rout, and against old foe Harold Johnson, who he stopped in the 14th-round in defense of the title. He also beat highly ranked heavyweight Bob Baker that year. In 1955, he again defeated Valdez, who by that point had become the consensus number one-ranked heavyweight contender, then melted back down to the light heavyweight limit to successfully defended against Bobo Olson, then the world middleweight champion who was coming off a points victory over Joey Maxim. Moore handed Olson an emphatic defeat, stopping him in three short rounds to retain his 175lb. title.
On September 21, 1955, it was Archie Moore attempted to make history by moving up to the heavyweight division to challenge the undefeated Rocky Marciano for the world heavyweight championship. Moore dropped Marciano in the second round before being dropped some five times over the course of absorbing a terrific beating, ultimately going down for the count in the ninth-round. Warrior that he was, “The Old Mongoose” kept fighting until the very end, insisting on being taken out as opposed to giving ground.
In 1956, Moore fought mostly as a heavyweight but did manage to fit in one defense of his light heavyweight title, stopping challenger Yolande Pompey in ten-rounds in London. He won eleven bouts in a row before again challenging for the world heavyweight crown. The title was declared vacant after Rocky Marciano’s retirement, thus the aging warrior was matched-up with the blazing fast Floyd Patterson, an athletic contender young enough to be his son. Losing by sudden knockout in the fifth-round, Moore claimed to have entered the contest over trained, but hindsight suggests that the combination of age on his part, and the talented youthful vigor brought to the equation by the extraordinary Patterson were the real factors behind his demise.
Moore won all six of his bouts in 1957. Among those wins was an easy ten-round decision over heavyweight contender Hans Kalbfell in Germany, a seventh-round knockout over highly ranked Tony Anthony to retain the light heavyweight title, a one-sided ten-round non-title decision over light heavyweight contender Eddie Cotton, and a fourth-round demolition of future top ten heavyweight contender Roger Rischer.
In 1958, Moore had ten bouts, going 9-0-1. Of particular note, his match with Yvon Durelle in defense of the world light heavyweight title in Montreal. Dropped three times in round one and on the precipice disaster, “The Old Mongoose” managed to survive and work his way back into the fight, but not before hitting the canvas for a fourth time in round five. Using every ounce of guile accrued over a virtual lifetime spent educating himself in rings around the globe, the wily aging champion managed to wear down Durelle, dropping the dangerous challenger in round ten and stopping him in the eleventh.
The year 1959 proved to be Moore’s last full year as an uncontested champion. Fighting at heavyweight, he stopped Sterling Davis, a wrestler by trade, on cuts after dropping him three times in the second-round. Five months later, after again melting down to the light heavyweight limit, he posted his last title defense, a rematch stoppage of Yvon Durelle, the gritty Canadian who had felled him multiple times in their first bout, this time dropping the challenger a total of four times in the third round.
Moore was stripped of his world light heavyweight title by the National Boxing Association in 1960, but continued to be recognized by most major boxing authorities as the world light heavyweight champion, including the New York State Athletic Commission and Ring Magazine. Moore won three of his four bouts in 1960, one by decision against Buddy Turman in Dallas, Texas, his lone loss coming in a ten-round decision versus Giulio Rinaldi in Rome.
In 1961 he defeated Buddy Turman in a rematch before defending his lineal world light heavyweight championship for what would be the last time, beating former non-title conqueror Giulio Rinaldi by a fifteen- round decision to retain the title. In his last fight that year, he once again ventured upward to heavyweight, defeating Pete Rademacher, a man who had made history earlier in his career by becoming the first man ever to challenge for a world title in his first professional bout, by knockout in round-nine.
By 1962 the remaining boxing commissions that had continued to back Moore as the world light heavyweight champion withdrew their recognition. He fought out his remaining days as a fading heavyweight. In his last significant bout of note, “The Old Mongoose” was ground down to the canvas by the much larger and far younger Cassius Clay in four-rounds, a man that would go on to arguably become one of the two or three greatest heavyweight champions of all times. The loss would make Moore the only man to have faced both Rocky Marciano and Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali. In 1963 Archie Moore fought one last time, stopping his foe in round three before announcing his retirement.
With a career total of 185-23-11 with 131 KO’s, Archie Moore easily figures among the top three light heavyweight champions of all-time. Not impervious to failure, “The Old Mongoose” should be viewed as an extraordinary case of monumental perseverance and determination. He fought better beyond the age of forty than most fighters do at their peak in their twenties. He was able to move between the light heavy and heavyweight divisions without the advantages of modern nutrition and supplementation. He schooled himself the difficult, old-fashioned way, absorbing the hard knocks and reinventing himself after each loss. The soul searching paid off. Once asked if he had ever thought about really hanging them up after a particularly hard loss, Moore went on to explain that every man at some point entertains the notion of packing it all in, but at the end of the day, he felt it was better to apply the lessons learned in a painful defeat and to ignore the disappointment, forging ahead in continuance of the original goal.
“The Old Mongoose” may have lacked the sheer size of Bob Foster, the Olympic pedigree of Michael Spinks or the uncanny God-given natural athleticism of Roy Jones JR., but what he did have, focus, drive, mental grit and unusual determination, all bundled-up with a unique level of intelligence, was more than enough.
Archie Moore
Nickname: “Old Mongoose”
Division: Light Heavyweight
Professional Record: 185-23-11, 131 KO’s
Date Opponent Location Result
1935-09-03 Billy Simms Poplar Bluff, USA W KO 2
1936-01-31 Kid Pocahuntas Hot Springs, USA W KO 3
1936-07-14 Murray Allen Quincy, USA W PTS 6
1936-08-04 Sammy Christian Quincy, USA D PTS 6
1936-09-30 Murray Allen Keokuk, USA W KO 2
1936-10-09 Sammy Jackson Saint Louis, USA W PTS 5
1936-12-03 Sammy Jackson Saint Louis, USA D PTS 5
1937-01-05 Dynamite Payne Saint Louis, USA W KO 1
1937-01-18 Johnny Davis Quincy, USA W KO 4
1937-01-29 Sammy Jackson Quincy, USA D PTS 8
1937-02-02 Joe Huff Saint Louis, USA W KO 3
1937-03-23 Ham Pounder Ponca City, USA W KO 2
1937-04-09 Charley Dawson Indianapolis, USA W PTS 8
1937-04-23 Karl Martin Indianapolis, USA W KO 1
1937-04-26 Frank Hatfield Cincinnati, USA W KO 1
1937-06-01 Al Dublinsky W KO 3
1937-08-19 Deacon Logan Saint Louis, USA W KO 3
1937-09-01 Billy Adams Cincinnati, USA L PTS 8
1937-09-09 Sammy Slaughter Indianapolis, USA W PTS 10
1937-09-17 Charley Dawson Saint Louis, USA W TKO 5
1937-11-09 Chuck Vickers Fort Wayne, USA W KO 2
1937-11-16 Sammy Christian Saint Louis, USA W PTS 5
1937-12-01 Sammy Jackson Jackson, USA W KO 8
1938-01-07 Karl Lautenschlager Saint Louis, USA W KO 2
1938-05-20 Jimmy Brent San Diego, USA W KO 1
1938-05-27 Ray Vargas San Diego, USA W KO 3
1938-06-24 Johnny ‘Bandit’ Romero San Diego, USA L PTS 10
1938-07-22 Johnny Sikes San Diego, USA W KO 1
1938-08-05 Lorenzo Pedro San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1938-09-02 Johnny ‘Bandit’ Romero San Diego, USA W KO 8
1938-09-16 Frank Rowsey San Diego, USA W TKO 3
1938-09-27 Tom Henry Los Angeles, USA W TKO 4
1938-10-01 Bobby Yannes San Diego, USA W KO 2
1938-11-22 Ray Lyle Saint Louis, USA W KO 2
1938-12-07 Bob Turner Saint Louis, USA W KO 2
1939-01-20 Jack Moran Saint Louis, USA W KO 1
1939-03-02 Domenico Ceccarelli Saint Louis, USA W KO 1
1939-03-16 Marty Simmons Saint Louis, USA W UD 10
1939-04-20 Teddy Yarosz Saint Louis, USA L PTS 10
1939-07-21 Jack Coggins San Diego, USA NC NC 8
1939-09-01 Jack Coggins San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1939-09-22 Bobby Seaman San Diego, USA W KO 7
1939-11-13 Freddie Dixon Phoenix, USA D TD 8
1939-11-27 Billy Day Phoenix, USA W KO 1
1939-12-07 Honey Boy Jones Saint Louis, USA W PTS 10
1939-12-29 Shorty Hogue San Diego, USA L PTS 6
1940-03-30 Jack McNamee Melbourne, Australia W TKO 4
1940-04-18 Ron Richards Sydney, Australia W TKO 10
1940-05-09 Atilio Sabatino Sydney, Australia W TKO 5
1940-05-18 Joe Delaney Adelaide, Australia W KO 2
1940-05-27 Frank Lindsay Hobart, Australia W KO 4
1940-06-27 Fred Henneberry Sydney, Australia W TKO 7
1940-07-11 Ron Richards Sydney, Australia W PTS 12
1940-10-18 Pancho Ramirez San Diego, USA W KO 5
1941-01-17 Clay Rowan San Diego, USA W KO 1
1941-01-31 Shorty Hogue San Diego, USA L PTS 10
1941-02-21 Eddie Booker San Diego, USA D PTS 10
USA California State Middleweight Title
1942-01-28 Bobby Britt Phoenix, USA W KO 3
1942-02-27 Al Globe San Diego, USA W TKO 2
1942-03-18 Jimmy Casino Oakland, USA W TKO 5
1942-10-30 Shorty Hogue San Diego, USA W TKO 2
1942-11-06 Tabby Romero San Diego, USA W KO 2
1942-11-27 Jack Chase San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1942-12-11 Eddie Booker San Diego, USA D PTS 12
USA California State Middleweight Title
1943-05-08 Jack Chase San Diego, USA W UD 15
USA California State Middleweight Title
1943-07-22 Big Boy Hogue San Diego, USA W TKO 5
1943-07-28 Eddie Cerda San Diego, USA W KO 3
1943-08-02 Jack Chase San Francisco, USA L UD 15
USA California State Middleweight Title
1943-08-16 Aaron Wade San Francisco, USA L PTS 10
1943-11-04 Pedro Kid Hermosillo San Diego, USA W TKO 5
1943-11-26 Jack Chase Hollywood, USA W MD 10
1944-01-07 Amado Rodriguez San Diego, USA W KO 1
1944-01-21 Eddie Booker Hollywood, USA L TKO 8
1944-03-24 Roman Starr Hollywood, USA W TKO 2
1944-04-21 Charley Burley Hollywood, USA L PTS 10
1944-05-19 Kenny LaSalle San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1944-08-11 Louis Mays San Diego, USA W KO 3
1944-08-18 Jimmy Hayden San Diego, USA W KO 5
1944-09-01 Battling Monroe San Diego, USA W KO 6
1944-12-18 Nate Bolden New York, USA W PTS 10
1945-01-11 Joey Jones Boston, USA W TKO 2
1945-01-29 Bob Jacobs New York, USA W TKO 9
1945-02-12 Napoleon Mitchell Boston, USA W KO 6
1945-04-02 Nate Bolden Baltimore, USA W PTS 10
1945-04-23 Teddy Randolph Baltimore, USA W TKO 9
1945-05-21 Lloyd Marshall Baltimore, USA W UD 10
1945-06-18 George Kochan Baltimore, USA W TKO 6
1945-06-26 Lloyd Marshall Cleveland, USA W TKO 10
1945-08-22 Jimmy Bivins Cleveland, USA L KO 6
1945-09-17 Cocoa Kid Baltimore, USA W KO 8
1945-10-22 Holman Williams Baltimore, USA L MD 10
1945-11-12 O’Dell Riley Detroit, USA W KO 6
1945-11-26 Holman Williams Baltimore, USA W TKO 11
1945-12-13 Colion Chaney Saint Louis, USA W KO 5
1946-01-28 Curtis Sheppard Baltimore, USA W UD 12
1946-02-05 George Parks Washington, USA W KO 1
1946-05-02 Vern Escoe Orange, USA W TKO 7
1946-05-20 Ezzard Charles Pittsburgh, USA L UD 10
1946-08-19 Buddy Walker Baltimore, USA W KO 4
1946-09-09 Jimmy O’Brien Baltimore, USA W TKO 2
1946-10-23 Oakland Billy Smith Oakland, USA D PTS 12
USA California State Light Heavyweight Title
1946-11-06 Jack Chase Oakland, USA D PTS 10
1947-03-18 Jack Chase Los Angeles, USA W KO 9
1947-04-11 Rusty Payne San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1947-05-05 Ezzard Charles Cincinnati, USA L MD 10
1947-06-16 Curtis Sheppard Washington, USA W PTS 10
1947-07-14 Bert Lytell Baltimore, USA W UD 10
1947-07-30 Bobby Zander Oakland, USA W PTS 12
USA California State Light Heavyweight Title
1947-09-08 Jimmy Bivins Baltimore, USA W TKO 9
1947-11-10 George Fitch Baltimore, USA W TKO 6
1948-01-13 Ezzard Charles Cleveland, USA L KO 8
1948-04-12 Dusty Wilkerson Baltimore, USA W TKO 7
1948-04-19 Charley ‘Doc’ Williams Newark, USA W KO 7
1948-05-05 Oakland Billy Smith Cincinnati, USA W UD 10
1948-06-02 Leonard Morrow Oakland, USA L KO 1
USA California State Light Heavyweight Title
1948-06-28 Jimmy Bivins Baltimore, USA W MD 10
1948-08-02 Ted Lowry Baltimore, USA W UD 10
1948-09-20 Oakland Billy Smith Baltimore, USA W KO 4
1948-10-15 Henry Hall New Orleans, USA L PTS 10
1948-11-01 Lloyd Gibson Washington, USA L DQ 4
1948-11-15 Henry Hall Baltimore, USA W UD 10
1948-12-06 Bob Amos Washington, USA W PTS 10
1948-12-27 Charley ‘Doc’ Williams Baltimore, USA W KO 7
1949-01-10 Alabama Kid Toledo, USA W KO 4
1949-01-31 Bob Satterfield Toledo, USA W KO 3
1949-03-04 Alabama Kid Columbus, USA W KO 3
1949-03-23 Dusty Wilkerson Philadelphia, USA W TKO 6
1949-04-11 Jimmy Bivins Toledo, USA W KO 8
1949-04-26 Harold Johnson Philadelphia, USA W UD 10
1949-06-13 Clinton Bacon Indianapolis, USA L DQ 6
1949-06-27 Bob Sikes Indianapolis, USA W TKO 3
1949-07-29 Esco Greenwood North Adams, USA W TKO 2
1949-10-04 Bob Amos Toledo, USA W PTS 10
1949-10-24 Phil Muscato Toledo, USA W KO 6
1949-12-06 Charley ‘Doc’ Williams Hartford, USA W KO 8
1949-12-13 Leonard Morrow Toledo, USA W KO 10
1950-01-31 Bert Lytell Toledo, USA W UD 10
1950-07-31 Vernon Williams Chicago, USA W KO 2
1951-01-02 Oakland Billy Smith Portland, USA W TKO 8
1951-01-28 John Thomas Panama City, Panama W KO 1
1951-02-21 Jimmy Bivins New York, USA W TKO 9
1951-03-13 Abel Cestac Toledo, USA W UD 10
1951-04-26 Herman Harris Flint, USA W KO 4
1951-05-14 Art Henri Baltimore, USA W TKO 4
1951-06-09 Abel Cestac Buenos Aires, Argentina W RTD 9
1951-06-23 Karel Sys Buenos Aires, Argentina D PTS 12
1951-07-07 Alberto Santiago Lovell Buenos Aires, Argentina W KO 1
1951-07-14 Vicente Quiroz Montevideo, Uruguay W TKO 6
1951-07-26 Victor Carabajal Cordoba, Argentina W KO 3
1951-07-28 Americo Capitanelli San Miguel de Tucumán, A W KO 3
1951-08-05 Rafael Miranda Comodoro Rivadavia, Argen W TKO 4
1951-08-17 Alfredo Lagay Bahia Blanca, Argentina W KO 3
1951-09-05 Embrell Davidson Detroit, USA W KO 1
1951-09-24 Harold Johnson Philadelphia, USA W UD 10
1951-10-29 Chubby Wright Saint Louis, USA W TKO 7
1951-12-10 Harold Johnson Milwaukee, USA L UD 10
1952-01-29 Harold Johnson Toledo, USA W UD 10
1952-02-27 Jimmy Slade Saint Louis, USA W UD 10
1952-05-19 Bob Dunlap San Francisco, USA W KO 6
1952-06-26 Clarence Henry Baltimore, USA W UD 10
1952-07-25 Clinton Bacon Denver, USA W KO 4
1952-12-17 Joey Maxim Saint Louis, USA W UD 15
1953-01-27 Toxie Hall Toledo, USA W KO 4
1953-02-16 Leonard Dugan San Francisco, USA W TKO 8
1953-03-03 Sonny Andrews Sacramento, USA W TKO 5
1953-03-11 Nino Valdes Saint Louis, USA W UD 10
1953-03-17 Al Spaulding Spokane, USA W KO 3
1953-03-30 Frank Buford San Diego, USA W TKO 9
1953-06-24 Joey Maxim Ogden, USA W UD 15
1953-08-22 Rinaldo Ansaloni Buenos Aires, Argentina W TKO 4
1953-09-12 Dogomar Martinez Buenos Aires, Argentina W PTS 10
1954-01-27 Joey Maxim Miami, USA W UD 15
1954-03-09 Bob Baker Miami Beach, USA W TKO 9
1954-06-07 Bert Whitehurst New York, USA W TKO 6
1954-08-11 Harold Johnson New York, USA W TKO 14
1955-05-02 Nino Valdes Las Vegas, USA W PTS 15
1955-06-22 Bobo Olson New York, USA W KO 3
1955-09-21 Rocky Marciano Bronx, USA L KO 9
1956-02-20 Howard King San Francisco, USA W PTS 10
1956-02-27 Bob Dunlap San Diego, USA W KO 1
1956-03-17 Frankie Daniels Hollywood, USA W UD 10
1956-03-27 Howard King Sacramento, USA W PTS 10
1956-04-10 Willie Bean Richmond, USA W TKO 5
1956-04-16 George Parmentier Seattle, USA W TKO 3
1956-04-26 Sonny Andrews Edmonton, Canada W KO 4
1956-04-30 Gene Thompson Tucson, USA W TKO 3
1956-06-05 Yolande Pompey Harringay, United Kingdom W TKO 10
1956-07-25 James J Parker Toronto, Canada W TKO 9
1956-09-08 Professor Roy Shire Ogden, USA W TKO 3
1956-11-30 Floyd Patterson Chicago, USA L KO 5
1957-05-01 Hans Kalbfell Essen, Germany W UD 10
1957-06-02 Alain Cherville Stuttgart, Germany W TKO 6
1957-09-20 Tony Anthony Los Angeles, USA W KO 7
1957-10-31 Ralph KO Hooker Vancouver, Canada W TKO 5
1957-11-05 Eddie Cotton Seattle, USA W PTS 10
1957-11-29 Roger Rischer Portland, USA W KO 4
1958-01-18 Luis Ignacio Sao Paulo, Brazil W PTS 10
1958-02-01 Julio Neves Río de Janeiro, Brazil W KO 3
1958-03-04 Bert Whitehurst San Bernardino, USA W TKO 10
1958-03-10 Bob Albright Vancouver, Canada W TKO 7
1958-05-02 Willi Besmanoff Louisville, USA W SD 10
1958-05-17 Howard King San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1958-05-26 Charley Norkus San Francisco, USA W UD 10
1958-06-09 Howard King Sacramento, USA W PTS 10
1958-08-04 Howard King Reno, USA D PTS 10
1958-12-10 Yvon Durelle Montreal, Canada W KO 11
1959-03-09 Sterling Davis Odessa, USA W TKO 3
1959-08-12 Yvon Durelle Montreal, Canada W KO 3
NYSAC World Light Heavyweight Title
National Boxing Association World Light Heavyweight Title
1960-05-25 Willi Besmanoff Indianapolis, USA W TKO 10
1960-09-13 George Abinet Dallas, USA W RTD 3
1960-10-29 Giulio Rinaldi Rome, Italy L PTS 10
1960-11-28 Buddy Turman Dallas, USA W UD 10
1961-03-25 Buddy Turman Manila, Philippines W UD 10
1961-06-10 Giulio Rinaldi New York, USA W UD 15
NYSAC World Light Heavyweight Title
1961-10-23 Pete Rademacher Baltimore, USA W TKO 6
1962-03-30 Alejandro Lavorante Los Angeles, USA W TKO 10
1962-05-07 Howard King Tijuana, Mexico W KO 1
1962-05-28 Willie Pastrano Los Angeles, USA D PTS 10
1962-11-15 Muhammad Ali Los Angeles, USA L TKO 4
1963-03-15 Mike DiBiase Phoenix, USA W TKO 3