Rocky Marciano Rocco Francis Marchegiano (September 1, 1923 – August 31, 1969; ), better known as Rocky Marciano (, ), was an American professional boxer who competed from 1947 to 1955. He held the world heavyweight championship from 1952 to 1956, and re ...

and

Archie Moore Archie Moore (born Archibald Lee Wright; December 13, 1913 – December 9, 1998) was an American professional Boxing, boxer and the longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion of all time (1952 – 1962). He had one of the longest profe ...

was a professional boxing match contested on September 21, 1955, for the undisputed heavyweight championship. The fight pitted Marciano, the undefeated

heavyweight champion At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. During the 19th century many heavyweights were 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less, tho ...

against Moore, the light-heavyweight champion. Marciano knocked Moore out in the ninth round, winning his 49th and final fight before retiring.

Background

Both men had won their respective championship titles in 1952. While Marciano defended his title, Moore climbed through the heavyweight ranks, defeating several top contenders (most notable was two victories over top contender

Niño Valdés Niño Valdés (born Geraldo Ramos Ponciano Valdés, also known as Nino Valdés) (December 5, 1924 – June 3, 2001) was a Cuban professional boxer who was Cuba's national heavyweight boxing champion in the 1940s and 1950s. Statistical boxing web ...

), and by 1955 was ranked #1 heavyweight contender, ultimately leading to him receiving a title shot later that year. The fight would be Marciano's sixth title defense. The fight was one of the most anticipated sports events of the year, featuring two popular champions both with a large number of knockouts. Moore in particular created a lot of publicity by confidently claiming that he would be the first man to defeat Marciano. Although Moore was nine years older than Marciano, he was far more experienced, and after having studied film of Marciano's fights, believed he had crafted a successful plan to defeat him. The fight was held at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. It was originally scheduled for September 20, but it was postponed by one day due to

Hurricane Ione Hurricane Ione () was a strong, Category 4 hurricane that affected the U.S. state of North Carolina in September 1955, bringing high winds and significant rainfall. It came on the heels of Hurricanes Connie and Diane, and compounded probl ...

. Marciano was a 4 to 1 favourite to win.

The fight

Instead of a short slugfest, the fight was a very tactical match, with both men attempting to impose their respective styles upon the other. Marciano spent much of the fight on the offensive, trying to break through Moore's defense, while Moore cleverly boxed and moved. Moore began the fight well, using his jab and combinations at range, along with his defense to keep the ever approaching champion off balance, and did well in the fierce exchanges at close range. In the second round, Moore threw a counter right hand that dropped the champion. Marciano took a four count, but soon recovered. As the fight progressed, Marciano's constant pressure began to wear Moore down, and found himself increasingly being cornered and forced to take punishment. In round six, Marciano dropped Moore twice, first with a right hook towards the beginning, and a second time after taking a barrage of punches at the end of the round. Moore survived the seventh round without being knocked down, but was knocked down a third time at the end of the eighth but was saved by the bell, though the end was near. In the ninth round, Marciano backed Moore up against the ropes, and after landing two consecutive left hooks to the head, dropped Moore for a fourth time and this time did not beat the referee's count.

Aftermath

The fight was Marciano's 49th and final professional boxing match, and he announced his retirement six months later in 1956. That year, following his retirement, Moore remained the top heavyweight contender, and following a brief tournament, ultimately fought

Floyd Patterson Floyd Patterson (January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1972, and twice reigned as the world heavyweight champion between 1956 and 1962. At the age of 21, he became the youngest boxer in his ...

for the vacant heavyweight title in November. Moore was defeated and never fought for the heavyweight title again, but retained his light-heavyweight title into the 1960s.

Undercard

Confirmed bouts:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marciano, Moore 1955 in boxing June 1955 sports events in the United States 1955 in sports in New York City 1955 in American sports Boxing matches at Yankee Stadium

Moore Moore may refer to: Language * Mooré language, spoken in West Africa People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior ...

Heavyweight championship matches