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Jack Robby · 02-01-2004, 03:04 PM

THE SCENARIO--Fresh off his defeat from the hands of light heavyweight and heavyweight contender Jimmy Bivins, Archie Moore once again agrees to defend his world middleweight title against the top defender, Holman Williams. The challenger, a clever defensive specialist, is not noted as an exciting or colorful fighter but the bout is scheduled once again for Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, the unofficial home of black athletic excellence (nearly a decade later, in 1952, it would host the first heavyweight title bout in which all three participants--both fighters and the referee--would be African-American, when Zack Clayton officiated the fourth bout between Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott).

The bout is held on Nov. 26, 1943 (NOTE--In reality, this was the date that Moore defeated Jack Chase via a 10-round decision in Hollywood, CA.)

THE FIGHT - Moore stuns Williams early in the first round with a right to the jaw, but Williams fights back effectively at close range. Williams outboxes Moore in the second, although Archie still manages to land some hard punches. The third round is pretty slow, but the action picks up in the fourth as Moore stuns Williams repeatedly at long range. Early in round five, a smashing right drops Williams for a 4-count. Upon rising, Williams covers up effectively but Moore rocks him repeatedly with hard blows with both hands. Williams is lucky to finish the round on his feet.

Williams boxes cautiously at long range in round six, but near the end of the round a left hook by Moore opens a cut over Holman's right eye. Williams looks disgusted as he comes out for round seven, although at least the cut over his eye has stopped bleeding. Williams is still on the defensive, but when his corner calls for him to be more aggressive, Moore snaps his head back with a hard uppercut and has Williams in trouble again at the bell.

Williams suddenly comes out aggressively in round eight, landing good punches with both hands. A hard uppercut to the jaw by Williams stuns Moore. Two-thirds of the way through the round, Moore starts to fight back. A hard right cross nearly floors
Williams and by the end of the round, Moore was again the aggressor. At the start of round nine, Moore staggers Williams
with a hard right, then rocks him with combinations. Williams is reeling around the ring but refuses to go down. Moore batters him from pillar to post,but Holman's defensive skills and superb instincts permit him to last the round.

Williams, who looked like he was finished at the end of the last round, starts out cautiously in round ten but somehow finds the energy to fight back and actually take the round. Early in round eleven, Moore drops Williams with a sharp left to the jaw for a count of two. Upon rising, Williams surprises Moore by waving him in to fight. Moore continues to outfight Williams, but doesn't wade in carelessly in an effort to finish him off. Moore lands a hard left hook early in round twelve, then sends Williams stumbling backward with a right uppercut. Williams gamely continues to box defensively, but Moore rocks him several more times before the round is over.

In round thirteen, Williams again waves at Archie to come in and try to finish him off. A short time later, Moore obliges by dropping Williams with a wild overhand right. Williams gets up at six, and Moore misses several blows intended to put Williams away. The referee penalizes Moore one point for hitting with an open glove. Finally another uppefcut staggers Williams. Moore lands several more good shots to the head and Williams is once again requires to call on all his skill and courage to last out the round. Williams suprises Moore by outfighting him at long range for most of the round, although a three-punch combination near the end has him covering up at the bell. In the fifteenth and final round, Williams appears exhausted while Moore is surprisingly fresh. Moore lands several hard punches but seem unconcerned about trying to knock the challenger out. For his part, Williams appears to be satisfied just to go the distance.

The referee scores it 146-138, one judge has it 145-138 and the other judge as it 144-141, all for the winner and still middleweight champion of the world, Archie Moore!

THE AFTERMATH--Concerns about Moore's ability to keep making the weight seem to be unwarranted after Archie's impressive victory over Williams. The excitement generated in some quarters when Burley won the middleweight title from Tony Zale was based on the belief that a very competitive situation would result from breaking down the unofficial color barrier and giving the many great black middleweights a shot at the title. Now a different question is being asked: Can any middleweight give
Moore a real challenge?

02-01-2004, 03:04 PM	#16 (permalink)
Jack Robby Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 20	THE SCENARIO--Fresh off his defeat from the hands of light heavyweight and heavyweight contender Jimmy Bivins, Archie Moore once again agrees to defend his world middleweight title against the top defender, Holman Williams. The challenger, a clever defensive specialist, is not noted as an exciting or colorful fighter but the bout is scheduled once again for Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, the unofficial home of black athletic excellence (nearly a decade later, in 1952, it would host the first heavyweight title bout in which all three participants--both fighters and the referee--would be African-American, when Zack Clayton officiated the fourth bout between Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott). The bout is held on Nov. 26, 1943 (NOTE--In reality, this was the date that Moore defeated Jack Chase via a 10-round decision in Hollywood, CA.) THE FIGHT - Moore stuns Williams early in the first round with a right to the jaw, but Williams fights back effectively at close range. Williams outboxes Moore in the second, although Archie still manages to land some hard punches. The third round is pretty slow, but the action picks up in the fourth as Moore stuns Williams repeatedly at long range. Early in round five, a smashing right drops Williams for a 4-count. Upon rising, Williams covers up effectively but Moore rocks him repeatedly with hard blows with both hands. Williams is lucky to finish the round on his feet. Williams boxes cautiously at long range in round six, but near the end of the round a left hook by Moore opens a cut over Holman's right eye. Williams looks disgusted as he comes out for round seven, although at least the cut over his eye has stopped bleeding. Williams is still on the defensive, but when his corner calls for him to be more aggressive, Moore snaps his head back with a hard uppercut and has Williams in trouble again at the bell. Williams suddenly comes out aggressively in round eight, landing good punches with both hands. A hard uppercut to the jaw by Williams stuns Moore. Two-thirds of the way through the round, Moore starts to fight back. A hard right cross nearly floors Williams and by the end of the round, Moore was again the aggressor. At the start of round nine, Moore staggers Williams with a hard right, then rocks him with combinations. Williams is reeling around the ring but refuses to go down. Moore batters him from pillar to post,but Holman's defensive skills and superb instincts permit him to last the round. Williams, who looked like he was finished at the end of the last round, starts out cautiously in round ten but somehow finds the energy to fight back and actually take the round. Early in round eleven, Moore drops Williams with a sharp left to the jaw for a count of two. Upon rising, Williams surprises Moore by waving him in to fight. Moore continues to outfight Williams, but doesn't wade in carelessly in an effort to finish him off. Moore lands a hard left hook early in round twelve, then sends Williams stumbling backward with a right uppercut. Williams gamely continues to box defensively, but Moore rocks him several more times before the round is over. In round thirteen, Williams again waves at Archie to come in and try to finish him off. A short time later, Moore obliges by dropping Williams with a wild overhand right. Williams gets up at six, and Moore misses several blows intended to put Williams away. The referee penalizes Moore one point for hitting with an open glove. Finally another uppefcut staggers Williams. Moore lands several more good shots to the head and Williams is once again requires to call on all his skill and courage to last out the round. Williams suprises Moore by outfighting him at long range for most of the round, although a three-punch combination near the end has him covering up at the bell. In the fifteenth and final round, Williams appears exhausted while Moore is surprisingly fresh. Moore lands several hard punches but seem unconcerned about trying to knock the challenger out. For his part, Williams appears to be satisfied just to go the distance. The referee scores it 146-138, one judge has it 145-138 and the other judge as it 144-141, all for the winner and still middleweight champion of the world, Archie Moore! THE AFTERMATH--Concerns about Moore's ability to keep making the weight seem to be unwarranted after Archie's impressive victory over Williams. The excitement generated in some quarters when Burley won the middleweight title from Tony Zale was based on the belief that a very competitive situation would result from breaking down the unofficial color barrier and giving the many great black middleweights a shot at the title. Now a different question is being asked: Can any middleweight give Moore a real challenge? Last edited by Jack Robby; 02-08-2004 at 03:14 PM.