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THE SCENARIO—Responding to criticism for passing over number one contender Jack Chase to defend his title against Jake LaMotta, the top-ranked white contender, Moore agreed to meet Chase at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on February 25, 1944.
THE FIGHT--Both men box cautiously in the opening round, although Moore lands a hard left hook to the chin and later sinks a good left to the midsection. Moore opens up in the second, however, hurting Chase with a left then stopping him cold with a terrific right cross. He follows up with a three-punch combination, left-right-left, that has Chase holding on. As they break apart, a cut is visible under Chase’s right eye. Later in the round, Moore landed a hard hook off a jab, then hurts Chase with a hard right uppercut to the jaw.
Moore is stalking Chase from the opening bell of round three. About a minute into the round, Moore catches Chase with a short, sharp left hook that drops the challenger for a 7-count. Moore tries to finish his opponent off but is wild and Chase manages to survive the round with the cut still bleeding beneath his right eye. Early in round four, Moore nearly buckles Chase’s knees with a right uppercut at close range. Chase is now bleeding from cuts above and below the right eye. Several winging rights at long range have Chase staggered and hurt but Moore is unable to finish him off.
Chase opens the fifth round by missing a wild right. Moore counters with a right to the chin that turns the challenger’s legs to jelly. He reaches for the ropes to stabilize himself. Moore stabs a hard jab to the mouth, then gets the better of an exchange of blows with Chase backed against the ropes. Moore staggers Chase with a right uppercut. Chase tries to fight back but another uppercut has in trouble again. Moore hooks a hard right to the jaw inside, then lands a stinging left as Chase sinks to the canvas. He doesn’t move throughout the ten count.
The winner and still middleweight champion of the world by knockout in 2:46 of the fifth round—Archie Moore!
AFTERMATH—Moore’s dominance of the middleweight division continues to represent the greatest threat to the revival of wartime prizefighting. No wonder promoters are eagerly watching the revival of the French middleweight Marcel Cerdan with interest, and the clear hope that he will emerge as a serious title contender. Also promising is the rumor that the gifted welterweight, Sugar Ray Robinson, may be discharged early from the U.S. Army and return to the ring.
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