Davey Moore (boxer, born 1933)

David Schultz "Davey" Moore (November 1, 1933 – March 25, 1963) was an American featherweight world champion boxer who fought professionally from 1953 to 1963. A resident of Springfield, Ohio, Moore was one of two world champions to share the name in the second half of the 20th century. The second, Davey Moore (born 1959), boxed during the 1980s.

Davey S. Moore
Moore in 1962
Born
David Schultz Moore

November 1, 1933
DiedMarch 25, 1963(1963-03-25) (aged 29)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesSpringfield Rifle
Statistics
Weight(s)Featherweight
Boxing record
Total fights68
Wins59
Wins by KO30
Losses7
Draws1
No contests1

Moore died on March 25, 1963, aged 29, as a result of injuries sustained in a match against Sugar Ramos.

Career highlights

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Moore first gained wide attention from his performance on the 1952 U.S. Olympic boxing team, as a bantamweight amateur.[1][2]

Moore made his professional debut on May 11, 1953, aged 19, beating Willie Reece by a decision in six rounds. He boxed 8 times in 1953, with a total record that year of 6 wins, 1 loss and 1 no contest.[3]

From the beginning of his career through 1956 Moore fought a total of 29 bouts, with a total record of 22–5–1, and 1 no contest. Beginning with his April 10, 1957 fight against Gil Cadilli, Moore had an 18-bout winning streak, ending when he lost to Carlos Morocho Hernández on March 17, 1960, with a TKO. March 14, 1960, won match against Bob Gassey in first round, as a result of the knockout, Gassey lost all but 2 teeth. It was during this period, on March 18, 1959, that Moore won the World Featherweight Title from Hogan "Kid" Bassey. Moore retained the title through the remainder of his career, defending it successfully 5 times, and losing it to Sugar Ramos on March 21, 1963.[3]

 
Moore (right) vs. Olli Mäki in 1962

1952 Olympic results

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Below is the record of Davey Moore, an American bantamweight boxer who competed at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics:

  • Round of 32: bye
  • Round of 16: defeated Egon Schidan (West Germany) by decision, 3–0
  • Quarterfinal: lost to Kang Joon-Ho (South Korea) by decision, 1–2

Last fight and death

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Moore was scheduled to face Cuban-Mexican Sugar Ramos in July 1962 at Dodger Stadium, but a torrential typhoon-like rainstorm hit Los Angeles on the night of the fight, so the fight was postponed until March 21, 1963. It was shown on national television in front of a crowd of 22,000.[1] In the tenth round, Ramos staggered Moore with a left and then continued to pummel him with blows until he fell, striking the base of his neck on the bottom rope and injuring his brain stem.

Moore got to his feet for the eight-count and, despite Ramos' continuing attack, managed to finish the round on his feet, but the referee stopped the fight before the eleventh, and Ramos was declared the new World Featherweight Champion. Moore was able to give a clear-headed interview before he left the ring, but in the dressing room fell into a coma from which he never emerged. As Moore fought for life, Pope John XXIII made a statement calling the sport of boxing "barbaric", and "contrary to natural principles".[4] Moore's condition deteriorated, and he died 75 hours after the fight[5] on March 25 at 2:20 a.m. CST in White Memorial Hospital, Los Angeles.[4] His body lay in state at a South Los Angeles funeral home on Tuesday, March 26 for 10 hours; over 10,000 people filed by to pay respects.[6] He was buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield, Ohio.

Legacy

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Bob Dylan wrote a song about Davey Moore's death, posing the question of responsibility. It is titled "Who Killed Davey Moore?" and was also sung by Pete Seeger and Graeme Allwright[7] (in French).

Phil Ochs wrote a song titled "Davey Moore"[8] which told the story of Davey Moore's death and placed the guilt on the managers and the boxing "money men" as well as boxing fans.

On September 21, 2013, the 50th anniversary of Moore's final fight, his hometown of Springfield, Ohio, dedicated an 8-feet-tall (2.44 m) bronze statue in his honor. Located in a public green space just south of downtown near his old neighborhood, the dedication attendees included Moore's widow Geraldine and Ultiminio "Sugar" Ramos, visiting from Mexico City.[9][10]

A pair of Moore's boxing gloves are on display in a Finnish restaurant Juttutupa in Helsinki, Finland (Säästöpankinranta 6). They were found during a renovation of a local boxing gym.

Moore, played by John Bosco Jr., is featured as a character in the movie The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki that won the 'Prize Un Certain Regard' in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

Professional boxing record

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68 fights 59 wins 7 losses
By knockout 30 2
By decision 28 5
By disqualification 1 0
Draws 1
No contests 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
68 Loss 59–7–1 (1) Sugar Ramos RTD 10 (15), 3:00 Mar 21, 1963 Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Lost WBA and The Ring featherweight titles;
For inaugural WBC featherweight title;
Moore dies two days later of a whiplash to his brain stem after his neck struck the bottom rope of a three-rope ring during this bout.
67 Win 59–6–1 (1) Gil Cadilli TKO 5 (10), 3:00 Feb 18, 1963 Civic Auditorium, San Jose, California, U.S.
55 Win 58–6–1 (1) Fili Nava UD 10 Dec 11, 1962 Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
65 Win 57–6–1 (1) Olli Mäki TKO 2 (15), 2:31 Aug 17, 1962 Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring featherweight titles
64 Win 56–6–1 (1) Mario Diaz KO 2 (10), 1:21 Jul 9, 1962 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
63 Win 55–6–1 (1) Cisco Andrade TKO 7 (10), 2:05 Mar 9, 1962 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
62 Win 54–6–1 (1) Kazuo Takayama UD 15 Nov 13, 1961 Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring featherweight titles
61 Win 53–6–1 (1) Felix Cervantes KO 5 (10), 1:55 Oct 12, 1961 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
60 Win 52–6–1 (1) Kid Irapuato TKO 6 (10) Sep 19, 1961 Plaza de Toros, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
59 Win 51–6–1 (1) Felix Cervantes UD 10 Jul 17, 1961 Campo de Softball, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
58 Win 50–6–1 (1) Gil Cadilli UD 10 Jul 6, 1961 Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
57 Win 49–6–1 (1) Danny Valdez KO 1 (15), 2:58 Apr 8, 1961 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring featherweight titles
56 Win 48–6–1 (1) Ray Nobile PTS 10 Feb 10, 1961 Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, Italy
55 Win 47–6–1 (1) Fred Galiana TKO 4 (10) Jan 27, 1961 Palacio de los Deportes, Madrid, Spain
54 Win 46–6–1 (1) Gracieux Lamperti PTS 10 Jan 9, 1961 Palais de Sports, Paris, France
53 Win 45–6–1 (1) Rudy Corona KO 7 (10) Dec 3, 1960 Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico
52 Win 44–6–1 (1) David Camacho KO 8 (10) Nov 27, 1960 Nogales, Sonora, Mexico
51 Win 43–6–1 (1) Kazuo Takayama UD 15 Aug 29, 1960 Korakuen Baseball Stadium, Tokyo, Japan Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring featherweight titles
50 Win 42–6–1 (1) Kid Irapuato UD 10 Aug 1, 1960 Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
49 Win 41–6–1 (1) Frank Valdez TKO 6 (10), 1:48 Jul 20, 1960 Civic Auditorium, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
48 Loss 40–6–1 (1) Carlos Hernández RTD 7 (10), 3:00 Mar 17, 1960 Nuevo Circo, Caracas, Venezuela
47 Win 40–5–1 (1) Sergio Caprari TKO 8 (10) Feb 22, 1960 Nuevo Circo, Caracas, Venezuela
46 Win 39–5–1 (1) Hilario Morales UD 10 Dec 14, 1959 Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S.
45 Win 38–5–1 (1) Bobby Neill TKO 1 (10), 2:55 Oct 20, 1959 Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England
44 Win 37–5–1 (1) Hogan Bassey RTD 11 (15) Aug 19, 1959 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring featherweight titles
43 Win 36–5–1 (1) Hogan Bassey RTD 13 (15) Mar 18, 1959 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring featherweight titles
42 Win 35–5–1 (1) Ricardo Moreno KO 1 (10), 2:58 Dec 11, 1958 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
41 Win 34–5–1 (1) Kid Anahuac UD 10 Sep 25, 1958 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
40 Win 33–5–1 (1) Kid Anahuac SD 10 Jul 28, 1958 Plaza de Toros, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
39 Win 32–5–1 (1) Lauro Salas UD 10 Jun 19, 1958 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
38 Win 31–5–1 (1) Roberto Garcia UD 10 May 24, 1958 El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Mexico City, Mexico
37 Win 30–5–1 (1) Vince Delgado KO 3 (10), 0:08 Mar 6, 1958 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
36 Win 29–5–1 (1) Fili Nava UD 10 Feb 20, 1958 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
35 Win 28–5–1 (1) Victor Manuel Quijano TKO 9 (10), 1:57 Jan 9, 1958 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
34 Win 27–5–1 (1) Jose Luis Cotero UD 10 Nov 8, 1957 Capitol Arena, Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.
33 Win 26–5–1 (1) Victor Manuel Quijano SD 10 Aug 14, 1957 War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
32 Win 25–5–1 (1) Isidro Martinez UD 10 Jul 5, 1957 Capitol Arena, Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.
31 Win 24–5–1 (1) Buddy McDonald UD 10 Jun 13, 1957 Interstate Fairgrounds, Spokane, Washington, U.S.
30 Win 23–5–1 (1) Gil Cadilli UD 10 Apr 10, 1957 Biscayne Arena, Miami, Florida, U.S.
29 Loss 22–5–1 (1) Bobby Rogers PTS 8 Nov 7, 1956 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
28 Win 22–4–1 (1) Jimmy DeMura PTS 6 Oct 10, 1956 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
27 Win 21–4–1 (1) Charlie Slaughter KO 4 (10), 0:48 Jun 5, 1956 Palais des Sports, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
26 Win 20–4–1 (1) Jimmy Hackney DQ 6 (8), 1:34 Dec 16, 1955 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Hackney was disqualified on the sixth round for not trying his best.
25 Win 19–4–1 (1) Nat Jackson KO 2 (10) Oct 17, 1955 Coliseum Arenac New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
24 Win 18–4–1 (1) Ray Riojas UD 10 Sep 19, 1955 County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas, U.S.
23 Loss 17–4–1 (1) Santiago Martinez PTS 10 Jul 16, 1955 Havana, Cuba
22 Win 17–3–1 (1) Pedro Tesis PTS 10 May 15, 1955 Arena de Colon, Colon City, Colon, Panama
21 Loss 16–3–1 (1) Isidro Martinez PTS 10 May 1, 1955 Arena de Colon, Colon City, Colon, Panama
20 Win 16–2–1 (1) John Barnes UD 6 Jan 18, 1955 Motor City Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
19 Win 15–2–1 (1) Eddie Burgin TKO 9 (12), 0:48 Dec 7, 1954 Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. Won Ohio featherweight title
18 Win 14–2–1 (1) Dick Armstrong TKO 6 (10) Oct 25, 1954 Gymnastic Club, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
17 Win 13–2–1 (1) Herky Kaminsky UD 10 Jun 29, 1954 Memorial Hall, Springfield, Ohio, U.S.
16 Draw 12–2–1 (1) Herky Kaminsky PTS 10 May 18, 1954 Memorial Hall, Springfield, Ohio, U.S.
15 Win 12–2 (1) Charley Riley MD 10 Apr 20, 1954 Kiel Auditorium, St Louis, Missouri, U.S.
14 Win 11–2 (1) Jack Ingram KO 1 (10) Apr 8, 1954 Memorial Hall, Springfield, Ohio, U.S.
13 Win 10–2 (1) Leo Carter TKO 2 (6), 1:20 Apr 1, 1954 Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
12 Win 9–2 (1) Bob Keeling TKO 3 (6), 2:40 Mar 13, 1954 Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
11 Loss 8–2 (1) Jackie Blair UD 10 Feb 4, 1954 Armory, Akron, Ohio, U.S.
10 Win 8–1 (1) Eddie Crawford TKO 2 (6) Jan 5, 1954 Memorial Hall, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
9 Win 7–1 (1) Eddie Cooper KO 3 (8), 1:18 Nov 20, 1953 Gymnastic Club, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
8 NC 6–1 (1) Raul Prado NC 3 (8) Oct 22, 1953 Grand Rapids Stadium, Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
7 Loss 6–1 Russell Tague PTS 6 Oct 3, 1953 Rainbo Arena, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
6 Win 6–0 Ed Hughes KO 4 (5) Aug 29, 1953 Rainbo Arena, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Eddie Gonzales KO 1 Jul 10, 1953 Fort Williams, Kentucky, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Dick Armstrong TKO 4 (6), 2:40 Jun 15, 1953 Municipal Stadium, Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Terry Book PTS 6 Jun 1, 1953 Rainbo Arena, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Ralph Capone PTS 4 May 25, 1953 Rainbo Arena, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Willie Reece UD 6 May 11, 1953 Municipal Stadium, Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Smith, George (March 27, 1963). "Time Runs Out". The Anniston Star. p. 20. Retrieved May 31, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Davey Moore Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Davey Moore. boxrec.com
  4. ^ a b AP (March 25, 1963). "Moore Second Champ to Die Within Year". Star-Gazette. p. 10. Retrieved May 31, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Sharnik, Morton (April 1, 1963). "Death of a Champion". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 18, no. 13. pp. 18–21. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  6. ^ "10,000 File Past Bier of Davey Moore". Cumberland Evening Times. AP. March 27, 1963. p. 27. Retrieved May 31, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ http://www.mga.asso.fr/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ "Davey Moore". Web.cecs.pdx.edu. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  9. ^ Archdeacon, Tom (September 21, 2013). "Moore statue: Beautiful tribute to a legend". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  10. ^ "50 Years After Death, Ohio Town Honors Boxer Davey Moore". WBUR.org. September 28, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
Achievements
Preceded by World Featherweight Champion
March 18, 1959 – March 21, 1961
Succeeded by

Further reading

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Sporting positions
World boxing titles
Preceded by NYSAC featherweight champion
March 18, 1959 – March 21, 1963
Succeeded by
NBA featherweight champion
March 18, 1959 – March 21, 1963
The Ring featherweight champion
March 18, 1959 – March 21, 1963
Undisputed featherweight champion
March 18, 1959 – March 21, 1963