Today in Boxing History: Archie Moore decisions Joey Maxim

On this day in 1952, Archie Moore won the world light heavyweight title with a 15-round decision over Joey Maxim in St. Louis, Missouri. For Moore, the championship had been 17 years in the making.

Moore had turned professional in 1935 and fought more than 150 bouts without even receiving so much as a title shot. Finally, after having lost only once in his previous 31 fights, he received a chance at Maxim’s belt.

Maxim had won the light heavyweight title in 1950 with a 10th-round knockout of Freddie Mills. He had defended the belt twice, most notably in a bizarre TKO of Sugar Ray Robinson, in which Robinson retired at the end of the 13th round because of severe heat exhaustion.

Maxim was not a powerful puncher but his boxing skills won him decisions over fighters the caliber of Floyd Patterson and Jersey Joe Walcott. However, Moore was not to be denied in the first title bout of his career. His performance against Maxim was convincing enough for him to win a runaway decision.

They met two more times with the title at stake, and Moore won a decision on both occasions. His title run would last more than eight years and he would not lose the title in the ring.