Michael Moorer

Last updated

Michael Moorer
Michael Moorer in 2009.jpg
Moorer in 2009
Born
Michael Lee Moorer

(1967-11-12) November 12, 1967 (age 57)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Other namesDouble M
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm) [1]
Reach76 in (193 cm) [1]
Stance Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights57
Wins52
Wins by KO40
Losses4
Draws1

Michael Lee Moorer (born November 12, 1967) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2008. He won a world championship on four occasions in two weight classes, having held the WBO light heavyweight title from 1988 to 1991; compiling 22 straight KOs in 22 fights and the WBO heavyweight title from 1992 to 1993; the unified WBA, IBF and lineal heavyweight titles in 1994; and regained the IBF heavyweight title again from 1996 to 1997 becoming a three-time heavyweight world champion. [2]

Contents

Michael Moorer was an undefeated southpaw in his first 35 professional bouts. He captured the WBO light heavyweight title in 1988 which he defended 9 times. In 1991, Moorer moved up to Heavyweight winning the vacant WBO heavyweight title from Bert Cooper via TKO in 1992. He went on to beat Evander Holyfield for the unified WBA, IBF and lineal heavyweight titles in 1994. He remains one of only two southpaws to win the lineal world championship at heavyweight, being joined by Oleksandr Usyk, and the only light heavyweight world champion to win a heavyweight world title on more than one occasion.

Moorer is only one of four boxers over the last century that has ever won a version of a world title at both light heavyweight and heavyweight along with Roy Jones Jr., Michael Spinks, and James Toney.

Since retiring from the sport, Moorer has worked as a boxing trainer and private investigator. In 2009, he worked alongside Freddie Roach at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles. [3]

Moorer was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2024. [4]

Amateur career

Moorer was born in Brooklyn and raised in the small town of Monessen, Pennsylvania. From an early age, Moorer began playing football and was raised by a single mother, who noticed Moorer's unusual hyperactivity. At age 10, Moorer's grandfather, a former New York Golden Gloves Champion who sparred with greats such as Archie Moore, encouraged Moorer to begin training at age 11. Moorer is naturally right-handed, but fought the entirety of his career as a southpaw. Moorer graduated from Monessen High School in 1987, where he starred in football as a linebacker and tight end. [5]

As his amateur career developed, Moorer moved to Detroit, Michigan to train with the legendary Emanuel Steward. In 1986, Moorer was a National Champion for the 156 lb (light middleweight) weight class. At Steward's Kronk Gym, Moorer was known for beating professionals while still an amateur. Moorer also won a bronze medal at the Goodwill Games, and finished his amateur career with a record of 48–16.

Professional career

Light heavyweight

Moorer had a fast rise through the professional boxing ranks. He debuted on March 4, 1988, knocking out Adrian Riggs in the first round. Before the year's end, he was undefeated in eleven bouts (winning all by way of early round knockouts) and fighting for the world title for the first time. He acquired the newly created WBO light heavyweight title with a five-round knockout of Ramzi Hassan.

In 1989, he retained the title six times, beating Freddie Delgado, Frankie Swindell, Mike Sedillo and former WBA champion Leslie Stewart, among others.

In 1990, he retained the title three times before the end of the year, beating Mario Melo and former Michael Spinks challenger Jim McDonald, among others.

Heavyweight

1991 saw Moorer move up to the heavyweight division. He rolled through the competition en route to securing an opportunity to fight for the vacant WBO heavyweight championship the following year against Bert Cooper. Moorer stopped Cooper in the fifth round after both fighters were down and hurt during the bout.

He did not defend the then-lesser regarded WBO heavyweight belt. Moorer and trainer Emanuel Steward parted ways after the Cooper fight. Moorer eventually joined Lou Duva's team, and was trained by Georgie Benton for three fights in 1993, including a 10-round decision win over former champion James "Bonecrusher" Smith.

Moorer then parted ways with the Duvas and Benton, and hired New York-based trainer Teddy Atlas in late 1993. Moorer closed the year with a ten-round decision over Mike Evans.

Unified heavyweight champion

On April 22, 1994, Moorer challenged Evander Holyfield for the lineal, IBF, and WBA title belts. In round 2 Holyfield sent Moorer down on the canvas, but Moorer overcame and went on to win a majority decision. As a result, he became the first-ever southpaw heavyweight champion.

In his first defense of those belts, on November 5, 1994, Moorer faced 45-year-old George Foreman, who lost his last fight for the vacant WBO heavyweight title to Tommy Morrison. For nine rounds, Moorer easily outboxed him, hitting and moving away, while Foreman moving forward, seemingly unable to "pull the trigger" on his punches. Moorer was ahead on all three judges' scorecards entering the 10th round, when Foreman hit him with a number of long-range jabs. Then, suddenly, a short right hand caught Moorer square on his chin, gashing open his bottom lip, and he collapsed to the canvas. Moorer was knocked out and lost the world championship. He also lost his undefeated record. Foreman, at age 45, became the oldest fighter ever to win the world heavyweight title.

The following year, Moorer re-grouped by winning against fringe contender Melvin Foster. Meanwhile, Foreman retained the title with a close and controversial decision against German fighter Axel Schulz.

Because of the controversial nature of the Foreman-Schulz bout, the IBF ordered Foreman to travel to Germany for a rematch, but Foreman refused, choosing to leave the IBF belt vacant instead. South African Francois Botha travelled to Germany instead and beat Schulz with another close decision to claim the title, but he was stripped of it when he tested positive for illegal substances shortly after.

Third heavyweight title reign

Moorer was then given the opportunity to fight Schulz for the vacant crown in Dortmund. On June 22, 1996, Moorer won the IBF heavyweight crown once again, beating Schulz by a 12-round split decision.

He became a three-time heavyweight champion; WBO (1992), WBA/IBF (1994) and IBF (1996–1997). When Moorer held the WBO heavyweight title, it wasn't considered an authentic heavyweight title. Ironically, Moorer has always been recognized as a former light heavyweight champion despite only ever holding the WBO title at that weight.

Moorer's first defense came against Botha on November 9, 1996. In a brutal one-sided bout, Moorer, leading on the cards going into the 12th, ended with a flourish, knocking Botha out 18 seconds into the final round.

In March 1997, Moorer retained his belt with a 12-round decision over previously undefeated Vaughn Bean before parting ways with trainer Teddy Atlas, with whom he'd been experiencing increasing tension since the beginning of their professional relationship. He replaced him with Freddie Roach.

Holyfield vs. Moorer II

On November 8, Moorer lost his IBF title in a unification match with WBA champion Evander Holyfield. Moorer was knocked down five times before ringside doctor Flip Homansky advised referee Mitch Halpern to stop the bout in round eight.

Comeback

After this, he retired from boxing for three years before returning with a knockout of journeyman Lorenzo Boyd. Moorer had begun drinking heavily and weighed 270 pounds. During his comeback, he won three more fights, then seemingly retired again when he was knocked out only 30 seconds into round one by David Tua on August 17, 2002. However, he returned to the ring once again on March 29, 2003, beating Otis Tisdale on points over ten rounds. On August 23, 2003, he beat Brazil's Rodolfo Lobo by knockout in only 64 seconds.

After a layoff of almost a year, he returned on July 3, 2004, losing a ten-round unanimous decision to Eliseo Castillo in Miami, Florida. In December of that year, Moorer rallied from a severe deficit on the scorecards to hand former cruiserweight champion Vassiliy Jirov his first knockout loss. He continued fighting, winning all of his bouts against limited opposition. His last fight was a KO win over Shelby Gross in 2008. Following the fight, Moorer retired from professional boxing.

Personal life

Moorer was arrested in 1989 for taking part in a brawl in Charleroi, Pennsylvania.

In 1991, just days after his win over Alex Stewart, Moorer was arrested for assaulting a police officer. Moorer had reportedly been intoxicated at the time of his arrest. The officer he punched suffered a broken jaw. Moorer later was placed on probation and settled the case out of court. [5]

Professional boxing record

57 fights52 wins4 losses
By knockout403
By decision121
Draws1
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
57Win52–4–1Shelby GrossKO1 (10), 0:32Feb 8, 2008Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai, UAE
56Win51–4–1Roderick WillisSD10Oct 31, 2007 José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
55Win50–4–1Rich BoruffTKO1 (8), 1:34Aug 16, 2007 Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama
54Win49–4–1Sedreck FieldsUD10Mar 16, 2007Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
53Win48–4–1 Cliff Couser KO1 (10), 1:36Dec 9, 2006 Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
52Win47–4–1 Vassiliy Jirov TKO9 (12), 2:08Dec 9, 2004 Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S.Won vacant WBA–NABA and WBC Continental Americas heavyweight titles
51Loss46–4–1 Eliseo Castillo UD10Jul 3, 2004 American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida, U.S.
50Win46–3–1Jose Arimatea da SilvaTKO7 (10)Jan 17, 2004Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek, Florida, U.S.
49Win45–3–1 Rogério Lobo KO1 (10), 1:04Aug 23, 2003Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek, Florida, U.S.
48Win44–3–1Otis TisdaleUD10Mar 29, 2003Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek, Florida, U.S.
47Loss43–3–1 David Tua KO1 (10), 0:30Aug 17, 2002Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
46Win43–2–1Robert DavisUD10Feb 16, 2002 Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
45Win42–2–1Terry PorterTKO4 (10), 1:11Dec 9, 2001 Great Plains Coliseum, Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S.
44Draw41–2–1Dale CroweTD5 (10), 0:35Jul 27, 2001 Soaring Eagle Casino, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, U.S.TD after Crowe cut from accidental head clash
43Win41–2Terrence LewisTKO2 (10), 2:42Jan 12, 2001Lucky Star Casino, Concho, Oklahoma, U.S.
42Win40–2Lorenzo BoydTKO4 (9), 1:22Nov 17, 2000 Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Iowa, U.S.
41Loss39–2 Evander Holyfield RTD8 (12), 3:00 Nov 8, 1997 Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Lost IBF heavyweight title;
For WBA heavyweight title
40Win39–1 Vaughn Bean MD12 Mar 29, 1997 Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.Retained IBF heavyweight title
39Win38–1 Francois Botha TKO12 (12), 0:18 Nov 9, 1996 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained IBF heavyweight title
38Win37–1 Axel Schulz SD12 Jun 22, 1996 Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, GermanyWon vacant IBF heavyweight title
37Win36–1 Melvin Foster UD10 May 13, 1995 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California, U.S.
36Loss35–1 George Foreman KO10 (12), 2:03 Nov 5, 1994 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Lost WBA and IBF heavyweight titles
35Win35–0 Evander Holyfield MD12 Apr 22, 1994 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Won WBA and IBF heavyweight titles
34Win34–0Mike EvansUD10Dec 4, 1993 Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, U.S.
33Win33–0 James Pritchard TKO3 (10), 2:46Jun 22, 1993Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
32Win32–0Frankie SwindellTKO3 (10), 1:42Apr 27, 1993The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
31Win31–0 James Smith UD10Feb 27, 1993 Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
30Win30–0 Billy Wright TKO2 (10), 1:26 Nov 13, 1992 Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
29Win29–0 Bert Cooper TKO5 (12), 2:21May 15, 1992Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Won vacant WBO heavyweight title
28Win28–0Everett MartinUD10Mar 17, 1992The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
27Win27–0Mike WhiteUD10Feb 1, 1992 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
26Win26–0Bobby CrabtreeRTD1 (10), 3:00 Nov 23, 1991 Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
25Win25–0 Alex Stewart TKO4 (10), 1:54Jul 27, 1991 The Scope, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
24Win24–0Levi BillupsTKO3 (10), 2:49Jun 25, 1991The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
23Win23–0Terry DavisTKO2 (10), 1:52 Apr 19, 1991 Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
22Win22–0Danny StonewalkerTKO8 (12), 0:11Dec 15, 1990 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.Retained WBO light heavyweight title
21Win21–0Jim MacDonaldTKO3 (10), 0:55Aug 21, 1990The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
20Win20–0Mario Oscar MeloKO1 (12), 1:52 Apr 28, 1990 Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained WBO light heavyweight title
19Win19–0Marcellus AllenRTD9 (12), 3:00Feb 3, 1990Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained WBO light heavyweight title
18Win18–0Mike SedilloTKO6 (12), 2:07Dec 12, 1989The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.Retained WBO light heavyweight title
17Win17–0Jeff ThompsonKO1 (12), 1:46Nov 16, 1989 Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained WBO light heavyweight title
16Win16–0 Leslie Stewart TKO8 (12), 2:05Jun 25, 1989 Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained WBO light heavyweight title
15Win15–0Freddie DelgadoTKO1 (12), 2:39Apr 22, 1989The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.Retained WBO light heavyweight title
14Win14–0Frankie SwindellTKO6 (12), 2:50Feb 19, 1989 High School Gym, Monessen, Pennsylvania, U.S.Retained WBO light heavyweight title
13Win13–0 Victor Claudio TKO2 (12)Jan 14, 1989The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.Retained WBO light heavyweight title
12Win12–0Ramzi HassanTKO5 (12), 2:37Dec 3, 1988 Brook Park, Ohio, U.S.Won inaugural WBO light heavyweight title
11Win11–0Glenn KennedyKO1, 0:36 Nov 4, 1988 Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
10Win10–0Carl WilliamsTKO1, 1:15Oct 17, 1988 Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
9Win9–0Jorge SueroTKO2Oct 7, 1988 The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
8Win8–0Jordan KeepersTKO2Aug 12, 1988 The Eagles Club, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
7Win7–0Terrence WalkerRTD5 (10), 0:01Aug 6, 1988 Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
6Win6–0LaVelle StanleyTKO2Jun 25, 1988Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
5Win5–0Keith McMurrayTKO2 (4) Jun 6, 1988 Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
4Win4–0Dennis FikesTKO2May 10, 1988 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
3Win3–0Brett ZwierzynskiKO1 (6)Apr 29, 1988Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
2Win2–0Bill LeeTKO1Mar 25, 1988 Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
1Win1–0Adrian RiggsTKO1 (4), 2:26Mar 4, 1988 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 HBO Sports tale of the tape prior to the George Foreman fight.
  2. ↑ "Michael Moorer". Cyber Boxing Zone. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Roach fires Moorer--report". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs . June 22, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  4. ↑ Joseph Santoliquito (December 7, 2023). "Diego Corrales and Ricky Hatton top the 2024 Hall of Fame Class". The Ring . Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Michael Moorer: A Paradoxical Hall of Fame Career". April 27, 2005.
Sporting positions
Amateur boxing titles
Previous:
Tim Littles 		U.S. light middleweight champion
1986		Next:
Joe Bir
Regional boxing titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Lance Whitaker 		WBA–NABA heavyweight champion
December 9, 2004 – March 2005
Vacated		Vacant
Title next held by
Taurus Sykes
Vacant
Title last held by
James Toney 		WBC Continental Americas
heavyweight champion
December 9, 2004 – April 2005
Vacated		Vacant
Title next held by
DaVarryl Williamson
World boxing titles
Inaugural champion WBO light heavyweight champion
December 3, 1988 – April 1991
Vacated		Vacant
Title next held by
Leeonzer Barber
Vacant
Title last held by
Ray Mercer 		WBO heavyweight champion
May 15, 1992 – February 2, 1993
Vacated		Vacant
Title next held by
Tommy Morrison
Preceded by WBA heavyweight champion
April 22, 1994 – November 5, 1994 		Succeeded by
IBF heavyweight champion
April 22, 1994 – November 5, 1994
Vacant
Title last held by
George Foreman
vacated		 IBF heavyweight champion
June 22, 1996 – November 8, 1997 		Succeeded by
Evander Holyfield
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