Professional Boxer, Actor. He was widely known and admired for his patented "Turtle Defense, which allowed his opponent's blows to slide off his arms, protecting him from damaging blows to his head and face. His boxing career began in Hot Springs, Arkansas at 22 and ended at age 49, which is considered one of the most amazing examples of longevity in sports. He held the light heavyweight boxing title for 11 of the 27 years in the ring. He fought 234 times, winning 199, with eight draws. Late in life, he had a fling at Hollywood debuting as the runaway slave "Jim" while acting and then singing in MGM's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Others include "Carpetbaggers," "The Hanged Man," "The Outfit," and "Breakheart Pass." Notable TV guest appearances include "Perry Mason," "Wagon Train," "Batman," "Shane," "Family Affair," and "The Fall Guy." He was born in Benoit, Mississippi as Archibald Lee. His father deserted the family when he was an infant and his mother was but thirteen. He was raised by an aunt and uncle, Willie Pearl and Cleveland Moore in St. Louis subsequently using their name as his own. He had some talent as a musician but at age 15, after a brief stay in reform school where he learned to box, he pursued a career in that sport. Archie was a classic throwback to the early days of boxing in the old West. He would fight anyone, anywhere and move from town to town to his next bout. He moved up on occasion, put on weight, and fought as a heavyweight. His bout with Rocky Marciano for the heavyweight title in 1955 staged at Yankee Stadium with 61,574 paying, looked on as it took Rocky nine rounds to knock out old man Moore who gave the champ the fight of his career. Life after boxing was productive for Archie. He did not drift far from the sport, serving as a trainer and manager. He was George Foreman's adviser and corner man when he took the heavyweight championship from Joe Frazier in 1973 and 3 years later, served as the coach of the Nigerian boxing team in the Olympics. He had a budding acting career. Although his schooling was dismal and limited, he developed on his own a talent as a speaker and the ability to write. Never a smoker nor a drinker, he traveled the world as an ambassador for the sport, a model for youngsters, giving motivation speeches to underprivileged youngster imploring them to stay in school while enlarging on the evils of alcohol and drugs. He also opened a restaurant, a gym that trained boxers and a pet project started in 1965, his "Any Boy Can" program, which encouraged at -risk youngsters to stay away from drugs and violence. His expertise was sought by none other than President Eisenhower, who invited Moore to the White House to join a group fighting juvenile delinquency. The champion had a soft spot for youth, having learned from his own stretch in a reformatory. He experienced major health problems in 1994, undergoing a triple bypass which slowed him. In extremely poor health, he was taken to a San Diego Hospice where a heart attack claimed him a few days prior to his 85th birthday. A memorial service officiated by San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender was held and his biographer Mike Fitzgerald detailed Moore's life and generosity over the years. His body was cremated according to his wishes and his elaborate urn is displayed in a glass-fronted niche at Cypress View Mausoleum. Legacy...Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1980 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. He co-authored his autobiography with Mike Fitzgerald; "The Ageless Warrior: The Life of Boxing Legend Archie Moore." He attempted a run at politics throwing in his hat for the post of a city councilman. Archie Moore Road located outside of Ramona, California bears his name. The County honored him by naming this once dirt road after him in deference to a ranch he once owned here and developed into a boxing training site, which he called the "Salt Mine."