Michael Moorer

Michael Lee Moorer (born November 12, 1967) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2008. He is a multiple-time, two-weight world champion, having held the WBO light heavyweight title from 1988 to 1991; the WBO heavyweight title from 1992 to 1993; the unified WBA, IBF, and lineal heavyweight titles in 1994; and the IBF heavyweight title again from 1996 to 1997.^[1]

Moorer is one of only four men (the others being Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, and Lennox Lewis) to win a heavyweight world title on three separate occasions, as well as being one of only four men (the others being Bob Fitzsimmons, Michael Spinks, and Roy Jones Jr.) to win world titles at both light heavyweight and heavyweight. Since retiring from the sport, Moorer has worked as a boxing trainer. In 2009, he worked alongside Freddie Roach at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles.^[2]

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 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 10-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 on the tip of 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-Schultz 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 Schultz with another close decision to claim the title, but he was stripped of it when he tested positive for illegal substances shortly after.

Second heavyweight title reign

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

He thus technically became a three-time heavyweight champion; WBO (1992), WBA/IBF (1994) and IBF (1996–1997). It should be noted that 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 with 18 seconds left in the bout.

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. 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 10 rounds. On August 23, 2003, he beat Brazil's Rodolfo Lobo by knockout in only 64 seconds.

After a layoff of almost one 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.

Professional boxing record

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
57	Win	52–4–1	Shelby Gross	KO	1 (10), 0:32	Feb 8, 2008	Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai, UAE
56	Win	51–4–1	Roderick Willis	SD	10	Oct 31, 2007	José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
55	Win	50–4–1	Rich Boruff	TKO	1 (8), 1:34	Aug 16, 2007	Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama
54	Win	49–4–1	Sedreck Fields	UD	10	Mar 16, 2007	Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
53	Win	48–4–1	Cliff Couser	KO	1 (10), 1:36	Dec 9, 2006	Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
52	Win	47–4–1	Vassiliy Jirov	TKO	9 (12), 2:08	Dec 9, 2004	Pechanga Resort and Casino, Temecula, California, U.S.	Won vacant WBA–NABA and WBC Continental Americas heavyweight titles
51	Loss	46–4–1	Eliseo Castillo	UD	10	Jul 3, 2004	American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida, U.S.
50	Win	46–3–1	Jose Arimatea da Silva	TKO	7 (10)	Jan 17, 2004	Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek, Florida, U.S.
49	Win	45–3–1	Rogério Lobo	KO	1 (10), 1:04	Aug 23, 2003	Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek, Florida, U.S.
48	Win	44–3–1	Otis Tisdale	UD	10	Mar 29, 2003	Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek, Florida, U.S.
47	Loss	43–3–1	David Tua	KO	1 (10), 0:30	Aug 17, 2002	Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
46	Win	43–2–1	Robert Davis	UD	10	Feb 16, 2002	Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
45	Win	42–2–1	Terry Porter	TKO	4 (10), 1:11	Dec 9, 2001	Great Plains Coliseum, Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S.
44	Draw	41–2–1	Dale Crowe	TD	5 (10), 0:35	Jul 27, 2001	Soaring Eagle Casino, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, U.S.	TD after Crowe sustained a cut from an accidental head clash
43	Win	41–2	Terrence Lewis	TKO	2 (10), 2:42	Jan 12, 2001	Lucky Star Casino, Concho, Oklahoma, U.S.
42	Win	40–2	Lorenzo Boyd	TKO	4 (9), 1:22	Nov 17, 2000	Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Iowa, U.S.
41	Loss	39–2	Evander Holyfield	RTD	8 (12), 3:00	Nov 8, 1997	Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	Lost IBF heavyweight title; For WBA heavyweight title
40	Win	39–1	Vaughn Bean	MD	12	Mar 29, 1997	Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.	Retained IBF heavyweight title
39	Win	38–1	Francois Botha	TKO	12 (12), 0:18	Nov 9, 1996	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	Retained IBF heavyweight title
38	Win	37–1	Axel Schulz	SD	12	Jun 22, 1996	Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany	Won vacant IBF heavyweight title
37	Win	36–1	Melvin Foster	UD	10	May 13, 1995	ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California, U.S.
36	Loss	35–1	George Foreman	KO	10 (12), 2:03	Nov 5, 1994	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	Lost WBA, IBF, and lineal heavyweight titles
35	Win	35–0	Evander Holyfield	MD	12	Apr 24, 1994	Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	Won WBA, IBF, and lineal heavyweight titles
34	Win	34–0	Mike Evans	UD	10	Dec 4, 1993	Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, U.S.
33	Win	33–0	James Pritchard	TKO	3 (10), 2:46	Jun 22, 1993	Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
32	Win	32–0	Frankie Swindell	TKO	3 (10), 1:42	Apr 27, 1993	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
31	Win	31–0	James Smith	UD	10	Feb 27, 1993	Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
30	Win	30–0	Billy Wright	TKO	2 (10), 1:26	Nov 13, 1992	Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
29	Win	29–0	Bert Cooper	TKO	5 (12), 2:21	May 15, 1992	Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Won vacant WBO heavyweight title
28	Win	28–0	Everett Martin	UD	10	Mar 17, 1992	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
27	Win	27–0	Mike White	UD	10	Feb 1, 1992	Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
26	Win	26–0	Bobby Crabtree	RTD	1 (10), 3:00	Nov 23, 1991	Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
25	Win	25–0	Alex Stewart	TKO	4 (10), 1:54	Jul 27, 1991	The Scope, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
24	Win	24–0	Levi Billups	TKO	3 (10), 2:49	Jun 25, 1991	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
23	Win	23–0	Terry Davis	TKO	2 (10), 1:52	Apr 19, 1991	Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
22	Win	22–0	Danny Stonewalker	TKO	8 (12), 0:11	Dec 15, 1990	Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.	Retained WBO light heavyweight title
21	Win	21–0	Jim MacDonald	TKO	3 (10), 0:55	Aug 21, 1990	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
20	Win	20–0	Mario Oscar Melo	KO	1 (12), 1:52	Apr 28, 1990	Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBO light heavyweight title
19	Win	19–0	Marcellus Allen	RTD	9 (12), 3:00	Feb 3, 1990	Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBO light heavyweight title
18	Win	18–0	Mike Sedillo	TKO	6 (12), 2:07	Dec 12, 1989	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.	Retained WBO light heavyweight title
17	Win	17–0	Jeff Thompson	KO	1 (12), 1:46	Nov 16, 1989	Resorts International, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBO light heavyweight title
16	Win	16–0	Leslie Stewart	TKO	8 (12), 2:05	Jun 25, 1989	Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBO light heavyweight title
15	Win	15–0	Freddie Delgado	TKO	1 (12), 2:39	Apr 22, 1989	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.	Retained WBO light heavyweight title
14	Win	14–0	Frankie Swindell	TKO	6 (12), 2:50	Feb 19, 1989	High School Gym, Monessen, Pennsylvania, U.S.	Retained WBO light heavyweight title
13	Win	13–0	Victor Claudio	TKO	2 (12)	Jan 14, 1989	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.	Retained WBO light heavyweight title
12	Win	12–0	Ramzi Hassan	TKO	5 (12), 2:37	Dec 3, 1988	Brook Park, Ohio, U.S.	Won vacant WBO light heavyweight title
11	Win	11–0	Glenn Kennedy	KO	1, 0:36	Nov 4, 1988	Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
10	Win	10–0	Carl Williams	TKO	1, 1:15	Oct 17, 1988	Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
9	Win	9–0	Jorge Suero	TKO	2	Oct 7, 1988	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
8	Win	8–0	Jordan Keepers	TKO	2	Aug 12, 1988	The Eagles Club, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
7	Win	7–0	Terrence Walker	RTD	5 (10), 0:01	Aug 6, 1988	Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
6	Win	6–0	LaVelle Stanley	TKO	2	Jun 25, 1988	Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
5	Win	5–0	Keith McMurray	TKO	2 (4)	Jun 6, 1988	Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
4	Win	4–0	Dennis Fikes	TKO	2	May 10, 1988	Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
3	Win	3–0	Brett Zwierzynski	KO	1 (6)	Apr 29, 1988	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
2	Win	2–0	Bill Lee	TKO	1	Mar 25, 1988	Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
1	Win	1–0	Adrian Riggs	TKO	1 (4), 2:26	Mar 4, 1988	Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.	Professional debut

Titles in boxing

See also

• List of lineal boxing world champions
• List of heavyweight boxing champions
• List of WBA world champions
• List of IBF world champions
• List of WBO world champions

References

External links

• "Michael Moorer: Then and now" at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review