Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-01
Moore Through in Second Round
Referee Of Title Bout Asserts
Patterson Win
Routs Skeptics
Of New Champ
BY FRANCIS STANN
star stan Correspondent

BY FRANCIS STANN
star stan Correspondent
CHICAGO, Dec. 1--"Archie
was done in the second round"
Referee Frank Sikora put it
after Floyd Patterson's fifth
round knockout Of Archie Moore,
40 and then some. I'm not TAX
ing anything away from Patter-
son. He was great. But Archie
came into the ring with Moth
ing"
That seemed to be the con-
sensus Of ringsiders. too. follow
ing the elevation of the 2l-year-
old Patterson to the world
heavyweight championship. The
youngest holder Of the title in
history was too fast and too
rugged for the ancient gypsy OF
the ring. Moore won't do it,"
Sikora was saying In his own
dressing room, but he ought to
quit"
Boxing followers who reserved
Judgment on young Patterson
after his 12-round decision over
the crude Hurricane jackson last
June 8 in New York went over
board last night at the Chicago
Stadium as the youngster from
Brooklyn via Waco, N. c.. COM
pleted the destruction Of the
favored Moore before $4,000. The
1852 olympic middleweight
champion, weighing 1921 pounds
to Moore'S 1874. was almost in
credibIy fast with his hands.
Archie, veteran Of some 100
fights and a 9-to-5 choice at ring
time, didn't win round on most
score sheets.
Steals Play From Veteran
I Taking the play away from
the self-styled mongoose, Pat
terson won the first three rounds.
In the third, blood spurted and
Moore's hair, a sort Of speckled
gray, suddenly became red. 1t
was hard to tell which fighter
was shedding, but it developed
that both we're cut. Patterson
had a cash over his left eye and
Moore was cut squarely between
the eyes. just above his nose.
Moore. who looked so impress
sive in the gym before the fight,
did not compare favorably with
the kid half his age in the ring.
when Patterson dug punches
into the body Moore's midsection
Iquivered like cold consomme. In
the fourth round Archie gave 1t
his all. He clobbered Patter-
son with a stih right that earned
him a draw on this observers
card and also on that Of Referee
lSikora.
] THAT was Archie's last
stand" Sikora said later.
l"There'd been some doubt as to
whether Patterson could take a
good punch. He answered 1t in
THAT round. Floyd grunted, 'Uh'
but he moved nicely out Of range
land think Moore knew BY then
that he'd had it,"
The best punch Of the night
was the left hook to the jaw that
Patterson landed in the nth and
final round. Moore Topped in
] gloriously to the canvas while
ISikora counted over him. He
got up just in time to beat the
count, whereupon Patterson was
upon him with a furry Of
punches that sent Archibald to
the deck again. He got up. but
he was too late. The referee
glanced at the helpless old gafier
and raised Patterson's arm.
Officially . Knockout
There was a momentary ques-
ton as to whether Sikora had
counted out Moore or stopped
the fight on technical knockout
grounds. Sikora's version was
as follows:
"The first time Moore went
down / gave him q break. He
just did or maybe he didn't
1. beat the 10-count. I used
to box myself. / say 8 .
I. 10 you're out. Moore
Just did get up and / gave him
the benefit Of the doubt"
But when Archie went down
the second time" asked a news
man, did you count the full l0'"
Il did" Sikora replied. Il
could even hear the 10-second
bell when / stopped II. Moore
was on his feet but he was
helpless"
quite a few Of US at ringside
thought you went TO a 9-count
and stopped It," a reporter said.
Not true" Sikora snapped.
He got the full count"
:. Old Archie was an impressive
figure as he entered the ring. He
was clad in a black-and-gold
robe that somehow reminded one
Of Gorgeous George. the wres-
tier. Even his fighting trunks
we're black with broad gold
stripes. sartorially. Archie won
hands down.
But once the bell sounded II
was not much Of a contest. Pat
terson was purely wonderful. In
the third round he went 10 the
canvas but II was a slip. every
body agreed. Il missed q wild
right-hand punch and lost my
balance" Floyd said IN his dress
ing room. They didn't count It
AZ q Touchdown. did they7"
Assured that he was not
charged with a knockdoWn. Pat
terson admitted that IN the
fourth round he caught a punch
that really hurt He can hit ell
right" Floyd conceded. I'm just
lucky he didn't hit me more than
once"
Patterson. who didn't know
until after the fight that he had
become the father Of a baby girl.
plans 70 relax for the next two