I found that quote today on Facebook: “At the time, I was number one contender and he had to fight me. I got right on top of him. Archie Moore went to camp with me, and I would box Archie, and he would make moves, and slip, and make clever moves. Archie Moore had a lot to do with me winning that fight. 'Sandy,' he said, 'Pep is a very clever man, and very fast mover. Now, being that you can punch, stay on top of him. Give Pep no leverage.’ And I stayed on top of Pep, and as he relaxed, I would punch. I actually knocked him out, knocked him stoned in the fourth round, laid him out, you could have counted fifty, pal, I’m telling you. He was really clever. I really admired Pep, had a lot of respect for him.” .. and Mike Casey mentions that: [..] As he prepared for Pep, Saddler had a shrewd and valuable ally in his training camp in Archie Moore. The Old Mongoose was still awaiting his own shot at world championship glory, but had already amassed a treasure trove of boxing knowledge. Always frank and fair in his appraisal of other fighters, Archie didn’t kid Saddler about the toughness of his assignment. Moore acknowledged that Pep was one of the fastest and cleverest ring mechanics in the game, but pointed out the oft-forgotten fact of life that the very best are still beatable. Archie reminded Saddler that he was the one who carried the big punch and urged him to jump on Willie early and stay on him with intelligent pressure. Moore sparred with Saddler, handing out tips on the art of slipping and blocking and always looking for any significant chinks in his friend’s armour that the wily Pep might exploit. Sandy was a willing student, having dedicated his life to the toughest sport of all. He didn’t smoke or drink or place any unnecessary stress on his body. Even in the ring, he was always looking to protect himself as best he could and was grateful for Moore’s extensive lessons in how to tuck up under fire and present the smallest possible target. Saddler was ready for Pep by the time they climbed into the Madison Square Garden ring on the night of October 29 1948. Following Archie Moore’s advice to perfection, Sandy stayed tight to Willie, negating the boxing master’s need to move and gain sufficient leverage for his famously accurate punches. Would the Classic forum be so kind as to provide more insights?
