Should Archie Moore rank higher than Duran?

Many will call blasphemy, as Moore doesn't have a single signature win as great as Duran-Leonard I. Moreover, he went 0-3 against Charles and lost both heavyweight championship fights, against Marciano and Patterson. However, let's not forget Duran went 1-4 against the Four and has neither the depth nor the longevity of Moore's resume. Who do you have higher and why?

 

Duran, but I could see either guy anywhere from 7-12.

 

You're it's blasphemy. I have Duran a full tier above Archie, and while that is still relatively close, it's more competitive than close ala SRL vs. Duran 1

 

Duran was the smallest of the Fab Four, though. Also, they were rather good. As in possibly top three head-to-head all-time in the respective weightclass Roberto fought them in.

 

Well yes, I have duran at no. 6 all time and I have Moore about 13 or so.. What about you

 

Why would you take it that way? Looking to disagree just to disagree? If I have Duran at 6 and Moore at 13.. one couldn't describe that as a tier above? Nobody is saying they are World's apart in skill.. if you're top 20 all time.. then you're some of the best of the best for sure.

 

Depends on criteria really, no right or wrong lists as long as you're consistent

 

I rate Moore higher, although I haven't always. #7 for him, #9 for Duran.

Duran, I feel was slightly better at his peak, and of course his streak of 72-1 was excellent.

But Moore's career is truly incredible (not forgetting his 54-2-1 streak with more quality wins than Duran), and generally he faced tougher opposition and beat many more good/great fighters.

Duran was a great lightweight, but he simply does not have the equivalent of Johnson x4, Bivins x4 and Maxim x3 on his record. Moore has Lampkin and Palomino equivalents all over his record, if not one big victory like Leonard.

Duran had longevity, but Moore was out of this world. I strongly believe he was one of the ten greatest fighters in history and perhaps the most underrated for how good he was.

 

I've had Duran in 6-9 slots and Moore in 10-15, similar to McGrain for a long time now. I don't think I ever worked it out with Moore over Duran, though I'm a bigger fan of Moore. ...I would love to change my mind.

 

Uh oh, thread idea...

 

There's too much to say, I'd be there all night...

... But I think I've figured out the main component of Moore's greatness.

His spirit. I seriously don't know any other fighter I'd rank above Moore in the 'heart' stakes. The Durelle fight would be a good indicator on its own, but there's so much more than that; Moore fought the absolute best over three full divisions, was knocked out, beaten up, ravaged by illness, broke his hands and kept poverty just about in check with a travelling schedule. He even fought in nine countries foreign to his own. Where Duran got fat and stayed fat, Moore got fat and then drained himself in between heavyweight fights to defend his title at 175lbs. It's astonishing to discover that a 1935 welterweight was the cause of a top ten rated, 211lbs heavyweight being 'carried from the ring on a stretcher' in 1962 after facing collectively the toughest opposition of all time (in my opinion, just in front of Greb, Langford and Rosenbloom).

I think you could take all the great light heavyweights, throw them into a time period and let them battle it out for years and years, and Moore would come out on top. His record would be spotty, he'd have been knocked out - he'd also have scored many knockouts himself - but he'd also be the one beating on Sam Langford twenty five years later after Spinks, Foster, Tunney and even Charles had dropped off somewhere down the line.

Duran, with respect, knows **** about against-all-odds next to Archie Moore.

 

Just thought I'd post this comparison.

Fighters beaten by Duran who were at some point rated in The RING's annual top ten (Hall of Famers in bold):

Carlos Mendoza
Ernesto Marcel
Lloyd Marshall
Hiroshi Kobayashi
Javier Ayala
Hector Thompson
Guts Ishimatsu
Esteban De Jesus (x2)
Ray Lampkin
Edwin Viruet (x2)
Leoncio Ortiz
Saoul Mamby
Vilomar Fernandez
Adolfo Viruet
Jimmy Heair
Joseph Nsubuga
Davey Moore
Iran Barkley
Jorge Fernando Castro

Ken Buchanan
Carlos Palomino
Ray Leonard
Pipino Cuevas

Twenty five.

 

Here is the same list, but for Moore - all rated at some point:

Sammy Slaughter
Ron Richards (x2)
Johnny Romero
Jack Chase (x4)
Nate Bolden (x2)
Fred Henneberry
Marty Simmons
Jack Coggins
George Kochan
Curtis Sheppard (x2)
Buddy Walker
Rusty Payne
Bert Lytell (x2)
Charley Williams (x3)
Billy Smith (x3)
Henry Hall
Alabama Kid (x2)
Bob Satterfield
Phil Muscato
Leonard Morrow
Jimmy Slade
Clarence Henry
Nino Valdes (x2)
Bob Baker
Bob Dunlap (x2)
Yolande Pompey
Tony Anthony
Willi Besmanoff (x2)
Charley Norkus
Yvon Durelle (x2)
Giulio Rinaldi
Alejandro Lavorante

Jimmy Bivins (x4)
Harold Johnson (x4)
Joey Maxim (x3)
Lloyd Marshall (x2)
Carl Olson
Holman Williams
Cocoa Kid

Sixty four I believe.

(This is the minimum for both fighters - Moore's list is updated; I just found another eight wins I'd missed previously).

 

I know Duran has the Leonard win. And I know he was more consistent (weaker opposition and more comfortable circumstances). But I can't believe I used to rate him higher than Moore.