HomicideHenry
06-03-2009, 03:38 AM
Just three days before this was to happen, George Reeves took his life. In his days before acting, Reeves had fought as an amateur boxer, so it is not like he was some guy off the street in this scenario---but Reeves was every bit as old as Archie Moore, being in his 40's. The two men had been friends for years, Reeves often sparring with the light heavyweight champ.
Whether this was to be an exhibition or an actual match, I have no clue, though some have speculated it was a stunt, as Archie Moore in the past had fought professional wrestlers in actual boxing matches, and Reeves for a time had 'competed' in staged wrestling events as the character Superman against guys like Gene LeBell who would don a costume similar to Reeve's and go under the name "Kryptonite".
Conflicting reports on how the fight was to be staged varies. Some say it was scheduled for two rounds, while some say it was scheduled for ten. Reeves, despite rumors to the contrary, had trained diligently for the match, either to look more fit than he had in years [it depressed him that he no longer looked like the superman of old] or to actually be prepared to give Moore an actual contest.
The contract, the media attention, was all there to back this up. It's a shame this little bit of history never came to be, and it also raises the question if Reeves did kill himself, as he was quoted as saying: "The Moore fight will be the biggest highlight of my life." He apparently, had alot to live for. Archie Moore himself was dumbfounded that his friend had apparently killed himself, saying the whole incident was bizarre.
Side Note- Just before this arranged match, Moore took on professional wrestler Sterling 'Dizzy' Davis, and had knocked him out in three rounds, giving the wrestler a cut over his left eye, dropping him three times.
Whether this was to be an exhibition or an actual match, I have no clue, though some have speculated it was a stunt, as Archie Moore in the past had fought professional wrestlers in actual boxing matches, and Reeves for a time had 'competed' in staged wrestling events as the character Superman against guys like Gene LeBell who would don a costume similar to Reeve's and go under the name "Kryptonite".
Conflicting reports on how the fight was to be staged varies. Some say it was scheduled for two rounds, while some say it was scheduled for ten. Reeves, despite rumors to the contrary, had trained diligently for the match, either to look more fit than he had in years [it depressed him that he no longer looked like the superman of old] or to actually be prepared to give Moore an actual contest.
The contract, the media attention, was all there to back this up. It's a shame this little bit of history never came to be, and it also raises the question if Reeves did kill himself, as he was quoted as saying: "The Moore fight will be the biggest highlight of my life." He apparently, had alot to live for. Archie Moore himself was dumbfounded that his friend had apparently killed himself, saying the whole incident was bizarre.
Side Note- Just before this arranged match, Moore took on professional wrestler Sterling 'Dizzy' Davis, and had knocked him out in three rounds, giving the wrestler a cut over his left eye, dropping him three times.