Archie Moore vs Joey Maxim III

On a Wednesday evening of January 27th, 1954, the Orange Bowl in Miami, witnessed the third face-off between light-heavyweight champions, Archie Moore of San Diego, California, and Joey Maxim of Cleveland, Ohio. Both with a significant number of wins under their belts - Moore at 143 and Maxim at 80 - took to the ring in a crucial battle for the World Light-heavyweight title. With Moore weighing in at 175 lbs and Maxim closely behind at 174¼ lbs.

The bout kicked off with an aggressive Moore, keeping the action at close quarters, peppering Maxim with short hooks from both hands and forcing him onto the defensive. Despite Maxim's attempts to maintain a long-range fight, Moore's relentless attack kept Maxim on the back foot. The duel saw its first major thrill in the eighth round when a rapid right hook to the jaw sent Maxim to the canvas. He managed to regain his footing at the count of "seven", surviving the round despite Moore's ferocious efforts to capitalize on the knockdown.

Moore saw another opportunity to claim victory in the eleventh round, sending Maxim to his knees with a swift right uppercut. Maxim demonstrated his ring IQ, taking the count of "eight" before standing up seemingly unfazed. The action intensified in the closing rounds as Maxim, knowing he was trailing on points, pushed his attack. The seemingly tiring Moore still had enough left to maintain his early lead, albeit Maxim finished the rounds stronger.

Referee Cy Gottfried and judges, Mark Erwin and Monty Monroe scored the match decisively in favor of Moore. Gottfried's card read 145-137, while Erwin and Monroe marked the bout 148-134 and 148-135, respectively. This 15-round points decision secured Moore's third victory over Maxim, continuing his successful defense of the World Light-heavyweight title that he had claimed from Maxim in December 1952 and successfully defended six months later.

Looking ahead, Moore's continuous dominance seems hard to ignore for any contender, particularly Harold Johnson, who recorded impressive wins over Ezzard Charles and Jimmy Slade among his six bouts in 1953. With a track record of three victories over Moore in their previous four meetings, Johnson could be next in line for a shot at Moore's title.

After their third encounter, Maxim managed to rebound six months later with a stunning upset victory over the unbeaten Floyd Patterson. Moore, on the other hand, sustained his fighting spirit throughout 1954, concluding the year with a 14-round stoppage win over Harold Johnson.