DAVEY MOORE

Moore first gained wide attention from his performance on the 1952 U.S. Olympic boxing team, as a bantamweight amateur.

Moore died on March 25, 1963, aged 29, as a result of injuries sustained in a match against Sugar Ramos.

Moore was scheduled to face Cuban-Mexican Sugar Ramos in July 1962 at Dodger Stadium, but a torrential typhoon-like rainstorm hit Los Angeles on the night of the fight, so the fight was postponed until March 21, 1963. It was shown on national television in front of a crowd of 22,000. In the tenth round, Ramos staggered Moore with a left and then continued to pummel him with blows until he fell, striking the base of his neck on the bottom rope and injuring his brain stem.

Moore got to his feet for the eight-count and, despite Ramos' continuing attack, managed to finish the round on his feet, but the referee stopped the fight before the eleventh, and Ramos was declared the new World Featherweight Champion. Moore was able to give a clear-headed interview before he left the ring, but in the dressing room fell into a coma from which he never emerged. Moore's condition deteriorated, and he died 75 hours after the fight on March 25 at 2:20 a.m. CST in White Memorial Hospital, Los Angeles. His body lay in state at a South Los Angeles funeral home on Tuesday, March 26 for 10 hours; over 10,000 people filed by to pay respects. He was buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield, Ohio.

Bob Dylan wrote a song about Davey Moore's death, posing the question of responsibility. It is titled "Who Killed Davey Moore?" and was also sung by Pete Seeger and Graeme Allwright (in French).

Phil Ochs wrote a song titled "Davey Moore" which told the story of Davey Moore's death and placed the guilt on the managers, the boxing "money men", boxing fans, as well as Davey Moore himself for having too much “pride” to quit the sport.

On September 21, 2013, the 50th anniversary of Moore's final fight, his hometown of Springfield, Ohio, dedicated an 8-foot-tall bronze statue in his honor. Located in a public green space just south of downtown near his old neighborhood, the dedication attendees included Moore's widow Geraldine and Ultiminio "Sugar" Ramos, visiting from Mexico City.

Moore, played by John Bosco Jr., is featured as a character in the movie The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki that won the 'Prize Un Certain Regard' in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.