Michael Moorer

Michael Moorer (born November 12, 1967) is a former boxer who was world Light-Heavyweight and Heavyweight champion.

Moorer is a native of Boca Raton, Florida, but he trained under the tutelage of hall of fame trainer Emanuel Steward. As a member of Steward's Kronk Gym team, he was teamed up with such boxers as Thomas Hearns and Gerald McClellan.

Moorer had a fast but steady rise through the professional boxing fights. He debuted on March 4, 1988, knocking out Adrian Riggs in the first round. Before the year ended, h was undefeated in eleven bouts and fighting for the world title for the first time. He conquered the vacant WBO world Light-Heavyweight title with a five round knockout of Ramsi Hassan.

In 1989, he retained the title six times, beating Freddie Delgado, Frankie Swindell, Mike Sedillo and former WBA world champion Leslie Steward, among others.

In 1990, his relationship with Steward began to suffer, and eventually, Moorer went over to Teddy Atlas. He retained the title three times before the end of the year, beating Mario Melo and former Michael Spinks challenger Jim McDonald, among others.

He won all his fights of 1991, year in which he decided to campaign at the Heavyweight division. Then, in 1992, he fought for the vacant WBO world Heavyweight championship, becoming only the second boxer to go from world Light-Heavyweight champion to world Heavyweight champion in boxing history, when he knocked out former Evander Holyfield challenger Bert Cooper by a knockout in five rounds. That night, he also became the first let handed boxer in history to become world Heavyweight champion. He did not defend the WBO Heavyweight belt. Instead, he spent 1993 making a few preparation bouts, training to challenge Holyfield for Holyfield's IBF and WBA belts. On April 22, 1994, before a Pay Per View audience, Moorer overcame a second round knockdown, and ent on to win a majority decision over Holyfield, earning the WBA and IBF's world championship belts.

In his first defense of those belts, November 10 of the same year, Moorer was ahead on all three judges' scorecards, when he received a right hand to the chin by George Foreman, losing the world championships.