Chip Pickering: “some might not know this, but my State of Mississippi has a great history of boxing. Archie Moore, from Benoit…”

“some might not know this, but my State of Mississippi has a great history of boxing. Archie Moore, from Benoit, Mississippi, participated in professional boxing for over 27 years, holding the title of light heavyweight champion, and facing the likes of Rocky Marciano and Cassius Clay, during his career. While he went on to train Foreman and Ali, he will probably be best remembered as holding the record for the most knockouts in a career at 141. What I think is more important and that he may not be remembered as much for was his integrity in such a scandalous and corrupt sport during the years he boxed from 1936 to 1963. While we would have hoped boxing would have progressed and reformed over the years, it has not. The sport is still riddled with many problems, not the least is the exploited nature of its athletes. Muhammed Ali once said this: ``I say get an education. Become an electrician, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer--anything but a fighter. In this trade, it's the managers that make the money and last the longest.'' This seemingly benign statement illustrates one small problem among the multitude of problems the sport of boxing faces. Today, many fans are saddened and upset by the lack of integrity they see in professional boxing that has significantly weakened the sport-- the most deplorable problem of which is the treatment of the sport's athletes. Without a doubt, professional boxers are the most exploited athletes in our Nation.…”