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By MURRAY ROSE
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NEW YORK, Sept. 22 (UP) - Heavy-
weight champion Rocky Marciano's
awesome, meat-grinder destruction
of gallant, ancient Archie Moore in
one of boxing's great battles may
have been the invincible Brockton
Blaster's last fight.
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This was the one the indomita-
ble Rock of Brockton wanted to
win more than any other since he
knocked the crown off Jersey Joe
Walcott's brow three years ago in
Philadelphia. And he won it in
typical fashion with a relentless,
bulldozing attack that smashed
Archie's crumbling defenses with a
knockout in 1:19 of the ninth round.
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Now, with the light heavyweight
king out of the way, there were
no more worlds for boxing's Cae-
sar to conquer and he mulled over
retirement.
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"There is a lot of pressure from
my family for me to retire," said
the 31 year-old victor in his dress-
ing room. "My mother wants me to
quit. So does my dad, and my wife.
It has been a pretty bad ordeal for
them. I don't know what I should
do."
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Then Rocky added: "Personally,
at this point, I don't feel I should
retire."
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Last night Rocky came off the
floor like he did in the memorable
first fight with Walcott, and ground
down the crafty, cocky Moore with
a relentless assault.
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A smashing left hook to the jaw
ended the 38-year-old master crafts-
man's fierce resistance, leaving him
a collapsed heap in his own corner.
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Out to become the first light
heavyweight champion ever to
ascend to the heavyweight throne.
Archie gave it all he had in the
beginning when he floored Marciano
for a four count in the second round
with a right to the jaw.
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"I backed out just a second," said
Rocky. "But I snapped out of it."
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For a while it looked as if this
crowd of 61,574, which contributed
to a handsome $948,117 gate in the
Yankee Stadium, was going to see
an astonishing upset.
Rocky blinked his eyes. It was
only the second time in his career
that he had been floored, and a
worried expression appeared on his
face, just as it did when Walcott
decked him in their first fight.
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Archie went after the champ with
another right to the jaw but Rocky's
head was clear now and he moved
in close. Archie's big moment was
gone even though he had Rocky
bleeding from the nose and bruised
under the left eye before the hectic
round was over.
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In the third Rocky established his
pattern of victory. He started
maneuvering the crafty Moore to the
ropes and ripped him in close with
both hands.
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There was a slight cut over
Rocky's left eye and blood dripped
from his nose, but that only served
to spur him on. Try as he would
from then on, Archie couldn't get
away from the rope traps Rocky set
for him with his bulling drives.
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Rocky was ready for the kill in
the ninth and everyone in the park,
including Moore, knew it had to
happen. Rocky forced his game foe
to the ropes and let loose with every-
thing he had. Moore, his back to
the ropes on his own corner, some-
how found strength to fire two hard
shots to Rocky's jaw. Then it hap-
pened. A short, perfectly timed left
hook thudded against Archie's jaw
and he crumpled in his corner, a
soggy left mitten over the rope.
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It was all over. Archie went the
go - counted out. He said:
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"When the doctor (Dr. Vincent
Nardiello) asked me if I wanted
to quit after the eighth round I
said no champion should lose ex-
cept in the center of the ring. I'm
happy it ended the way it did. I
wouldn't want to lose sitting in a
corner."
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The defeat ended Moore's win-
ning streak of 21 and was the fifth
time he had been kayoed in a
career of 145 fights. It was Mar-
ciano's 49th victory in a perfect
record that included 43 knockouts.
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Moore still had his 175-pound
title and a $241,187 purse - the
largest of his career. Rocky, too,
earned his fattest check. He will
receive $482,374.
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The theater telecast earned an
approximate $1,125,000, of which
$350,000 went into the International
Boxing Club coffers to be shared
with the fighters. Radio added an-
other $35,000.
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Marciano, only a quarter pound
heavier than Moore at 188 3/4, en
tered the ring as an almost pro-
hibitive 4-1 favorite.
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