Oct. 25, 1963 - Joey Archer (right), a classic boxer from the Bronx, took the best punches of the slugging Rubin (Hurricane) Carter tonight in a fast and furious 10-round bout at Madison Square Garden and earned a split decision victory. The non-televised puncher-vs.-boxer middleweight contest had most of the 8,592 fans on their feet and cheering throughout, but most of the roars seemed to be in favor of Archer. The 25-year-old boxer, who weighed 161 pounds to Carter’s 158, went into the ring a 2-1 underdog. The 26-year-old Carter was feared because of his punching, which had knocked out 11 of his previous 20 foes. He almost undid all of Archer’s fine work in the final round. The slugger from Paterson, N.J. unleashed a two-fisted attack of right hands to the face and sizzling hooks to the body that had Archer in serious trouble. Carter swarmed all over Archer, firing big bombs, but Archer jabbed and retreated to save himself. Carter, clearly the harder hitter of the two, smashed a straight right to Archer’s jaw in the fifth that would have felled a bull. But Archer kept his feet and outboxed his foe in the final two minutes of the round to gain the edge. When Carter did corner Archer, Joey gave back as good as he got, sometimes so well it was Carter who had to back off. The victory was Archer’s seventh straight and the 37th of his career against one loss — to José Gonzalez after a 16-month layoff. Carter suffered his fourth loss. He has won 17. Archer is ranked sixth by the World Boxing Association. Carter was ranked No. 1 before losing tonight. Many experts thought he won. A poll of working writers showed nine for Carter, five for Archer. But as one writer said afterward, “This is the first time I ever saw 8,500 judges at a fight.” It is true that Archer had the big crowd with him all the way, and this may have swayed the officials. What did Carter say? “I thought I won, but I lost.”
