Rocky Marciano

At 45 years old, Rocky Marciano has this physical status:

Rocco Francis Marchegiano (September 1, 1923 – August 31, 1969), better known as Rocky Marciano (Japan), an American professional boxer who competed from 1947 to 1955, winning the world heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956.

He is the only Heavyweight champion to finish his career undefeated.

He six title defenses were against Jersey Joe Walcott, Roland La Starza, Ezzard Charles (twice), Don Cockell, and Archie Moore. Marciano has been ranked by boxing experts as the fifth best heavyweight boxer in history for his tenacious fighting style, ferocious punching strength, stamina, and an extremely strong chin.

His knockout-to-win percentage of 87.76 percent is one of the highest in heavyweight boxing history.

Early life

Born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, he was raised on the south side of Brockton, Massachusetts, to Pierino Marchegiano and Pasqualina Picciuto. Both of his parents were Italian immigrants. His father was from Ripa Teatina, Abruzzo, while his mother was from San Bartolomeo, Campania. Louis (aka Sonny) and Peter, as well as three sisters Alice, Concetta, and Elizabeth, were Rocky's two brothers. Marciano died of pneumonia at the age of 18 months old, which caused him to die in a flash.

He worked out on homemade weightlifting equipment (associate with Charles Atlas') and carried a stuffed mailbag that hangs from a tree in his back yard as a heavy bag. He attended Brockton High School, where he competed in both baseball and football. However, he was suspended from the school baseball team because he had joined a church league, in violation of a school rule barred students from joining other teams. After finishing in the tenth grade, he dropped out of school.

Marciano began serving as a chute man on delivery trucks for the Brockton Ice and Coal Company. He also worked as a ditchdigger, railroad layer, and shoemaker. He was a resident of Hanson, Massachusetts; the house he lived in now stands on Main Street.

Marciano was drafted into the United States Army for a two-year contract in March 1943. He was stationed in Swansea, Wales, and he carried ferry supplies across the English Channel to Normandy. He completed his service at Fort Lewis, Washington, in March 1946, just after the war ended.

Life after boxing

In 1959, Marciano made a comeback when Ingemar Johansson won the Heavyweight Championship from Floyd Patterson on June 26, 1959. Marciano decided against it after just a month of preparations for nearly four years, and never considered returning to work.

Marciano began to television in 1961, first presenting a weekly boxing show on television and then appearing in the Combat! The episode "Masquerade" was released. He served as a troubleshooting referee in wrestling for a brief period (Marciano was a good wrestler in high school). He continued as a referee and boxing analyst in boxing matches for many years. He was also involved in company as a partner and vice president of Papa Luigi Spaghetti Dens, a San Francisco-based franchise company founded by Joe Kearns and James Braly. He built a custom home on 641 NW 24 Street in Wilton Manors, Florida, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale. As of 2018, the house is still stands.

Marciano appeared in The Superfight: Marciano vs. Ali in late July 1969, shortly before his death. The two boxers were shot sparring, and the film was reimagined to match a computer simulation of a potential confrontation between the two boxers, each in his prime. On January 20, 1970, it appeared on television, with one version winning Marciano and the other winning Ali.

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Amateur career

Marciano's amateur record was 8–4. Marciano played for the Army and won the 1946 Amateur Armed Forces boxing tournament, while waiting for discharge. Marciano's amateur career was briefly halted on March 17, 1947, when he stepped into the ring as a professional competitor at the Valley Arena Gardens of Holyoke, Massachusetts, where he was branded as "Rocky Mackianno of Westover Field." He knocked out local fighter Lee Epperson in three rounds on the night. Marciano made a rare return to the amateur ranks and competed in the Golden Gloves All-East Championship Tournament in March 1948. Coley Wallace had him beaten ferociously by Coley Wallace. He continued to fight as an amateur throughout the spring and competed in the AAU Olympic tryouts in Boston Garden. He knocked out George McInnis, but he was forced to leave the tournament due to his hands during the match. It was his last amateur match.

Marciano and several others accompanied Fayetteville, North Carolina, to try out for the Fayetteville Cubs, the Chicago Cubs' farm team. Marciano was on the job for three weeks before being fired. After struggling to find a job with another team, he returned to Brockton and began boxing training with longtime friend Allie Colombo. Al Weill and Chick Wergeles were his bosses and Charley Goldman as his tutor and tutor.

Professional career

Despite fighting one on his record (against Lee Epperson), Marciano started fighting as a pro boxer on July 12, 1948. He won over Harry Bilazarian (3–6–0) on Saturday night, and he was not defeated (3–6–0). He won his first 16 bouts by knockout, but not before the fifth round and nine before the first round was over. Don Mogard (17–9–1) was the first boxer to make it to the distance (full 10 rounds scheduled), but Marciano prevailed by unanimous decision.

"Marchegiano" was his last name, a form of his last name that he had changed early in his career. The ring announcer in Providence, Rhode Island, was unable to recognize it, so Marciano's handler, Al Weill, suggested that they make a pseudonym. Rocky Mack, which Marciano rejected at first, but Marciano later decided on the more Italian-sounding "Marciano" instead.

Marciano defeated three other fights by knockout, and then he met Ted Lowry (58–48–9). Marciano stayed his winning streak alive by defeating Lowry by a unanimous vote. Four more knockout victories followed, including a five-rounder on December 19, 1949, with Phil Muscato (56-20–0), an experienced heavyweight from Buffalo, New York, being the first "name fighter" Marciano faced, was followed by four more knockout victories.

Marciano defeated Carmine Vingo (16–1–0) in New York by a sixth-round knockout three weeks after the Phil Muscato fight. Carmine, a 16-1, was a promising prospect, but his demise was tense. At the time of the fight, Marciano was 24–0. The champion of the division will be named the white hope in the competition. In the first and second round, Rocky Marciano suffered in Vingo, but Vingo was gaining traction by the fifth. Marciano knocked out Vingo with a right uppercut at 1:46 in the sixth round. As there were no ambulances on the road, Vingo was unconscious and admitted to the hospital on a stretcher. Vingo was given his final rites by a priest and had a 50/50 chance to recover. Vingo made it through and survived, befriending Marciano later in life.

Marciano defeated Roland La Starza on March 24, 1950, winning by split decision. La Starza may have come a step closer to beating Marciano as a professional. The bout's scoring was 5–4, 4–5, and 5–5. Marciano was rewarded with a supplemental point system that was used by New York and Massachusetts at the time. For a knockdown, the scoring system did not give an extra point, and Marciano scored a knockdown in the match. Referee Watson called the match, deciding against Marciano and scoring it for him. Both boxers were undefeated going into the match, with La Starza's record being 37–0.

Marciano had three more knockouts in a row before a match against Lowry (61–56–10), with Marciano winning by unanimous vote. He had four more knockouts after being featured on national television for the first time in late April 1951, defeating Rex Layne (34–1–2) in six rounds.

The 28-year-old Marciano faced the 37-year-old Joe Louis on October 27, 1951. Marciano was a 612-to-five underdog going into the match. In the former's last match, Marciano defeated Louis.

Marciano won four more titles, including victories over 35-year-old Lee Savold (96–37–3) and Harry Matthews (81–3–5), and finally won the world championship for the fourth time.

Marciano, 29, was a World Heavyweight Champion, 38-year-old Jersey Joe Walcott, who died in Philadelphia on September 23, 1952. Walcott dropped Marciano in the first round and gradually increased the lead. Walcott set up his right hand in the 13th century, but Marciano's "Suzie Q" ranked first, resulting in Walcott's kneeling over the ropes, causing Walcott's arm draped over the ropes. Marciano became the new World Heavyweight Champion long after being counted out. Walcott was leading all scorecards, 8–4, 7–5, and 7–4.

His first defense came a year later, in a rematch against Walcott, 39, who was disqualified in the first round.

Roland La Starza's time to challenge Marciano was next. Marciano won the rematch by a technical knockout in the 11th round after taking a tiny lead on the judges' scorecards all the way through the middle rounds.

Ezzard Charles, 33, the only man to ever reach the last 15 rounds against Marciano, defeated him in two separate bouts. Marciano won the first match, which was held on points at Yankee Stadium on June 17, 1954. Referee Ruby Goldstein won the round 8-5-2 for the champion. Judge Artie Aidala made it 9-1 for Marciano, while Judge Harold Barnes had a tough time 8-6-1. Marciano defeated him in the eighth round of the return match by a big margin. Don Cockell, the British and European champion, met then, Marciano. In the ninth round, Marciano was knocked out.

On September 21, 1955, Marciano's last championship match was against 38-year-old Archie Moore. The bout had been supposed to take place on September 20, but it had to be postponed a day due to hurricane warnings. Marciano was disqualified for a four-count in the second round, but regained control and retained his position with a knock out in round nine.

Marciano declared his retirement on April 27, 1956, when he was 32 years old. He finished his career at 49–0.

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