Rocky Marciano: Former world heavyweight champion called time on his brilliant 49-0 career 61 years ago today
Italian born American finished without a loss — and lived a stringent life which cost his family dearly after his death
THE great Rocky Marciano ended his unblemished boxing career 61 years ago today.
On September 21, 1955, the Italian-born American won his 49th consecutive fight after a ninth-round KO of Archie Moore.
The man with the iron chin — he is generally considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, but it’s his life outside the ring has often been a point of discussion.
After seeing former great Joe Louis crippled by debt and forced to extend his career past its expiry date due to excessive spending throughout boxing career, Marciano was determined not to go through the same experience.
He became extremely stringent with cash, extremely careful to whom he loaned even the slightest bit of money to and refusing to trust bank accounts.
He was known to hide money in secret places which he never revealed — and even developed a method of retrieving the coins he used for telephone boxes.
His extreme care with his money would seriously backfire, however, after a plane crash caused his untimely death and no one knew where he’d left his fortune — leaving his wife, Barbara, and two children in financial ruin.
Rocco Francis Marchegiano was born on September 1, 1923 in Brockton, Massachusetts.
At the age of 20, he was drafted into the US Army and stationed in the Welsh city of Swansea.
It was while on national service that he turned to boxing, having always wanted to play baseball.
He won the All-East Golden Gloves Championship and decided to turn pro.
Rocco adopted the fighting name ‘Rocky Marciano’ and won his first professional bout at the age of 25.
Under his new pseudonym, he beat Lee Epperson in three.
It took until his 17th fight before he went the distance and it was fight No.26 which will always stand out as the most controversial.
Rolando La Starza boasted a record of 37-0 when he faced Marciano in a much-anticipated fight on March 34, 1950.
The fight went the distance and La Starza looked set to inflicted Marciano’s first defeat.
However, with the judges scoring it 5-4 4-5 5-5, the referee was forced to decide the bout and opted for Marciano — much to the disgust of onlookers.
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Marciano marched on from there and retired a 37-year-old Louis with a stunning upset a year later — he reportedly cried in the dressing room when he heard it would be Louis’ final fight — on the way setting up a fight with World Heavyweight champion, Jersey Joe Walcott on September 23, 1952.
Despite being dropped in the first round, he roared back to win it with a vicious 13th-round stoppage.
With Walcott stricken against the ropes, Marciano unleashed a thunderous left with sent the champion to the canvas.
The Italian-American’s first defence was against a 39-year-old-Walcott, but stopped his opponent inside a round.
Marciano fought in another five fights — including against Brit, Dan Cockell — before signing off his career with a ninth-round stoppage or Moore on this day 61 years ago.
There were constant cries for the legendary fighter to lace his gloves again, but a love of rich, Italian, food saw him quickly gain weight and lose his appetite for the ring.
He lived the life of a powerful, respected man — he never coughed up for meals and encouraged people to pay for him in return for personal favours.
His rigorous lack of spending and wealth built up from fighting and promotional work made him a wealthy man.
However, disaster was to strike and that wealth has reportedly since just disappeared, such was the secret nature of his actions.
On August 31, 1969 — the day before he would have turned 46 — the small private plane carrying Marciano crashed and, along with all the other passengers, died on impact.
Critics will point to the fact he fought in a relatively easy era, but he still beat everything in front of him.
An iconic boxer who would make his way into any fan’s list of top ten fighters.
Marciano has a bronze statue commemorating him in his hometown of Brockton and another in Ripa Teatina in Italy, the birthplace of his father.