The history of boxing has given birth to numerous champions, whose records are remembered, and the fights are still mentioned today as an example of the strength, endurance and courage of “modern gladiators”. Nevertheless, the name of Rocky Marciano stands out not only for his timeless achievements, but also for the path he followed to those same achievements.
In the following text, I will describe the life story of Rocky Marciano, the only boxer who has never been defeated!
Earlier years
Rocky Marciano was born on September 1, 1923, in Brockton, Massachusetts, United States. He was born into a family of Italian migrants. His father is originally from Ripa Teatina, while his mother is originally from San Bartolomeo. Rocky had two brothers, (Louis and Peter), and three sisters (Alice, Conceta and Elizabeth).
He was born as a big baby. He was a year and a half old when he got severe pneumonia. Many were skeptical of how this would affect his upbringing. A long time later, American experts expressed the opinion that, in fact, that was the beginning of a great career. The therapy he took and then the rehabilitation had a positive effect.
The young man from Brockton is far more than a boxing champion in the heaviest category. An example is that you should have a dream, believe in it and never give up. The beginning of the story is classic. Poor childhood in a troubled area, in a working-class family of Italian emigrants, in constant flirtation with the law and vices.
In his youth, Rocky practiced with handmade weights, and boxed on old mail bags that he would hang on a tree in the garden behind the house. Apart from the pronounced competitive spirit, which adorned him, he also did it in order to “prepare” for life on the streets of the ghetto.
Wanting to prove himself as a baseball and American football player, he dropped out of school in the tenth grade. He did not receive a pocket money from his parents, so he used a cramp and a shovel. For a living, he dug canals and even worked as a carpenter’s assistant. He passed the driving test only on the third attempt. He also tried his hand as a truck driver. He worked as a truck loader for a coal company, as well as a railroad worker. He lived in Hanson, Massachusetts. In March 1943, Marciano was drafted into the US Army with a two-year service. He was later transferred to Swansea, Wales, where he worked in the logistics service for the US Army. After the end of World War II, Rocky was transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he welcomed the end of his service in March 1946.
Marciano met Barbara Cousins in 1947. Barbara was the daughter of a retired police sergeant from Brockton. Rocky and Barbara were married on December 31, 1950. They had a daughter, Mary Ann. They later adopted a son, Rocco Kevin.
However, the low-skilled jobs did not suit Rocky’s adventurous spirit.
– I couldn’t stay in the factory or behind the wheel. The air attracted me – said Marcano.
Career
He appeared on the boxing scene in the war of 1943, when he was mobilized, and then sent to Great Britain, where he was engaged in the great allied operation “Battle for Normandy”. He liked to fight in military tournaments. Noble skill moved into Rocky’s head. After returning from Europe, across the Pacific, he participated in several semi-professional tournaments on New York docks, and then decided to return to his native Brockton. These were just the beginnings.
Many did not believe that he would be able to start. He smoked two packs a day, drank and drank. At the reception at the local boxing club, he experienced a fiasco. Skilled in street fights, he kicked his opponent in the groin and earned disqualification. However, in 1947, he threw away his cigars, left his glass and went down among the punching bags. He started training seriously with his childhood friend Ali Calomb. The results were coming fast, the gong was beating faster and faster.
The story of the successor of the “Black Bomber”, Joe Lewis, quickly left the American meridians and became interesting for the whole world. Rocky’s motto was “Kill the body, the head will fall by itself” and the rivals were falling, the bundle was falling at his feet.
At the stadium in Philadelphia, on September 23, 1952, Rocky touched the top. Thirteenth round, one uppercut to the right side of Joe Walcott’s face, falling to his knees, and another strong blow to the head of the unfortunate rival, who lay unconscious on the floor for several minutes next to the panicked doctors. Marciano is the champion.
Dominance in the ring
Four years sovereign ruler of the ring. He beat every rival, and only six managed to avoid a knockout.
What kind of boxer was Rocky? Bulldozer! He experienced only one knockdown in his career. He was not a giant who would scare his rival with his size (he usually entered the ring with 86 kilograms), he did not dance like a butterfly, he was not a grandmaster in terms of technique, but he had something that would eventually become his trademark. Heart. He said, “Be patient and move forward.” He knew that he received blows in the series, however, he did not give up and in the end he would knock out an opponent who, as the newspaper euphorically wrote, would regret it for a long time with bandages on his face and body.
Rocky counted up to five in the first 14 fights with rivals, none of them reached the sixth round. There were also express knockouts: nine rivals did not hear the gong at the end of the first round. Later, more resistant opponents came, but none had a chance to dethrone him. When he left the ring on April 27, 1956, he was left with an impressive balance: 49 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses!
“Rocky was the toughest, strongest and most complete man who ever wore boxing gloves. There was no fear in his vocabulary, and the pain had no meaning, “wrote the Red Smith journalist, winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
Rocky Marciano died in the fall of “Cesna” on August 31, 1969, the day before his 46th birthday. His death also shook the great Muhammad Ali:
– Rocky is so big and popular, and at no time did he show vanity.
Marciano was one of the shorter (179 cm), lightest boxers (88 kg) in the heavyweight category with one of the shortest arm spans (173 cm) in his category. He managed to beat much bigger opponents, and still a large number of experts believe that Marciano had the strongest blow in the history of boxing.
I hope you liked the biography of Rocky Marciano?
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