Daniel Cann

Rocco Francis Marchegiano better known to the world as Rocky Marciano was the least technical world champion of modern times. He had one method of fighting, to get close to his opponent and batter them into submission as soon as possible. He was a threshing machine who just did not let up throwing punches from all angles non-stop until his opponent was either knocked out or overwhelmed. This ‘style’ required enormous reserves of stamina as well as physical and mental strength and would not be recommended in any boxing text books or practised in any modern gyms.

Marciano was the only fighter who could sustain this kind of pressure and workrate and I have never seen any other heavyweight in history who could fight with the energy and vigour that he did, he was simply a phenomenon.

This most primitive of approaches reaped fantastic results, eighty eight percent of his wins were inside the distance and he is the only world heavyweight champion in history to retire undefeated. He is on many fight fans lists as the greatest heavyweight of all time. For this most unlikely of warriors he was a ‘one-off’ I doubt we will ever see a boxer of his ilk again. His career was short, just over eight years, but it was explosive and memorable. This is his story.

Rocky Marciano was born to working class Italian immigrant parents in Brockton, Massachusetts on 1 September 1923. His first great challenge was with the then fatal illness pneumonia. He almost died aged 19 months and the doctor who saw the infant said that young Rocky’s survival ‘Will depend on the boy’s own spirit…if he can overcome this’ he told Rocky’s parents ‘you’ll have a strong son here.’

Rocky duly recovered and it was not the last time that his tremendous heart and willpower would win through. He grew up poor but happy and was considered by his brothers and sister as a ‘protector’ he would often play baseball in the local James Edgar Playground with his loyal friends Eugene and Nicky Sylvester, Vinnie and Allie Colombo and Izzy Gold. These friends would later go on to play instrumental roles in Marciano’s training camps and stuck by him through thick and thin.

In March 1943 Marciano was drafted into the army. For a while he was stationed in Britain and legend has it that it was by flattening an Australian in a Cardiff pub that sparked his interest in a career in boxing. He boxed at first in the army where he also still played his first love of baseball. On leave in 1946 he had his first public amateur contest. It was not the best start as the ill conditioned Marciano was disqualified in the second round for kneeing his opponent in the groin as he was too tired to hold up his arms. After this episode Marciano would always ensure he was in top physical condition.

After a failed baseball trial for a minor league team he focussed fully on a boxing career. This began in March 1947. His first twelve fights did not go beyond the third round. He wrote to Al Weill a well known manager for a trail and was invited to go to New York. On seeing Marciano the gravel voiced no nonsense manager was not impressed. In front of him stood a rugged man of average appearance, just over five feet ten inches in height and then weighing only 184 pounds (thirteen stone 2 pounds) he would be a small cruiserweight by today’s standards. Even in the 1950s he was considered too small. With a relatively short reach and extremely crude, undisciplined and unscientific ring style Weill did not see Marciano as much of a heavyweight prospect.

Marciano continued to fight in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, hardly the centre of the boxing universe. Thanks to trainer Charlie Goldman Marciano improved, learning the rudiments of boxing, how to jab, feint, block and dodge.

Legend has it that Goldman improved the raw Marciano’s balance by tying his legs together with rope. Whatever methods were employed they seemed to work. Coupled with the miles of walking Marciano and his friends did each day (they never drove, took a bus, subway or taxi) in New York City as well as all the training in the gym he was creating vast reserves of stamina. Later in his career when asked by a reporter what his greatest asset was Marciano surprised him by saying ‘My legs.’ Expecting the fighter to say a right hook or another punch Marciano was deadly serious and po-faced, his stumpy tree trunk legs helped him generate tremendous power as well as carry him the distance in many a punishing bout.

Marciano’s ungainly, rough house style was not for the boxing connoisseur but it was proving effective and was proving a big hit with the fans. After scoring a twenty second inside the distance win Weill finally got him a fight in New York. Marciano won in the second. The quality of opposition improved and finally Weill was won over to the idea that although he did not look like the archetypal heavyweight contender, Marciano was a good improving world class boxer.

On 26 October 1951 the up and coming young Marciano met his boyhood idol in the ring the legendary ‘Brown Bomber’ Joe Louis. Much has been made of this encounter, but it must be noted that Marciano was still wearing ‘L plates’ even for a contender, he was still peaking whereas Joe Louis was an ageing ex champion, cutting a balding, shuffling figure carrying a few excess pounds. At 37 he was light years from the dynamite puncher and sharp mover of his championship prime. Louis still possessed a magnificent jab and the last thing a fighter loses is his punch, but it is unfair to use this fight as a pointer to who was the best of the two as when they met neither were in their primes.

Louis’ jab gave the bull-like Marciano trouble early on, marking up his face as the rounds progressed, but the young Italian-American would not be denied. He kept coming forward trying to slip the jab and work inside. After seven rounds of constant pressure Louis was getting pretty marked up as well and more significantly his 37 year old legs were getting tired. In the eighth round Marciano closed in for the kill. His vaunted right nicknamed ‘Suzie Q’ deposited the old veteran on the canvas. Louis bravely got up but the writing was on the wall.

Another sustained barrage of deadly blows sent Louis through the ropes where his head lolled on the ring apron and Sugar Ray Robinson rushed over to support his stricken idols head as he was counted out. It was a terribly sad and poignant end to a great career and many at ringside were moved at seeing the passing of such a great former champion.

Although his supporters were elated Marciano wept back in the dressing room. In a bizarre scene Louis comforted and consoled the young lion and assured him that it was just business and he did what he had to do. The press were less forgiving and many said that had the two met ten years earlier Marciano would not have lived in the same ring with Louis. This was all a little unfair and unnecessary to both men, but that mattered little. Marciano was on the rise and the title was getting ever closer in his sights.

Knockouts of top contenders Lee Savold and Harry ‘Kid’ Matthews followed and on 23 September 1952 at Philadelphia Rocky was given his shot at the world heavyweight title held by the classy, hard punching veteran Jersey Joe Walcott. The 29 year old Marciano had won 42 fights leading up to his big chance and he was in a determined mood.

The fight was a good summary of Marciano’s uncompromising style and his toughness. Although champion Walcott was a nimble, fleet footed and hard punching veteran enjoying a purple patch this did not deter the more basic ‘Rock.’ In the first round things could not have been worse, Walcott caught the onrushing challenger cold and for the first time in his career the stunned looking Marciano was down. He did not stay there long however, getting up at the referees count of two or three.

As the fight unfolded Marciano kept ploughing forward, soaking up punishment, throwing punches non-stop from all angles. He suffered pretty bad cuts around his eyes but he was unstoppable. Plenty of his heavy blows got through as well and they inevitably began to take their toll. The clubbing blows and the continuing remorseless aggression wore down Walcott until in the thirteenth round, knowing that if he was going to take the title he had to score a knockout, Marciano did just that courtesy of his famed ‘Suzie Q’ a devastating right hook that swivelled the champions head sickeningly as he sagged to the canvas totally spent and dazed.

It was not pretty to watch and purists winced at the crudeness of Marciano’s attacks and his style, but it worked. He was new heavyweight champion of the world and had served notice that it would take a fighter possessing almost supernatural determination and stamina to take it from him.

To prove that most fighters he faced were never the same after they faced him the first time, Marciano flattened Walcott in just one violent round in the rematch a few months later. It was as if the first experience weakened their resolve. Roland LaStarza was next, a top contender who had been one of the few to take Marciano the distance in a ten rounder a few years earlier. It was a bit of a grudge contest thanks to some disparaging comments LaStarza had made. He paid for it in the ring where he was punished unmercifully and despatched by a clinical knockout in the eleventh round.

In 1954 Marciano faced a former world champion who was renowned for his classy boxing and his toughness, the ‘Cincinnati Cobra’ Ezzard Charles. Charles was practically unbeatable at light heavyweight where he had defeated three former world light heavyweight champions in Archie Moore (three times on points) Joey Maxim and Gus Lesnevich, many ring experts believe Charles has never gained the recognition his talents deserved.

After proving his supremacy at light heavyweight he cut a swathe through the heavyweight division beating an admittedly aging Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Rex Layne, Bob Satterfield and the man who had won a controversial points decision over Marciano as an amateur, Coley Wallace. In all he had engaged in eleven world heavyweight title fights winning all but two of them, both against Jersey Joe Walcott whom he had beaten on two other occasions, so they were 2-2 in their series.

It was clear then that although Charles was not unbeatable he would be a stern test for champion Marciano. The contest on 17 June 1954 at Yankee Stadium, New York City was to prove to be the toughest of the ‘Brockton Blockbusters’ career so far. In an unbelievably draining and gruelling contest both men knocked lumps out of each other with no quarter given for fifteen hard rounds.

The referee Ruby Goldstein said after the contest he had no recollection of once having to break the fighters up in the entire fight such was the intensity of the battle! Compare this to the modern heavyweight era where clinching is frequent and you get some idea of just how tough and brutal this bout was. Both men’s conditioning was fantastic and has to be the sole reason other than courage that saw them both through to the final bell.

When the scores were toted up the verdict was unanimous, Marciano had kept the title by scores of 8 rounds to five, with two even; nine rounds to five, with one even and eight rounds to six, one even. Conclusive but competitive.

Marciano only really got on top over the last five rounds and he suffered a bad gash by the left eye which spurted blood and almost caused the fight to be stopped. Charles could barely talk after the fight thanks to a punch to his Adams apple. He was puffy around both eyes and it was clear that it had been an especially punishing battle.

A return contest was a natural, their two distinctive styles blending well to give a thrilling match, a true bull versus matador confrontation like Dempsey v Tunney, Louis v Conn, LaMotta v Robinson and later Frazier v Ali. These types of contest always capture the imagination of the paying public and the Marciano v Charles contests were no exception.

The return took place again at Yankee Stadium on 17 September 1954. It overshadowed even the first one in its intensity, brutality and excitement earning ‘The Ring’ Magazine’s ‘Fight of the Year’ award. Charles fought bravely and he was down in the second for a count of two and generally fighting a brave rearguard action as the relentless Marciano surged forward. However, in the sixth round Marciano came the closest to losing so far in his career. A shocking freak injury occurred and his left nostril became split. The gore was quite shocking as blood began to gush like a geyser from the wound. It was a truly sickening injury and were it not for the title or fought today it would probably have been stopped. The ringside doctor allowed the fight to continue but it was a desperate situation, with the title slipping Marciano showed true champions heart and determination and hit Charles with everything putting him down once again for a two count in the eighth round and finally out for good.

This second fight with Charles proved yet again that fighters were never the same against Marciano the second time around, it also proved Marciano was a true champion showing great character to come back from the brink. The deeper ramifications for him though were that he was not getting any younger and the injuries were piling up. He had fought for most of his career with debilitating back injuries that kept recurring. At 31 years old he was beginning to lose a little ambition for a sport he had openly admitted to as being ‘brutal.’

The British and Commonwealth champion was next, Don Cockell who had earned his chance by beating top contenders and former Marciano victims Roland LaStarza and Harry Matthews. Cockell was just one inch taller than Marciano and came in at 205 pounds (fourteen stone nine pounds).

In the fight that took place in San Francisco on 16 May 1955 Marciano must have broken ever rule in the book as he battered Cockell unmercifully hitting him below the belt, after the bell had sounded, with rabbit punches and a few stray elbows had gone in as well. In many other rings these tactics would earn disqualification and it was uncharacteristic of Marciano although he always fought in an uncompromising fashion he was never really considered a ‘dirty’ fighter. In the background there were many seething resentments and frustrations concerning finances and tensions with his manager Al Weill so perhaps these affected his performance in the ring that night. Whatever the reason it was not a ‘vintage’ Marciano performance and the brave and plucky challenger managed to take the champ into the ninth round before being stopped after soaking up some tremendous punishment, a lot of it illegal.

The last challenge was a tough proposition, the dynamite punching and crafty veteran and world light heavyweight champion, Archie Moore who had had success campaigning at heavyweight beating the likes of dangerous number one contender the big Cuban Nino Valdes to earn his shot at world glory. Moore had used a lot of publicity and charm to win the press over and to lure Marciano into the ring and the contest earned a lot of publicity and was eagerly anticipated by the boxing public. Little did everyone know that this was to be Marciano’s last fight.

The contest was held on 21 September 1955 in New York. Rocky was shocked again like he was against Jersey Joe Walcott when Moore dumped him on his hands and knees for a ‘two count’ in the second round. Moore later claimed that the referee then incorrectly dispensed with an ‘eight count’ when the contest was not fought with a mandatory eight count in effect. Furthermore the referee snapped Marciano to attention by jerking his arms and asking if he was okay. Controversial? Perhaps, but over the ensuing rounds Marciano not only recovered but battered Moore all around the ring flooring him on no fewer than four occasions before the final knockdown in the ninth round with Moore unable to beat the referees count. It was all over, literally.

In his last fight Marciano had faced down a sharp determined challenger renowned for his experience and punching power. He had survived yet another crisis to post a typically dramatic inside the distance win.

After seven months of pondering the future of his career Marciano decided to call it a day. He was now 32 years old and had earned an estimated $4 million in the ring, a fortune in those days. He had a wife and a daughter a home in Florida, a loving family, loyal friends and the respect of fans and experts alike. He had nothing left to prove. He is to date the only world heavyweight champion to retire undefeated and his record of 49 wins without defeat looks unlikely to ever be equalled or beaten.

Over the years he refused huge financial offers to return to the ring and like Gene Tunney before him and Lennox Lewis after, he retired as undefeated world heavyweight champion. He was not much of a businessman and when his affairs came to be sorted out years later the disappearance of much of his money was a mystery. Despite this misfortune he still made plenty of money in personal appearances flying all over the country on a pretty hectic schedule.

It is a great shame that Marciano’s fear of poverty drove him to working almost non-stop after his ring retirement. Seeing his father struggle, toiling away in a local shoe factory all his life back in Brockton seemed to scar Rocky for life and it seems he never really settled down or enjoyed his life as much as he deserved to.

His belligerence in the ring has never been equalled; he was a force of nature that would not be denied. Like his younger brother Peter Marciano once said ‘Rocky would always find a way to win.’ Outside the ring he was a gentle, modest, well-read, softly spoken family man at odds with his fighting persona. He wore a toupee under a hat which once blew off at a public function carrying the hairpiece with it. This tremendously tough and proud man blushed crimson and ran away.

After enjoying the filming of the ‘Computer fight’ with Muhammad Ali whom he befriended in 1969 Marciano was still enjoying the admiration and affection of fans across the globe when tragedy struck. On the eve of his 46th birthday the aircraft in which he was travelling crashed in a terrible storm at Newton, Iowa killing him. His family and the boxing world mourned the passing of a popular and great champion.

At his funeral Joe Louis said ‘This is the saddest news I’ve ever heard, when he defeated me, I think it hurt him more than it hurt me…after the fight, he sent a message to my dressing room saying how sorry he was the fight turned out the way it did. He just had a good heart. Everything I remember about him is good.’

Louis, visibly moved then said ‘Something’s gone out of my life, I’m not alone, something’s gone out of everyone’s life.’ The balding former champion then leaned over and kissed Marciano’s casket.

The then world heavyweight champion, Joe Frazier also present at the funeral said ‘He was a great fighter, and a great man.’

Joey Maxim former world light heavyweight champion summed up Marciano’s kindness and character: ‘There was no pretence about Rocky. He was the genuine thing.’ Former lightweight champion Beau Jack said ‘When I was down on my luck Rocky made it a point to look me up.’

The once fearsome former world heavyweight champion, Sonny Liston appeared visibly moved and said ‘This man was one of the greatest champions ever, he refused to accept defeat. And nobody beat him.’

Accolades from your peers is perhaps the best praise and over the years Marciano has been appreciated even more for his tenacity and ‘never give up’ attitude. Archie Moore said ‘Marciano was the best conditioned athlete I ever faced.’

Employing unconventional training methods Marciano built up amazing strength, power and endurance, for example he would often stand in a swimming pool up to shoulder height and then throw rapid combinations of punches. It is little wonder that he was thus able to continue throwing powerful punches non-stop like he did.

He enjoyed walking and running for miles with his friends and sparring partners helping to build the enviable reserves of energy and stamina. That he fought and trained on often suffering with back problems is testament to his character. There is no doubt that Marciano is rightfully considered an all time great.

There are some that doubt he would cut it today as a bona fide heavyweight pointing to the fact that never weighing much more than 189 pounds (thirteen and a half stone) modern heavyweights would simply be too big for him. I would have to argue that had he trained and fought today with supplements, nutritional advice and weight training he could easily bulk up while retaining his power and speed. Look at Michael Spinks, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr and David Haye. All of these boxers fought at middleweight, light heavyweight and cruiserweight before making successful forays into the heavyweight division.

Heavyweight champions like Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson too were smallish as well. Frazier standing five feet eleven and a half and weighing at around 205 pounds for most of his career managed to destroy much bigger men with the exception of George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. Tyson was only five foot eleven and three quarters and never weighed more than about 217 pounds in his prime.

His height helped him as his taller opponents lost power by punching down at him whilst he managed to put great leverage into his shots particularly hooks and uppercuts. We all know the havoc and destruction the peak Tyson caused in the heavyweight division before his world crumbled around him. All these boxers proved you do not need to be a behemoth to thrive in the heavyweight division.

I believe that it is easily feasible for a 200 pound plus Marciano to enjoy success against any heavyweight. I’m not saying he would beat them all, but he would give anyone a torrid time. At cruiserweight which would be his natural division if he fought at the same weight he did during his career he would be totally unbeatable. Not bad for a man who was dismissed so readily all those years ago by Al Weill and the boxing media.

Rest in peace champ.

World Title Fights: 7 Wins: 7 Lost: 0

Career Fights

Won: 49 Lost: 0 Knockouts: 43