Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano , born the er}} September, and dead the August 31st 1969, is a American Boxeur professional of the heavy trucks category. He was the first white to take again the crown of heavy with the American blacks in September 1952, title which he preserved until April 1956.
First years
Marciano is an American of Italian origin. It was born and was high with Brockton in the Massachusetts by Pierino and Pasqualena Marchegiano. Rocky had 3 sisters -- Alice, Concetta, and Elizabeth and 2 brothers Louis and Peter. When it was one year old, it contracted a pneumonia of which it failed to die. In its youth, he played baseball and developed at his place his own equipment of haltérophilie. He used a bag of stuffed mail hung in his garden like bag of striking. He went to the " Brockton High School ", where he played in the team of baseball and American football. However, it was returned of the team of baseball because of her engagement in a religious league, violating a rule of the school prohibiting the players from joining other teams. It gave up the school after the tenth rank and worked then as truck driver for the company of ice and coal of Brockton. He also worked as salesman of shoe.
In March 1943, Marciano carried out its military service during two years in Wales, where it helped to transport provisions through the English Channel for Normandy. Once the finished war it completed at the height its service in March 1946 Lewis, Washington.
Circuit amateur
Marciano gained in 1946 the tournament " armed forces boxing" where it represented the army. Its career of amateur was stopped on March 17th, 1947 when Rocky went up on the boxing ring as a professional. This night there it beat Lee Epperson by KB into 3 round. However it turned over in the circuit amateur where it boxed for the gold gloves of the tournament: " AlEast Championship" in March 1948 when it was beaten by Coley Wallace. It continued with boxer as an amateur during the spring of this year and took part in the Olympiques tests of the AAU (sporting union amatrice) in Boston Garden where it put KB George Mc Ginnis. However it damaged the hands at the time of this match and was constrained to withdraw tournament. This combat was its last as an amateur. With a score of 11-3, its years as an amateur were the only ones where Marciano recorded defeats.
At the end of the month of March 1947, Rocky and some of his/her friends travelled in Fayetteville to North Carolina to try to integrate the team of baseball of Chicago Cubs. However Marciano was returned at the end of 3 weeks. After having failed to find a place in another team, it turned over to Brockton and began its drive of boxing with an old friend: Combine Colombo. Al Weill been used for to him to manage and Charley Goldman of trainer and coach.
Professional path
Although it had already a combat gained as a professional against Lee Epperson, the night of July 12th, 1948 marked the beginning of its professional path. This night it gained against Harry Bilizarian by KB. Its 15 following combat were also gained by KB, all before the 4th round and 9 before the end of the first.
Don Mogard was the first boxer to finish a match against " The Rock" (the rock) but Marciano gained by decision.
At the beginning of its career, he changa the pronunciation of his name, the presenter of Providence in the Rhode Island which cannot pronounce Marchegiano, he says him to call it Marciano.
He gained three more combat by KB then he met Ted Lowry, which opinion of several judges and witnesses probably gained 3 or 4 of the 10 rounds against Marciano. Néenmoins Rocky kept its legend of alive invincibility, Lowry leaf by decision. Marciano boxed Lowry another time and the combat also lasted until the last round. It gained then 4 another engagements per KB until a difficult match which lasted the 10 rounds in 1950 against Roland Starza which will be its challenger for the world title in 1953. It gained 3 engagements per additional KB before a revenge against Lowry. Marciano gained again by unanimous decision.
Its 4 following combat were KB and after a victory against Red Applegate, it was retransmis on television national for the first time when it put KB Rex Layne into six round on July 12th, 1951. A victory afterwards, it was again retransmis on TV for a match against Joe Louis which it beat by KB with the 8th round in what was the last combat of Louis. This combat left Marciano with mitigated emotions, Louis having been the idol of its childhood.
Apogee of its career
After four additional victories, including that against Lee Savold and Harry Matthews, Marciano faced the world champion of heavy the Jersey Joe Walcott with Philadelphia on September 23rd, 1952. After having been with the carpet at the time of the first round, Rocky was concerned and put its adversary KB at the 13th round becoming world champion heavy at the end of a difficult combat where it was led to the points. A revenge took place later one year which was its first defense of the title, match during which it marked the spirit, putting KB Walcott as of the 1st round.
It was then the turn of Roland Starza to defy Marciano in 1953. Leading his challenger to the points, Roland was beaten by TKO in the 11th round.
Then the turn came from Ezzard Charles, that Rocky overcame by decision with best of the 15 rounds. Ezzard Charles was the only man to have resisted Marciano during 15 rounds (other victories by decision being matches of 10 rounds). Rocky rented it later as one of the most difficult boxers than he ever faced. After having broken the nose of Ezzard at the time of revenge to the 6th round, Marciano defended its title by one KB during the 8th recovery. Following that it beat by KB into 9 round, English Don Cockell then European champion.
The last defense of the title of Marciano took place against archie Moore on September 21st, 1955. Defense was originally planned for the 20, but was pushed back because of the warnings weather of risk of hurricane. Marciano was put at the carpet during 2 seconds but was raised and put KB Moore at the time of the neuxième round after having already put it at ground at the time of 6th and of 8th where it was saved by the gong. The engagements having known a delay because of a play preceding them, Rocky Marciano was proclaimed victorious the morning of September 22nd, its match being finished after midnight.
Marciano announced its retirement on April 27th, 1956. After being itself withdrawn, Marciano accepted some criticisms like being itself withdrawn without being itself beaten against Floyd Patterson. However during the reign of Marciano, Patterson was not a challenger for the title of heavy and was not classified either at the heavy ones. In fact for this period it mainly fought in the category of heavy light.
After boxing
Marciano failed to try a comeback in 1959 when Ingemar Johansson gained the world title of the heavy truck against Floyd Patterson on June 26th, 1959. But after one month of drive it renonca definitively to be made like back. Moreover Patterson having already a contract for a return match, that would have complicated any attempt to take down a combat for the title.
After its retirement, Rocky invests in restaurants although many its investments (like the purchase of the " marshes of Floride" proved to be disastrous. , The money which it gave to his friends was several times not refunded.
It on TV presented a weekly emission of boxing during a year. It also became, a bréve period, referee of fight (Marciano was a good fighter at the school). It continued then and during many years with being referee and commentator of boxing.
In July 1969, little before its death, Rocky took part in a fictitious match: " The Superfight: Marciano vs Ali". The two boxers were filmed during sparring, a computer simulating a hypothetical combat between them two at the top of their form (Marciano having stopped the boxing and being 45 years old). The combat was diffused on Tuesday, January 20, 1970, Marciano victorious by K.O with the 13th recovery.
Simple: Rocky Marciano