Rocky Marciano the Brockton Blockbuster

Did you know that rocky marciano started out as a baseball player, he even tried out for the Chicago Cubs as a pitcher but he threw out his right shoulder, they sent him back home.

Remember that Marciano's only defeats were as an amateur, at the beginning of his boxing career he smoked a lot, so when he got into the ring for the first time he had to defend himself with his knees and got DQ because he was so dead tired. After this first encounter he made a promise to himself that he would never set foot in a ring if he wasn't well prepared, well he kept his promise and became a Beast! Against all Odds.

Rocky Marciano was rejected by trainers because he was too old and too small for the heavyweights, damn!! he proved them Wrong! He was trained by his best friend Allie Colombo, and Charlie Goldman

Rocky Marciano was born under the name of Rocco Francis Marchegiano on September 1, 1923 in Brockton Massachusetts U.S.A. He was italian-american, both of his parents Pierino Marchegiano and Pasqualina Picciuto were immigrants from italy. As a teenager he played baseball, lifted home made weights and played football at brockton high school, he retired from high school after finishing tenth grade. Then he moved on to work as a chute man on delivery trucks for brockton ice and coal company, he also worked as a ditch digger and a shoemaker, he worked as a shoemaker with his father. In 1943 he got drafted for the army for the term of two years, he stationed in Wales and finish his term in 1946 at fort lewis, during this period he got into boxing. Waiting for discharge he won the armed forces amateur boxing championship. It is said that he fought one professional fight were he knocked out Lee Epperson, but he went back to fight as an amateur in the Golden Gloves All-East Championship Tournament in March 1948. He was beaten by Coley Wallace. After this he kept on boxing as an amateur and competed in AAUU olympic tryouts in Boston Garden, he knocked out George McGinnis and broke his hand during this match and he was not able to go on in the competition he had to withdraw, that was his last amateur fight, his amateur record was 8 - 4, after his amateur career he would never ever experience a loss inside the ring.

Rocky Marciano became a pro-boxer on july 12, 1948 he won his first sixteen fights by knockout, all before the fifth round, nine before the end of the first round. The first man to go the distance with rocky was Don Morgard, he lost on points. Due to the difficulty of some announcers to spell Marchegiano his manager Al Weill adviced to create a pseudonym and Marciano stood out as the best option. In december 9, 1949 he faced his first name fighter Phil Muscato an experienced heavyweight from Buffalo. Then he met with another italian american named Carmine Vingo in New York, marciano nearly killed Vingo.In 1951 he was showcased in national television for the first time, the victim Rex Layne in six rounds, july 12. Then another showcased national presentation, this time the victim was the veteran "Brown Bomber" Joe Louis, poor louis got annihilated by the Rock, mixed emotions came up from this fight as Rocky's childhood idol was Joe. Now the Rocky Marciano was ready to fight for the World Championship.

Rocky Marciano's punches were bombs, what he hit he destroyed, and he had a chance to prove it once more during his first World Championship fight in Philadelphia on September 23, 1952, against 38 year old Jersey Joe Walcott. Joe floored Marciano in the first round, stunned him hard and Jersey Joe's superior skill and speed had Rocky trailing for 12 rounds, until the 13th round whe he placed the Right Cross Suzie Q right on the kisser leaving Jersey Joe Walcott unconscious, and by way of k.o becoming the new heavyweight champion fo the world. One year later he made his first defense again against Jersey Joe Walcott, this time he knocked out Walcott in the first round. Then he tko'd out Roland La Starza in the Eleventh round. Then he beat two times Ezzard Charles former light heavy and heavyweight Champion, Charles was the first and only man to last 15 rounds with the Rock in the first fight. Marciano was so moved by Charles effort that gave him another shot, Charles got demolished in 8 rounds. Marciano's last fight was against Archie Moore, Rocky was knocked down in the second round but got up and got back into the fight, he knocked down Archie in the sixth and eight round, the final knockdown came in the ninth, the fight was over and also his career.