Rocky Marciano is the only undefeated Heavyweight champion Marciano vs Joe Louis Marciano defeated Louis in what would be the latter’s last career bout, a result that left him with mixed emotions, as Louis had been his childhood idol. Championship fight – Marciano vs Joe Walcott In Philadelphia on September 23, 1952 Walcott dropped Marciano in the first round and steadily built a points lead; but in the thirteenth, Marciano knocked Walcott unconscious, and became the new world heavyweight champion. Marciano’s last title bout was against Archie Moore on September 21, 1955 and Marciano was knocked down for a four count in the second round but he recovered, and retained his title by knocking Louis out in round nine. Marciano announced his retirement on April 27, 1956. The Superfight: Marciano vs. Ali. In July 1969, Marciano and Ali participated in the fictional boxing match where the two boxers were filmed sparring, then the film was edited to match a computer simulation of a hypothetical fight between them, each in their prime.

It aired on January 20, 1970, with Marciano winning by knockout in round 13 in North American theaters and Ali winning in European theaters. Photos of Rocky Marciano Rocky Marciano Rocky Marciano was a heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Undefeated heavyweight world champion, Boxing | Guinness World Records Undefeated heavyweight world champion, Boxing Share Where USA Rocky Marciano (USA) (b. Rocco Francis Marchegiano) (1923-69) is the only world champion at any weight to have won every fight of his entire completed professional career, from 17 March 1947-21 September 1955 (he announced his retirement on 27 April 1956); 43 of his 49 fights were by knock-outs or stoppages. All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search.

(You will be need to register / login for access) The Greatest Heavyweight Boxer from Every Decade | Bleacher Report The Greatest Heavyweight Boxer from Every Decade By Briggs Seekins , Featured Columnist Oct 3, 2013 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images 25 Comments Heavyweight has traditionally been the glamour division in boxing. From the late 19th century through most of the 20th, the World Heavyweight Championship in boxing was viewed as the biggest title in sports. Over the years, major stars from every sport have captured the public imagination from time to time. But the heavyweight boxing champ has usually enjoyed a special kind of status as the baddest, toughest man alive. In more recent years, the heavyweight division has fallen off in prestige, although this has been more of a phenomenon in the U.S. than abroad. When the Ukranian Klitschko brothers defend their belts in Germany, the atmosphere is as electric as a rock concert. On Saturday, younger sibling Wladimir will earn in excess of $20 million to defend his belt against Alexander Povetkin in Moscow, Russia.

The fight will even be broadcast stateside on HBO. And even here in America, the division has been gaining more attention in the past year or so, with the charge led by monster-puncher Deontay Wilder, who has knocked out all 29 opponents he has faced as a professional, with every single one of them going down within four rounds. So with a major championship bout on offer for the weekend and the weight class gaining momentum here at home, I offer this look back at the best heavyweight from each decade, from the dawn of the gloved era to the present day. Tweet John L. Sullivan captured the bare-knuckle heavyweight championship of the world in February 1882 when he demolished the much larger Paddy Ryan in nine one-sided rounds. "The Boston Strong Boy" would go on to popularize the use of gloves, thus helping to gradually transition boxing from its shadowy illegal status into the major professional sport that it would become in the next century. Along the way, Sullivan became America's first sports superstar. His carousing and drinking were as legendary as his mule-kick right hand. The high-spirited Sullivan earned more money entertaining crowds from the stage than he did fighting in the ring.

In 1889, he won the last bare-knuckle world championship fight when he stopped Jake Kilrain in 75 rounds in the stifling July heat of Mississippi. The account I've read about this fight from the Police Gazette archives describe the sort of epic adventure that's impossible in today's world. To circumvent the authorities who wished to prevent the fight from being staged, hundreds of sporting gents had to wait and crowd onto a mystery train the morning of the fight, to be transported to an unknown location. Among the luminaries in attendance was the legendary Wild West lawman Bat Masterson. Sullivan would hold the heavyweight crown for a decade before losing to the technically adept Jame J. Corbett in September 1892. Tweet James J. Corbett was a first-generation son of Irish immigrants who was born and raised in San Francisco in an era when the city was a boxing hotbed. He excelled in every sport he attempted as a youth and had the intellectual ability to launch a career as a banker in his early 20s. But "Gentleman Jim" found his true destiny when he began taking boxing lessons at San Francisco's famed Olympic Club. In short order he became the club's heavyweight champion.

The Olympic Club was supported by wealthy boxing aficionados, and its championship carried a nice cash prize. In the boxing world of the time, to win the Olympic Club championship made a fighter a legitimate challenger for the world title. Corbett challenged the legendary John L. Sullivan for his title in September 1892. Few observers gave the 26-year-old challenger much chance against Sullivan, who outweighed him by 34 pounds, according to Nat Fleischer's The Heavyweight Championship. But Corbett unveiled a tactically brilliant skill set. He used speed and angles to outmaneuver Sullivan before knocking him out in Round 21. He would hold the belt for five years before dropping it to Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897. Tweet For the first decade of the 20th century, there are two solid contenders for greatest heavyweight: Jim Jeffries and history's first African-American champion, Jack Johnson. Jeffries was a gigantic bear of a man and extremely athletic. He was mentored by James J. Corbett and served as his sparring partner.

In 1899, he knocked out Bob Fitzsimmons to win the crown and held it until 1904 when he retired undefeated for lack of a worthy opponent. In Jeffries' wake, Tommy Burns emerged as the next recognized champ and held the belt for a number of years. But all through the decade, Jack Johnson was traveling the country and building his reputation as a first-rate heavyweight. In December 1908, Johnson faced Burns in Australia and not only beat him but utterly humiliated him, verbally taunting him for 14 rounds, cutting him to ribbons and swelling his face before finally knocking him out. In Nat Fleischer's The Heavyweight Championship, Johnson is described as offering Burns free punches and telling him, "Poor Tommy, who told you you were fighter?" Johnson's ascendancy to the crown created panic in the racist America of the day, and he seemed to revel in provoking it. He flaunted his wealth and married a white woman in an era when such unions were illegal in much of the United States. In 1910, James Jeffries was convinced to come out of retirement to face Johnson after being inactive for nearly six years.

In what was then the biggest fight in history, Johnson knocked out the former champ in 15 rounds in Reno, Nevada. Tweet Jack Johnson was officially the heavyweight champion for the first half of this decade, but he fought infrequently and faced a substandard level of competition. Racist authorities in the United States tried to use the Mann Act to legally harass the champion, which forced him to flee abroad. He finally dropped the belt to Jeff Willard in 1915 in a fight he later claimed to have thrown, though eyewitnesses like boxing historian Nat Fleischer have expressed doubts about the claim. Either way, Willard was definitely not the top heavyweight of the decade. In terms of talent and resume, the four best heavyweights of this decade were all African-Americans who were never given the opportunity to fight for the heavyweight belt: Joe Jeannette, Sam McVea, Harry Wills and Sam Langford. Jeannette and McVea fought perhaps the greatest bout in history in Paris, France in 1909, a 48-round war that featured 38 knockdowns, according to Fleischer in his Illustrated History of Boxing .

Jack Johnson avoided all four of these men, so they spent the second decade of the 20th century fighting each other repeatedly. By the end of the decade, the youngest of the bunch, Wills, had established himself as the best of the group. He would go on to be among the top three heavyweights of the 1920s as well. But for the decade as a whole, the honors should fall to Langford. Standing under 5'8" tall, he fought from lightweight all the way up to heavyweight during his legendary career. His was a technical master with unreal punching power. He would have to be ranked as among the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in history and one of the best fighters to never win a world title. Tweet Jack Dempsey was not only the top heavyweight of the 1920s, he was also the top sports star of the decade, with the possible exceptions of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. "The Manassa Mauler," with his thrilling, whirlwind style of attack, emerged as the perfect icon of the Roaring 20s. The prosperity of post-World War I America combined with breakthroughs in technology like radio to establish a golden era of professional sports.

Throughout the decade, Dempsey would consistently set records for attendance and gate receipts at his fights. He captured the title from Jess Willard in 1919, demolishing the much larger man in a fight that rivals George Foreman's destruction of Joe Frazier for the most dominant win in heavyweight championship history. Dempsey would hold the belt for seven years until dropping back-to-back decisions against Gene Tunney in 1926 and 1927. Tweet Gene Tunney retired as world champion in 1929. For the first part of the 1930s, the heavyweight crown fell into relative obscurity, as it was held by a series of worthy but lesser champions. In July 1930, German Max Schmeling won the vacant title from Jack Sharkey on a foul, which has to rank among the low points in the storied history of the division. Sharkey won a rematch by decision in June 1932. He dropped the belt to the gigantic but technically primitive Primo Carnera in June 1933, in a fight that many boxing historians view as a possible dive.

In The Heavyweight Championship, Nat Fleischer also notes that Sharkey's corner at the time claimed Carnera had a foreign object hidden in his glove. Carnera was knocked out in 11 rounds by Max Baer in June 1934. In June 1935, "Cinderella Man" James Braddock scored one of the biggest upsets in boxing history to capture the belt from Baer by decision. Meanwhile, Joe Louis had emerged as the most exciting knockout puncher since Jack Dempsey. But a generation had passed since Jack Johnson, and no African-American had been allowed to challenge for the crown. Still, Louis' worthiness could not be denied. In 1935, he knocked out Carnera and Baer. In June 1936, he suffered the first setback of his career, losing by Round 12 KO to the clever technician, Schmeling. Despite the loss, he was back in the ring two months later, knocking out Sharkey. In June 1937, Louis captured the world title by knocking out Braddock.

In June 1938, with World War II looming, he extracted his revenge against Schmeling, destroying Hitler's favorite boxer in Round 1. In the process, he became a national hero and the first black man ever truly embraced and cheered for by white Americans. Tweet With World War II dominating the first half of the 1940s, boxing took a back burner. Louis defended his belt successfully 13 times between 1940 and 1942, but he then enlisted in the army and spent the war performing traveling exhibitions to entertain his fellow troops. Post-war Louis was a shadow of his earlier self, but he still rates as the best heavyweight of the decade. In December 1947, he won a split decision over future champion Joe Walcott that he probably didn't deserve. But he won the rematch by knockout six months later. In 1949, he retired as champion, although financial troubles would force him to attempt comebacks during the early 1950s. Tweet Rocky Marciano is the only man in boxing history to retire as the undefeated heavyweight champion, compiling a career record of 49-0 with 43 KOs.

His standing among the all-time great heavyweight champions is compromised by his overall quality of competition. But there is no doubt that he deserves to be acknowledged as the greatest heavyweight of the 1950s. "The Brockton Blockbuster" captured the belt in September 1952 with one of the most exciting knockouts in heavyweight history. Trailing badly on the cards against the champion, Joe Walcott, Marciano connected with a sensational overhand right to knock Walcott out. Marciano won the rematch the following May by Round 1 KO. In 1954, he beat former champion Ezzard Charles twice, by decision and Round 8 KO. In September 1955, he climbed off the canvas to knock out the legendary Archie Moore in nine. He retired in 1956, unfortunately just a little too early to face rising challenger Floyd Patterson. Tweet Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, won the Olympic gold medal at light heavyweight in 1960. He turned professional and developed into an exciting prospect in short order. But the early part of this decade was dominated by Sonny Liston, a fearsome bear of a man.

He captured the world title by knocking out Floyd Patterson in one round in 1962. The following year he won the rematch, again by Round 1 KO. The brash young Clay was given little chance when he faced Liston in February 1964. But his speed and movement thoroughly frustrated Liston, who went down by Round 6 TKO. Shortly after winning the title, Clay announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam. He changed his name and became a cultural icon, first to the Black Pride movement and then to the anti-war movement, when he refused induction into the draft during the Vietnam War. Ali in the 1960s became a figure who transcended the sport. But he was also the greatest heavyweight in history. He was a relatively large heavyweight for his era and had the speed of a middleweight. The combination made him nearly untouchable. In March of 1967, Ali was stripped of his belt for his position on the draft. He spent the next four years exiled from the sport. But he still did enough during the decade to be the greatest heavyweight of the 1960s by a wide margin.

Tweet The 1970s were the greatest decade in the history of the heavyweight division. Mere contenders like Jerry Quarry, Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers would have likely been world champions in other decades. Legitimately great champions like George Foreman and Joe Frazier, and later Ken Norton and Larry Holmes, had their moments of glory as well. But once again, this was Ali's decade. He returned from exile in 1971. In March, he lost the first fight of his career to Joe Frazier and had his jaw broken and suffered his second loss to Ken Norton the following year. But he beat both men twice in rematches during the decade. His third and final fight with Joe Frazier in 1975 is considered by many boxing historians to be the greatest fight of all time. In 1974, he became just the second man to reclaim the heavyweight title when he stunned the seemingly invincible George Foreman by Round 8 KO. In 1978, he suffered a shocking upset loss to Leon Spinks but won the rematch later in the year to become the first three-time heavyweight champion in history.

Tweet For the 1980s, there are two clear-cut candidates for this honor: Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson. And for younger fans I want to make clear that picking between them is nowhere near as obvious as it might seem. In my all-time ranking of heavyweight champions, I'd actually place Holmes over Tyson. Tyson destroyed Holmes when they fought, but Holmes was past his prime. But three of Holmes' biggest wins came in the 1970s: his championship victory over Ken Norton and his two wins over Earnie Shavers. He had plenty of big moments during the 1980s, including his Round 13 TKO of the previously unbeaten wrecking machine known as Gerry Cooney, but promotional monkey business prevented him from ever unifying the title. He came within a win of tying Rocky Marciano's 49-0 mark. In my book he passed it, since I view his consecutive losses to Michael Spinks in 1985 and 1986 as blatant robberies. But in the second half of the decade, Tyson exploded onto the scene.

Under the tutelage of Cus D'Amato, he developed into a near-perfect fighter for his compact, athletically explosive frame. Tyson became the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Ali. I rate him along with Ali, Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey and John Sullivan as one of the five champions who had the most impact on popular culture. At the end of the decade, he stood atop the division and looked like he would continue to do so for years to come. When he lost to Buster Douglas in February 1990, it was one of the most shocking upsets in the history of the sport. Tweet The 1990s can't quite match the 1970s for heavyweight talent, but it was a golden era nonetheless. For a brief period, Riddick Bowe looked like an emerging all-time great. Razor Ruddock, Tony Tucker, Oliver McCall and Shannon Briggs were among the very tough contenders on the scene, with McCall and Briggs staying relevant well into this century. Michael Moorer, Tommy Morrison and Ray Mercer were all talented world champions. Mike Tyson spent the first half of the decade in prison on a rape charge.

When he emerged, he was nowhere near the talent he had been as a young man, but he was still an exciting factor on the scene and managed to reclaim a belt. Even 40-somethings George Foreman and Larry Holmes had moments of greatness in the decade. Foreman came from behind to knock out Moorer for the title, and Holmes gave Mercer a boxing lesson he never saw coming. But the decade comes down to two names: Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis. Both men accumulated resumes during the decade that deserve consideration for inclusion among the division's all-time greats. And when they met head-to-head, Lewis was the clearly the better man. They faced off for the first time in March 1999, with the fight ending in a draw. But that was one of the worst decisions of the decade. Lewis deserved to win, and I've never once heard anybody dispute that. When they fought a rematch the following November, Lewis won a clear decision. Tweet This one comes down to a simple question. Which brother do you prefer: Vitali or Wladimir? Younger brother Wladimir has more wins and more world titles. Vitali took a chunk of this century off to recuperate from injuries.

But Wladimir has three losses by knockout on his record. He's been dominant most of the time, but no boxing fan can ever forget the potential vulnerability of his chin. Vitali's only two losses came on a shoulder injury against Chris Byrd in April 2000 and on cuts against Lennox Lewis in June 2003. In both fights, Vitali was winning on the cards. I give Lewis full credit for busting Klitschko up badly enough to stop the fight, but I can't help noticing that he walked away from a lot of money to retire rather than fight a rematch. Vitali has barely lost a round since the Lewis fight. So I have to give him the nod here. And even though they will never fight, I personally believe he could kick his kid brother's butt, if he hadn't promised his mother a long time ago that he never would.

[[Image:Marciano-Moore-1955.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Rocky Marciano]] and [[Archie Moore]] at Yankee Stadium, New York City, 1955]] Marciano had to fight practically since the start of his life in [[Brockton, Massachusetts]]. He contracted pneumonia when he was one year old, and he almost did not survive. But Marciano was a strong baby, and he was able to overcome the infection. His mother's sister gave him lots of hot soup to drink, even forcing him and within days he was better. It was considered a miracle. Marciano was a stocky and well built kid with strong arms as a pre-teen, but he benefited from living next to a park. He used to go to the ''James Edgar Playground'' to play [[baseball]] every day, and he would hit ball after ball and then go pick the balls up. After that, he'd go home to lift some homemade [[weightlifting]] equipment. Rocky at the time used a stuffed mail bag that hung from a tree in his back yard as a [[punching bag]].

He and his friends would punch the bag, and if it was hot, they would race for a drink of water at a local soda fountain. Because it was widely known that Rocky had an interest in boxing, he got involved in street fights as a teenager more than the average kid and became known as the "tough Italian kid." But Rocky wanted to be a baseball player, not a boxer, so he also became famous for his potential as a possible major league star. Rocky liked to gamble at an early age, together with Alie Colombo and other friends he was able to win few dollars, but never had much success at it. ==School years== When Rocky was fifteen, he entered ''Brockton High School'' and made the [[American football|football]] team. Legend has it that center Rocky once intercepted a pass and ran 60 yards with the ball to score a touchdown. He also made the school's baseball team as a catcher, but was told he was slow and moved to right field. Shortly after, Rocky joined a church league, violating a school rule that players could not join other teams.

Cut from his school's team, Rocky felt frustrated and started cutting class and later on, dropped out completely, after finishing his 10th grade. ==Boxing career== Rocky had been urged by a teacher to attend a vocational center in Brockton, and realized he had few working skills. Rocky found work as a chute man on delivery trucks for the Brockton Ice and Coal Company. Later Rocky's father was able to get him a job as a shoe salesman. When Rocky was 20, he was called up by the [[United States Army]] to serve in [[England]]. However, [[World War II]] was drawing to an end, and Rocky was flown back to the States. ===Amateur circuit=== While awaiting discharge from the army, Rocky decided to take part in an amateur boxing competition, where he represented the Army and won. Upon being given a month's furlough from the Army, Rocky went back home and bragged about his newly found talent to his family and friends. It was his uncle who told him about a boxer who was looking for an opponent, and that maybe Rocky fitted the bill. The boxer was [[Henry Lester]], (real name Hendrik van Leesten) a [[Golden Gloves]] champion.

Rocky did not seem to care that his opponent was an award-winning amateur and took on Lester. Rocky was lucky it wasn't an official bout because, according to people present, he was on his way to defeat when somone in the crowd shouted "If you can't hit him, Rock, kick him!", which he did, striking Lester in the lower abdomen, and was disqualified. Some say he hit him in the stomach with his knee. Rocky was so embarrassed by this fight and the newspapers' accounts of it that, when he went back to the military facilities, he started concentrating solely on his boxing training. His next big opportunity was the national [[Amateur Athletic Union|AAU]] championships. Rocky won his first two bouts by knockouts in the first round, but by the third bout, his knuckles were damaged, and he lost by decision for the championship. His hand later required surgery because of the injuries, and the doctor who performed the surgery, a [[Japan|Japanese]] friend of his, told him he would "never make it as a Heavyweight." By then Rocky was playing semi-pro baseball, and he was signed by the [[Chicago Cubs]] to a minor league contract.

But, while playing on a minor league team, he heard his coach say that none of the players on his team would ever make it to the big leagues. Rocky took this personally and soon returned to Brockton, where he felt dejected by the whole baseball system and started training with his sights set on becoming a professional boxer. There, longtime friend Allie Colombo became his trainer and put Rocky on a very strong training regimen. On [[March 17]], [[1947]], Rocky finally stepped into the ring as a professional competitor for the first time. That night, he beat [[Lee Epperson]] by a [[knockout]] in three rounds. He won all his first sixteen bouts by knockout, all but one before the fourth round, and nine before the first round was over. On [[May 23]], [[1949]], [[Don Mogard]] became the first boxer to last the distance with ''The Rock'', but Rocky won by decision. Early in his career, he changed the spelling of his last name. The ring announcer in Providence, Rhode Island could not pronounce Marchegiano, his handler said to call him Marciano.

They wanted a non-italian name, but Rocky did it his way. He won three more by knockout, and then he met [[Ted Lowry]], who, according to many scribes and witnesses, probably managed to take three or four of the ten rounds away from Rocky. Nevertheless, Rocky kept his winning streak alive by beating Lowry by decision. Rocky fought Lowry twice and both times bouts lasted 10 rounds. Four more knockout wins followed, and then another hard-fought ten-round decision victory, over his future world title challenger [[Roland LaStarza]]. He won three more knockouts in a row before a rematch with Lowry. Marciano again won, by unanimous decision. After that, he won four more by knockout and, after a win in six over [[Red Applegate]], he was showcased on national TV for the first time, when he knocked out [[Rex Layne]] in six rounds on [[July 12]], [[1951]]. One more win, and he was again on national TV, this time against [[Joe Louis]]. In Louis' last career bout, Marciano won by a knockout in the eighth round. Louis had always been a hero to Rocky.

He said one of his fondest memories as a youth was listening to Louis's bouts on the radio. He felt so bad having knocked out his idol that he broke down and felt deeply sorry in his dressing room after the fight wondering why was he the one to stop Louis. Some time later, Louis said that he doubts he would have beaten Marciano even if he was younger. After that series of wins, Marciano was a ranked Heavyweight. After four more wins, including victories over [[Lee Savold]] and [[Harry Matthews]], Marciano faced world Heavyweight champion [[Jersey Joe Walcott]] in [[Philadelphia]] on [[September 23]], [[1952]]. After being dropped in round one, Marciano got up and knocked Walcott out in the thirteenth round, becoming the World's Heavyweight Champion. A rematch was fought one year later and, in Marciano's first title defense, he retained the title with a first-round knockout of Walcott. Next, it was LaStarza's turn to challenge Marciano, and after building a small lead on the judges' scorecards all the way to the middle rounds, LaStarza was knocked out in eleven by the champion.

Then came former world Heavyweight champion [[Ezzard Charles]], whom Marciano beat by a decision in their first bout. Ezzard Charles was the only man to ever last fifteen rounds against Marciano and the champ later praised him as one of the toughest men he ever fought in his life. After having his nose split in round six of the rematch, Marciano retained the title with an eighth-round knockout win. Then Marciano met [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[European]] champion [[Don Cocknell]], beat him in nine rounds, and in his last bout, Marciano got up off the canvas in round two to retain his title by a knockout in nine against the equally-legendary Light-Heavyweight Champion of the World, [[Archie Moore]]. Rocky was named fighter of the year in 1952 and 1954 by Ring Magazine. Marciano managed his money well after his retirement, but many of his deals went poorly and he gave money to people who never paid back. He always accepted an excuse why he was not getting his money back, he was loyal to his friends, but at times he could have been very rude and demanding if somebody took away even one dollar without his permission.

He lived a comfortable life the rest of his days. He hosted a weekly boxing show on TV for one year, and lived in a mansion. Rocky hated the fact Weill was screwing him out of his purse and that the main reason he retired relatively early. Marciano was known for being very kind and generous with friends and charitable causes. He never forgot his poor background and maintained a fierce pride in his Italian ancestry. After retiring from boxing, Marciano became for a brief period of time a trouble-shooting referee in [[professional wrestling]]. However, that was only for a few bouts, Rocky continued as a referee and boxing commentator in boxing matches until his death. He was a guest referee many times. In [[1969]], Rocky was a passenger in a small private plane, a Cessna 172H, headed to [[Des Moines]], [[Iowa]]. It was at night and bad weather set in. The pilot tried to set the plane down at a small airfield outside [[Newton, Iowa]], but hit a tree two miles short of the runway. Rocky Marciano, the pilot, and another passenger were killed on impact.

Rocky was on his way to make a speech for his friend's son, he hoped to return early morning for his birthday celebration with his wife. He left no will. January 2 is celebrated as [[Rocky Day]]. ==Legacy== Rocky had a professional record of 49-0 with 43 knockout wins. Some say he was 50-0, (with 44 knockouts) but that bout can not be proven as professional, yet. He should have fought [[Nino Valdes]] in his last fight on January 2 1956 (or at a later date, originally scheduled for June in 1956) but Nino lost too many fights to be considered a serious challenger. However, Nino was a tough boxer. On December 7th 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, Nino fought [[Bob Baker]] for the right to battle Marciano. Baker won, but both parties fought poorly and thus they both eliminated themselves as top contenders. [[Floyd Patterson]] was 1-2 years away and Rocky had no intention of waiting. Floyd wanted to fight for light-heavyweight championship first, before taking on Rocky and before being considered a serious contender.

[[Tommy Hurricane Jackson]] was another contender for Rocky but again, nobody was really interested. While his records as the Heavyweight champion is the longest undefeated streak and his position as the only world Heavyweight champion to go undefeated through his whole career were challenged by [[Larry Holmes]] in [[1985]] (when Holmes went 48-0 before losing to [[Michael Spinks]] twice) and in 2004 by [[Dariusz Michalczewski]], a Polish Light Heavyweight who has fought almost exclusively in Europe against European competition. Marciano's record still stands. After Holmes lost to Spinks, exactly to the day when Rocky fought his last bout, 30 years before; Holmes caused some controversy by making some comments about Marciano, namely that "Rocky Marciano couldn't carry my jock strap," but he later apologized. Rocky was only knocked down to the canvas twice - for a total of five seconds of counting - in his entire professional career. On both occasions he returned to KO his opponent. Only [[Gene Tunney]] and George Chuvalo were knocked down fewer times.

Tunney was knocked down once for a nine count - in the famous [[The Long Count Fight|Long Count Fight]] against Jack Dempsey. Marciano was the subject of a [[1999]] biographical television film, which his family does not accept as authentic. Also, in the movie ''[[Rocky]]'', the ''Rocky Balboa'' character told his trainer ''Mickey'' that Marciano was his favorite boxer. Marciano has also been the subject of several paintings, and he is on a [[USPS|US postage]] stamp commemorating his life. Marciano, like rivals Louis, Walcott and Moore, is a member of the [[International Boxing Hall Of Fame]]. Other awards which Marciano won included the [[Hickok Belt]] for top professional athlete of the year [[1952]]. Numerous books have been written about Marciano, including [[Everett M. Skehan]]'s ''Rocky Marciano, Biography of a First Son,'' whose cover appears at the top of this page. [[Ring Magazine]] numbered Marciano at number fourteen in its list of ''The 100 Greatest Punchers of All Time'', released in [[2003]].

Rocky Marciano is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]]. His wife died five years later and is buried next to him. His father died in 1973 at the age of 79, but mother continued to live for few more years. His trainer and friend Alie Colombo was crushed by a truck (at work) on Jan 6, 1969. Former manager [[Al Weill]] died on October 20, 1969 in a homeless institution, broke. Rocky's trainer and the man who molded him into the Heavyweight Champion, Charley Goldman, died on November 11, 1968. Within 10 short months, the golden age of boxing was gone. ==External links== Marciano tour to cover 2 continents] [ Rocky back from World Tour] *{{imdb title | id=0183718 | title=Rocky Marciano}} *[ ROCKY MARCIANO 50-0 OR 49-0 !!!

Wikipedia Revision as of 20:45, 4 February 2006 Rocco Francis Marchegiano, better known as Rocky Marciano, (September 1, 1923 � August 31, 1969), was an Italian-American boxer. He was the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion from September 23, 1952 to November 30, 1956. Because he is the only champion of any weight class to retire undefeated and without any draws, there are some who consider him to be the greatest boxer of all time. The closest anyone has come to matching this accomplishment is Ricardo Lopez who retired undefeated in 2001 from the Minimum (Fly) Weight division at 51-0-1. Image:Marciano-Moore-1955.jpg Rocky Marciano and Archie Moore at Yankee Stadium, New York City, 1955Contents [hide] 1 Early childhood 6 Legacy Early childhood Marciano had to fight practically since the start of his life in Brockton, Massachusetts. He contracted pneumonia when he was one year old, and he almost did not survive.

But Marciano was a strong baby, and he was able to overcome the infection. His mother's sister gave him lots of hot soup to drink, even forcing him and within days he was better. It was considered a miracle. Marciano was a stocky and well built kid with strong arms as a pre-teen, but he benefited from living next to a park. He used to go to the James Edgar Playground to play baseball every day, and he would hit ball after ball and then go pick the balls up. After that, he'd go home to lift some homemade weightlifting equipment. Rocky at the time used a stuffed mail bag that hung from a tree in his back yard as a punching bag. He and his friends would punch the bag, and if it was hot, they would race for a drink of water at a local soda fountain. Teenage years Because it was widely known that Rocky had an interest in boxing, he got involved in street fights as a teenager more than the average kid and became known as the "tough Italian kid." But Rocky wanted to be a baseball player, not a boxer, so he also became famous for his potential as a possible major league star.

Rocky liked to gamble at an early age, together with Alie Colombo and other friends he was able to win few dollars, but never had much success at it. School years When Rocky was fifteen, he entered Brockton High School and made the football team. Legend has it that center Rocky once intercepted a pass and ran 60 yards with the ball to score a touchdown. He also made the school's baseball team as a catcher, but was told he was slow and moved to right field. Shortly after, Rocky joined a church league, violating a school rule that players could not join other teams. Cut from his school's team, Rocky felt frustrated and started cutting class and later on, dropped out completely, after finishing his 10th grade. Boxing career Rocky had been urged by a teacher to attend a vocational center in Brockton, and realized he had few working skills. Rocky found work as a chute man on delivery trucks for the Brockton Ice and Coal Company. Later Rocky's father was able to get him a job as a shoe salesman. When Rocky was 20, he was called up by the United States Army to serve in England.

However, World War II was drawing to an end, and Rocky was flown back to the States. Amateur circuit While awaiting discharge from the army, Rocky decided to take part in an amateur boxing competition, where he represented the Army and won. Upon being given a month's furlough from the Army, Rocky went back home and bragged about his newly found talent to his family and friends. It was his uncle who told him about a boxer who was looking for an opponent, and that maybe Rocky fitted the bill. The boxer was Henry Lester, (real name Hendrik van Leesten) a Golden Gloves champion. Rocky did not seem to care that his opponent was an award-winning amateur and took on Lester. Rocky was lucky it wasn't an official bout because, according to people present, he was on his way to defeat when somone in the crowd shouted "If you can't hit him, Rock, kick him!", which he did, striking Lester in the lower abdomen, and was disqualified. Some say he hit him in the stomach with his knee. Rocky was so embarrassed by this fight and the newspapers' accounts of it that, when he went back to the military facilities, he started concentrating solely on his boxing training.

His next big opportunity was the national AAU championships. Rocky won his first two bouts by knockouts in the first round, but by the third bout, his knuckles were damaged, and he lost by decision for the championship. His hand later required surgery because of the injuries, and the doctor who performed the surgery, a Japanese friend of his, told him he would "never make it as a Heavyweight." By then Rocky was playing semi-pro baseball, and he was signed by the Chicago Cubs to a minor league contract. But, while playing on a minor league team, he heard his coach say that none of the players on his team would ever make it to the big leagues. Rocky took this personally and soon returned to Brockton, where he felt dejected by the whole baseball system and started training with his sights set on becoming a professional boxer. There, longtime friend Allie Colombo became his trainer and put Rocky on a very strong training regimen. Professional career On March 17, 1947, Rocky finally stepped into the ring as a professional competitor for the first time. That night, he beat Lee Epperson by a knockout in three rounds.

He won all his first sixteen bouts by knockout, all but one before the fourth round, and nine before the first round was over. On May 23, 1949, Don Mogard became the first boxer to last the distance with The Rock, but Rocky won by decision. Early in his career, he changed the spelling of his last name. The ring announcer in Providence, Rhode Island could not pronounce Marchegiano, his handler said to call him Marciano. They wanted a non-italian name, but Rocky did it his way. He won three more by knockout, and then he met Ted Lowry, who, according to many scribes and witnesses, probably managed to take three or four of the ten rounds away from Rocky. Nevertheless, Rocky kept his winning streak alive by beating Lowry by decision. Rocky fought Lowry twice and both times bouts lasted 10 rounds. Four more knockout wins followed, and then another hard-fought ten-round decision victory, over his future world title challenger Roland LaStarza. He won three more knockouts in a row before a rematch with Lowry. Marciano again won, by unanimous decision.

After that, he won four more by knockout and, after a win in six over Red Applegate, he was showcased on national TV for the first time, when he knocked out Rex Layne in six rounds on July 12, 1951. One more win, and he was again on national TV, this time against Joe Louis. In Louis' last career bout, Marciano won by a knockout in the eighth round. Louis had always been a hero to Rocky. He said one of his fondest memories as a youth was listening to Louis's bouts on the radio. He felt so bad having knocked out his idol that he broke down and felt deeply sorry in his dressing room after the fight wondering why was he the one to stop Louis. Some time later LOUIS REVEALED THAT EVEN IF HE WAS YOUNGER, HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BEAT ROCKY. Louis was a little old at 37, but he won 11 of his previous fights before facing Rocky. After that series of wins, Marciano was a ranked Heavyweight.

After four more wins, including victories over Lee Savold and Harry Matthews, Marciano faced world Heavyweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott in Philadelphia on September 23, 1952. After being dropped in round one, Marciano got up and knocked Walcott out in the thirteenth round, becoming the World's Heavyweight Champion. A rematch was fought one year later and, in Marciano's first title defense, he retained the title with a first-round knockout of Walcott. Next, it was LaStarza's turn to challenge Marciano, and after building a small lead on the judges' scorecards all the way to the middle rounds, LaStarza was knocked out in eleven by the champion. Then came former world Heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles, whom Marciano beat by a decision in their first bout. Ezzard Charles was the only man to ever last fifteen rounds against Marciano and the champ later praised him as one of the toughest men he ever fought in his life. After having his nose split in round six of the rematch, Marciano retained the title with an eighth-round knockout win.

Then Marciano met British and European champion Don Cocknell, beat him in nine rounds, and in his last bout, Marciano got up off the canvas in round two to retain his title by a knockout in nine against the equally-legendary Light-Heavyweight Champion of the World, Archie Moore. Rocky was named fighter of the year in 1952 and 1954 by Ring Magazine. After boxing Marciano managed his money well after his retirement, but many of his deals went poorly and he gave money to people who never paid back. He always accepted an excuse why he was not getting his money back, he was loyal to his friends, but at times he could have been very rude and demanding if somebody took away even one dollar without his permission. He lived a comfortable life the rest of his days. He hosted a weekly boxing show on TV for one year, and lived in a mansion. Rocky hated the fact Weill was screwing him out of his purse and that the main reason he retired relatively early. Marciano was known for being very kind and generous with friends and charitable causes. He never forgot his poor background and maintained a fierce pride in his Italian ancestry.

After retiring from boxing, Marciano became for a brief period of time a trouble-shooting referee in professional wrestling. However, that was only for a few bouts, Rocky continued as a referee and boxing commentator in boxing matches until his death. He was a guest referee many times. In 1969, Rocky was a passenger in a small private plane, a Cessna 172H, headed to Des Moines, Iowa. It was at night and bad weather set in. The pilot tried to set the plane down at a small airfield outside Newton, Iowa, but hit a tree two miles short of the runway. Rocky Marciano, the pilot, and another passenger were killed on impact. Rocky was on his way to make a speech for his friend's son, he hoped to return early morning for his birthday celebration with his wife. He left no will. January 2 is celebrated as Rocky Day. Legacy Rocky had a professional record of 49-0 with 43 knockout wins. Some say he was 50-0, (with 44 knockouts) but that bout can not be proven as professional, yet.

He should have fought Nino Valdes in his last fight on January 2 1956 (or at a later date, originally scheduled for June in 1956) but Nino lost too many fights to be considered a serious challenger. However, Nino was a tough boxer. On December 7th 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, Nino fought Bob Baker for the right to battle Marciano. Baker won, but both parties fought poorly and thus they both eliminated themselves as top contenders. Floyd Patterson was 1-2 years away and Rocky had no intention of waiting. Floyd wanted to fight for light-heavyweight championship first, before taking on Rocky and before being considered a serious contender. Tommy Hurricane Jackson was another contender for Rocky but again, nobody was really interested.

While his records as the Heavyweight champion is the longest undefeated streak and his position as the only world Heavyweight champion to go undefeated through his whole career were challenged by Larry Holmes in 1985 (when Holmes went 48-0 before losing to Michael Spinks twice) and in 2004 by Dariusz Michalczewski, a Polish Light Heavyweight who has fought almost exclusively in Europe against European competition. Marciano's record still stands. After Holmes lost to Spinks, exactly to the day when Rocky fought his last bout, 30 years before; Holmes caused some controversy by making some comments about Marciano, namely that "Rocky Marciano couldn't carry my jock strap," but he later apologized. Rocky was only knocked down to the canvas twice - for a total of five seconds of counting - in his entire professional career. On both occasions he returned to KO his opponent. Only Gene Tunney and George Chuvalo were knocked down fewer times. Tunney was knocked down once for a nine count - in the famous Long Count Fight against Jack Dempsey. Marciano was the subject of a 1999 biographical television film, which his family does not accept as authentic.

Also, in the movie Rocky, the Rocky Balboa character told his trainer Mickey that Marciano was his favorite boxer. Marciano has also been the subject of several paintings, and he is on a US postage stamp commemorating his life. Marciano, like rivals Louis, Walcott and Moore, is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. Other awards which Marciano won included the Hickok Belt for top professional athlete of the year 1952. Numerous books have been written about Marciano, including Everett M. Skehan's Rocky Marciano, Biography of a First Son, whose cover appears at the top of this page. Ring Magazine numbered Marciano at number fourteen in its list of The 100 Greatest Punchers of All Time, released in 2003. Rocky Marciano is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His wife died five years later and is buried next to him. His father died in 1973 at the age of 79, but mother continued to live for few more years. His trainer and friend Alie Colombo was crushed by a truck (at work) on Jan 6, 1969.

Former manager Al Weill died on October 20, 1969 in a homeless institution, broke. Rocky's trainer and the man who molded him into the Heavyweight Champion, Charley Goldman, died on November 11, 1968. Within 10 short months, the golden age of boxing was gone. WELCOME TO WIKIPEDIA ROCKY MARCIANO ORIGINAL BIOGRAPHY, THE VANDALS LIKE CURBS, MILO, REXNL, HEROSTRATUS AND WIKI OWNER HIMSELF, WHO ARE BUNCH OF AHOLES, REVERTED THIS BIOGRAPHY, NOW HERE, NOBODY WILL EVER BE ABLE TO TOUCH IT, IF YOU WERE LOOKING FOR ROCKY BIOGRPHY AND THE ENGINE BROUGHT YOU HERE, YOU ARE AT THE RIGHT PLACE, THIS IS THE LAST AND TRUE BIOGRAPHY OF ROCKY AS IT WAS POSTED ON LOUSY AND PATHETIC WIKIPEDIA ON FEB 3 2006.

I ALSO STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU NEVER USE WIKIPEDIA, IT HAS TERRIBLE DATES, THEY WILL REVERT YOUR POSTING AND IF YOU NEED IT FOR YOUR PROJECT, YOU ARE CERTAIN TO HAVE WRONG DATES OF ALMOST ANY INDIVIDUAL, STAY AWAY FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. - THIS PAGE HAS BEEN CREATED BY WIKIPEDIA JUST CRITIC! DUE TO VANDALISM ON WIKIPEDIA, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO VANDALS HEROSTRATUS AND CURPS, ESPECIALLY YOU TWO, YOU CAN THANK YOURSELFES FOR CREATING THIS SITE... THEN OF COURSE TO THE PATHETIC VANDAL OWNER JIMMY WALES, REXNL, ZOE AND FEW OTHERS WHO HAVE NO BRAIN WHEN IT COMES TO GIVINGING OBJECTIVITY AND JUSTICE ON WIKIPEDIA... DO NOT SUPPORT WIKIPEDIA, DONT SPEND MONEY, THAT SITE HAS NOTHING TO OFFER AND BIRTH AND DEATH DATES ARE MANY TIMES INCORRECT..

For example Chopin, instaed of putting February 22 in parenthesis, they only put March 1st, we all know that on his birth and bapitsmal certificate says Feb 22 and that is legal document, nothing else matters, so what do the subjective scum from wikipedia do ? They keep March 1st, of course there are many, many other examples to their crimes... DONT EVER TRUST THE DATES ON WIKIPEDIA !!! THIS IS THE CORRECT BIO WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY ON WIKIPEDIA, BUT VANDALS TOOK IT DOWN AND CHANGED IT !!! WIKI IS NOT FREE, SLAVE MASTERS RUN IT!!! Background Music: Rocky Movie GOT A PROBLEM WITH THIS BIO, IF SO, SCREW YOU AND GET LOST !!! ROCKY RULES !!! THE TRUE ANTI WIKIPEDIA BIOGRAPHY (MORE WIKI BASHING SITES TO COME SOON) JUSTICE AND TRUTH MUST BE PROTECTED! CLICK ON THE SHADOW, FOR ROCKY DAY INFO...

Rocky Marciano retires as world heavyweight champion - Apr 27, 1956 - HISTORY.com Rocky Marciano retires as world heavyweight champion Share this: Rocky Marciano retires as world heavyweight champion Author Rocky Marciano retires as world heavyweight champion URL Publisher A+E Networks On April 27, 1956, world heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano retires from boxing at age 31, saying he wants to spend more time with his family. Marciano ended his career as the only heavyweight champion with a perfect record–49 wins in 49 professional bouts, with 43 knockouts. Rocco Francis Marchegiano was born into a working-class family in Brockton, Massachusetts, on September 1, 1923. After being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943, he reportedly began boxing as a way to get out of kitchen duty and other less-than-desirable jobs. Marciano finished his military service in 1946 and continued to box as an amateur. He tried out for the Chicago Cubs, but his dream of becoming a pro baseball player ended when he was soon cut from the team.

He returned to boxing and fought his first professional match on March 17, 1947, defeating Lee Epperson in a third-round knockout. Marciano went on to win his next 15 matches by knockout. He became known as a tough fighter and powerful puncher, but he was criticized for his awkward style, which some though lacked finesse. On October 26, 1951, Marciano signaled to the boxing world that he was a contender when he faced former heavyweight champ Joe Louis and knocked him out in the eighth round. Marciano captured the heavyweight crown in Philadelphia on September 23, 1952, when he scored a knockout against defending champ Jersey Joe Walcott in the 13th round. Marciano faced Walcott again in Chicago on May 15, 1953, and defeated him in a first-round knockout. Marciano, nicknamed the “Brockton Blockbuster,” would successfully defend his title five more times, with his last professional bout, against Archie Moore in New York on September 21, 1955, ending in a ninth-round KO.

On April 27, 1956, Marciano announced his retirement from boxing and said he had no plans to return to the ring for a comeback. Marciano died in a small-plane crash in Iowa on August 31, 1969. Related Videos 1000+ images about 107. Retired Undefeated on Pinterest | Madison square garden, Magic johnson and Italian man Ex-heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey, right, strikes a familiar pose with heavyweight Rocky Marciano during visit to Rocky's training camp at Grossinger in New York on Sept. 9, 1952. (AP Photo) See More 1000+ images about Rocky Marciano on Pinterest | Madison square garden, Sports illustrated and Rocky graziano Rocky Marciano, Sports Illustrated magazine cover, September 19, 1955. Photo by: Hy Peskin ...published 3 days before the day I was born.

See More Happy Birthday, Rocky Marciano, Undefeated Heavyweight Boxing Champion Happy Birthday, Rocky Marciano, Undefeated Heavyweight Boxing Champion September 01, 2010 by findingDulcinea Staff Boxer Rocky Marciano is legendary for being the only heavyweight champion in history to win every single one of his 49 professional fights, with 43 knockouts. He is remembered for his ferocity as a boxer, and conversely, for his mild manner and congeniality outside the ring. Rocky Marciano's Early Days Rocco Francis Marchegiano was born on Sept. 1, 1923 , in Brockton, Mass., to a working-class Italian-American family. Described as a “typical American kid,” Marciano loved to play baseball and football, and had dreamt of a career playing sports professionally. During Marciano’s teenage years, he dedicated a large portion of his time to physical conditioning . He spent long hours competing in sports such as baseball, and would then come home to a workout of chin-ups, weightlifting and punching a stuffed mail sack in his backyard. His ferocity as an athlete surfaced in several neighborhood scuffles, and he developed a neighborhood reputation for toughness.

The reputation that Rocky developed served him well during his army stint in World War II. While stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington State, Rocky began amateur fighting and immediately saw his potential. East Side Boxing: Thirty Fifth Anniversary Of The Death Of Rocky Marciano After failing a tryout for the Chicago Cubs, Marciano dedicated himself to a career in boxing. In 1947, he entered the ring professionally and eventually achieved 49 straight victories—earning most of these wins by knocking out his opponent in the ring. In September 1952, the “Rock” squared off against Jersey Joe Walcott , the heavyweight champion of the world. In an interview before the fight, Walcott said: “This kid can’t fight. If I don’t whip him, take my name out of the record books.” After a grueling 13 rounds, Marciano delivered a powerful right punch that knocked Jersey Joe out cold. Rocky defended his title as heavyweight champion of the world six times before his retirement in 1956. Marciano became known around the country for his calm and congenial demeanor. Even after getting beaten down by him, his opponents in the ring could not resist Marciano’s friendly attitude.

In contrast to contemporary fighters, Rocky often became friends with men he had knocked out in fights , and the champion never uttered any disparaging words against his opponents. The Rest of the Story Marciano retired from boxing at the age of 31, while he was still in his prime. He believed it was a mistake when other popular boxers tried to make comebacks and failed. He wanted to put the ring behind him and more spend time with his family. Some believe money was also a factor in his decision: his manager took at least half of his winnings. After Marciano retired, he made money from speaking engagements and other public relations opportunities. He remembered his father’s shoemaker business, and the difficult life he had growing up in Brockton without much money, which inspired Marciano to work as hard as he could, and live as frugally as possible. It was this drive that led him to board a plane on Aug. 31, 1969, to attend a speaking engagement in Des Moines, Iowa. Returning home to Florida on his friend’s private jet, bad weather forced the inexperienced pilot to make a premature landing; the resulting crash killed Marciano and everyone else on board .

Marciano died just hours before his 46th birthday. He is remembered as one of the world’s best boxers; no other heavyweight champion has ever retired undefeated. Fascinating heavyweight facts - SuperSport - Boxing Fascinating heavyweight facts Tweet The world heavyweight championship remains boxing's richest prize and is, indeed, still regarded as the ultimate crown in sport. Heavyweight boxing has a fascinating history of its own; a culture rich in everything sport can offer, including enough facts and statistics to fill many books. Here are a number of things that boxings fans should know about the sport's premier league, the heavyweight championship. The first world heavyweight title fight in which gloves were used was between John L Sullivan and James J Corbett. It took place at the Olympic Club in New Orleans on September 7, 1892. Corbett won on a knockout in the 21st round. The referee was Professor John Duffy. Corbett was the first man who tried to regain the title after he had lost it. He made his first attempt on May 11, 1900 when Jim Jeffries knocked him out in the 23rd round.

He made another attempt on August 14, 1903 but was stopped in ten rounds by Jeffries. Light heavyweight champions “Philadelphia” Jack O’Brien, Georges Carpentier, Tommy Loughran, John Henry Lewis, Billy Conn, Gus Lesnevich, Joey Maxim, Archie Moore and Bob Foster all failed in bids to win the heavyweight title before. The first light heavyweight to win a heavyweight belt was Michael Spinks who beat Larry Holmes on September 21, 1985 to win the IBF title. Jersey Joe Walcott was the oldest man to win an undisputed heavyweight title. He knocked out Ezzard Charles in the seventh round in Pittsburgh on July 18, 1951 when he was 37 years old. George Foreman was two months short of his 47th birthday when he knocked out Michael Moorer in the tenth round in Las Vegas on November 5, 1994 to win the WBA and IBF belts. Joe Louis holds the records for the longest reign and making the most defences.

He won the title on June 22, 1937 and retired undefeated on March 1, 1949 after 25 successful defences. Louis had been champion for 11 years and eight months. Tommy Burns claimed the quickest knockout in a world heavyweight championship fight. He knocked out Jem Roche in one minute 28 seconds in Dublin on March 17, 1908. However, Muhammad Ali also has a claim to the record. He beat Sonny Liston in the first round in Lewiston Maine on May 25, 1965. It was said fight was over after 60 seconds, but the official time was recorded as 2 minutes 12 seconds. The record for most knockdowns in one round of a heavyweight title bout stands at nine. It happened on September 14, 1923 in a fight between Jack Dempsey and Luis Firpo. Dempsey was down twice and Firpo down seven times. Pete Rademacher was the only man to challenge for the title on his professional debut. Floyd Patterson knocked him out in the sixth round in Seattle on August 22, 1957.

The first heavyweight championship to be held in Africa was between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. It took place in Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, 1974. Ali won on a knockout in the eighth round to be become the second man to regain the title. The first was Floyd Patterson. The largest official paid attendance at a world heavyweight title fight was 120 757. It was set on September 23, 1926 for the first bout between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney at the Sesquicentennial Stadium in Philadelphia. The first world heavyweight championship fight to be televised was between Joe Louis and Jersey Joe Walcott. It took place on December 5, 1947 at Madison Square Garden, New York. Louis won on a split decision. The first woman to officially judge a world heavyweight title bout was Eva Shain. She was one of the judges for the fight between Muhammad Ali and Earnie Shavers at Madison Square Garden on September 29, 1977. Muhammad Ali was involved when the record for the smallest attendance for a world heavyweight title fight was set.

It was for his second fight against Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine on May 25, 1965. Only 2 434 people turned up. John Tate held the WBA heavyweight belt from October 20, 1979 to March 31, 1980 – a period of only five months and 11 days. The only man to win a heavyweight title on a foul was Max Schmeling of Germany. He became champion on June 12, 1930 when referee Jim Crowley disqualified Jack Sharkey for a low blow in the fourth round. The only undisputed heavyweight championship fight to end in a draw was between Jack Johnson and Battling Jim Johnson in Paris, France on December 19, 1913. The referee declared the fight a draw when Johnson, the defending champion, claimed he had broken his arm. Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott fought each other a record four times for the heavyweight championship. Charles outpointed Walcott on June 22, 1949 to win the vacant title. He retained it in a return bout on March 7, 1951.

On July 18, 1951, Walcott knocked out Charles in the seventh round in Pittsburgh to become the champion. In their fourth bout, on June 5, 1952, Walcott retained the title with a 15-round points decision. The first time the “20-seconds” return clause was inserted in the rules for a heavyweight title bout was when Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johansson met in the Convention Hall, Miami Beach, on March 13, 1961. The commission stipulated that in the event either fighter was knocked out of the ring, he would be given twenty seconds to return before he could be counted out. The lightest anyone ever weighed in for a world heavyweight championship bout was 71.66 kg (158 pounds). The record belongs to Charley Mitchell who challenged Jim Corbett on January 25, 1894, in Jacksonville, Florida. Corbett won by knockout in the third round. Rocky Marciano was the only heavyweight champion who retired undefeated. He defended his title six times. He had 49 fights and won 43 inside the distance.

He announced his retirement on April 27, 1956 when he was still the champion. The youngest fighter to win an undisputed world heavyweight title was Floyd Patterson. He was 21 years and 10 months when he knocked out Archie Moore to win the vacant title on November 30, 1956. Cassius Clay, as Muhammad Ali was known at the time, won the title at the age of 22 years and 1 month. Mike Tyson was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old when he won the WBC belt. James Corbett had only 19 professional fights. He won 11, drew two and lost four. Two produced no-contest results. James J Jeffries had 21 fights with 18 wins, two draws and one defeat. Jack Dempsey figured in five fights that drew million-dollar gates. The first was against Georges Carpentier on July 2, 1921. The others were against Luis Firpo, Gene Tunney, whom he fought twice, and Jack Sharkey after he had lost the title.

Bob Fitzsimmons, who was born in Helston, Cornwall and brought up in New Zealand, was the first English-born fighter to win a world heavyweight title. The record for scoring the most knockdowns in a heavyweight title fight belongs to Max Baer. When he won the title from Primo Carnera on June 14, 1934, he had Carnera down 12 times in 11 rounds. Fitzsimmons had the longest career of all heavyweight champions. He had his first fight in Timaru, New Zealand, in 1880 and his last in Sydney in December 1919. Many heavyweight champions had nicknames.

Among them were the Ambling Alp (Primo Carnera), Black Uhlan (Max Schmeling), the Brockton Blockbuster (Rocky Marciano), the Brown Bomber (Joe Louis), Cinderella Man (James J Jeffries), Fighting Marine (Gene Tunney), Gentleman Jim (James J Corbett), the Manassa Mauler (Jack Dempsey), the Pottawatomie Giant (Jess Willard), the Boston Cob (Jack Sharkey), Neon Leon (Leon Spinks) and The Louisville Lip (Muhammad Ali). One of the finest trophies presented to a fighter was the “ten-thousand-dollar belt” of solid gold presented to John L Sullivan by the People of the United States. The belt was studded with nearly 400 diamonds and was presented to Sullivan in Boston on August 8, 1887. Leon Spinks holds the record for winning the world heavyweight championship after the fewest professional fights. He beat Muhammad Ali in his eighth fight to win the WBA and WBC heavyweight belts in Las Vegas on February 15, 1978.

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rox?mkt=zh-cn 2016-12-26 Eager boxing fans created this museum devoted to the sport. ... boxing hall of fame?mkt... Peek-a-Boo is a boxing style where the hands are placed in front of the boxer's face, like in the baby's game of the same name. It offers extra protection to the face and make… 2015-12-4 Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling refers to two separate fights between the two which are among boxing's most talked about bouts. Schmeling won the first match by a … louis vs. max schmeling?mkt=zh-cn 2017-1-9 Michael "Mickey" Goldmill is a fictional character created by Sylvester Stallone, portrayed by Burgess Meredith in the Rocky film series, in which he was nominated ... goldmill?mkt=zh-cn

Question: Who was the only World Heavyweight Boxing Champion to finish his career undefeated when he retired in 1956?
Answer: Rocky Marciano