Rocky Marciano
“The Brockton Blockbuster”
Titles & honours
- World Heavyweight Champion (1952–1956)
Biography
Rocco Francis Marchegiano, born Brockton, Massachusetts in 1923, retired in 1956 as the only undefeated heavyweight champion in history. He weighed 185 pounds — small even by 1950s heavyweight standards — and stood 5'10" with a 67-inch reach (six inches shorter than the heavyweight average). What he had was conditioning, a granite chin, and a right hand he called 'Suzy Q' that knocked out 43 of his 49 opponents. He won the title in 1952 by knocking out 38-year-old Jersey Joe Walcott in the 13th round, after being floored in the first. He defended six times — including the brutal 1955 13-round war with Archie Moore — and retired at 32 with the perfect record. Died in a private plane crash in 1969, the day before his 46th birthday.