Thursday, September 22, 2022

ROCKY MARCIANO: REMEMBERING A TRUE CHAMPION

WWII uncovered: Rocky Marciano of the 150th Combat Engineers: World Heavyweight Boxing Champion 

 

Submitted by Trey Rusk

 

Educational Research Center

September 17, 2022

 

 

Boxing History: Marciano TKOs LaStarza

Rocky Marciano (R) TKOs Roland LaStarza in their second fight. In round 11 a four-punch combination, a left, a right, another left and a right sent LaStarza through the ropes. LaStarza was up at five and took the mandatory eight-count. With the crowd yelling “stop it, stop it” and Marciano unloading punch after punch, the referee Ruby Goldstein finally stopped it. 

                                                                   How LaStarza looked before that punch distorted his face

 

Rocco Francis Marchegiano, the son of Italian immigrants, was born and raised in Brockton Massachusetts. Rocco, a natural athlete, dropped out of high school in the 10th grade to help support his family. Rocco would go on to be professionally known as Rocky Marciano - the only heavyweight professional boxer to have finished his career undefeated.
According to the Department of Defense: "On March 4, 1943, at the age of 20, Rocky enlisted the Army in Boston, Massachusetts and was sent overseas to Europe. Marciano was assigned to the 150th Combat Engineers and stationed in Swansea, Wales where he helped ferry supplies across the English Channel to Normandy. The 150th went on to receive service stars for Normandy, North France, Rheinland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe."
 
PFC Rocco F. Marchegiano
 
"Marciano first took up boxing in the service, reportedly as a way to get out of kitchen duty. While awaiting discharge, Marciano, representing the Army, won the 1946 Amateur Armed Forces boxing tournament. After the war ended, he completed his service in March 1946 at Fort Lewis, Washington where he received an honorable discharge from the Army with the rank of Private First Class. Rocky returned home to Brockton, Massachusetts and continued to box as an amateur" -US Department of Defense
 
Rocky Marciano knocks out Jersey Joe Walcott in one round during re-match
Rocky Marciano knocks out Jersey Joe Walcott on September 23, 1952  
  
"On September 23, 1952, Marciano took on the World Heavyweight Champion Joe Walcott in Philadelphia. In round 13 Marciano knocked out Walcott to become the new Heavyweight Champion. Rocky was 29 years old. The two would meet again the following year with Marciano ending the match in the first round."
"Rocky Marciano would go on to dominate the Heavyweight Division. On May 16, 1955, in San Francisco, Marciano went up against Don Cockell from the United Kingdom, who was also the boxing champion of Europe. Marciano knocked him out in round 9."
"On April 27, 1956, Marciano announced his retirement at age 32, finishing his career at 49-0."
On August 31, 1969, Rocky was a passenger in a private plane that crashed due to bad weather at a private airfield near Newton, Iowa. There were no survivors. Rocky Marciano was 45 years old at the time of his passing. He would have turned 46 years old on September 1.
Private First Class Rocky Marciano lies in rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

Lest We Forget 
 
EDITOR'S NOTE: Rocky Marciano (not to be confused with my personal friend Rocky Graziano) was a real nice guy. We often sat together in Stillman's Gymnasium to watch the top-rated fighters work out after the gym had been closed to the public. 

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