Rocky Marciano

49 wins, 43 KOs, 0 losses - is there a greater boxer in history?

When it comes to the best boxer in the world, the name of American Rocky Marciano is one of the first to come to mind. The son of Italian immigrants finished his career with a record of 49-0, remaining undefeated world heavyweight champion. Only six opponents of the fighter nicknamed Blockbuster Brockton escaped the knockout. Marciano did not rack up a record "on the bags": he defeated the greats Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott and Archie Moore. Alas, Rocky's life was cut short early - on August 31, 1969, the boxer died in a plane crash. He was only 45 years old.

The real name of the legendary boxer was Rocco Francis Marchegiano. Pronouncing such a construction was uncomfortable for Americans, so the athlete later decided to simplify the name a bit. As a child, Rocky had other concerns besides the name: his family lived below the poverty line and the boy had to do hard work. Marciano swept streets, shoveled snow and worked as a longshoreman, trying to earn an extra dollar. In his free time, Rocky went to baseball practice, but gave up because of a broken arm.

In 1943, Marciano was drafted into the navy, where he first tried his hand at boxing. Fist fights were very popular among sailors, with pub fights being particularly popular. It was in such tough fights that Rocky's style was born - a low stance, ducking under his opponent's jabs and reducing the distance to a minimum. Partly, such tactics was stipulated by anthropometry: Marciano was just 180 centimeters tall with not so long arms, that is why he could not reach his oversized opponents. The talented boxer was noticed and soon he signed a contract with a famous promoter Al Vale.

Marciano's star lit up rapidly. Then the gaps between fights were very different: in four months the debutant fought five times, sending his opponents "to sleep" in the first-third round. In addition to a powerful punch from both hands, the Italian-American was known for his great stamina and ability to take any hits. The main disadvantage was considered defense, because of which Brockton's Blockbuster caught a lot of blows with his jaw. However, Rocky's brilliant jabs and uppercuts made his opponents quickly forget their desire to attack. The public loved the handsome, charming fighter, who always had a joke with journalists.