Rocky Marciano, born in Brockton, Massachusetts, started boxing in his 20s to avoid Army KP duty. He became a professional boxer at 25 and had 37 wins and 32 knockouts before defeating former heavyweight champion Joe Louis. He retired in 1956 and died in a plane crash in 1969.
Rocky Marciano, born Rocco Francis Marchegiano on September 1, 1923 to father Pierino and mother Pasqualena. Marciano’s birthplace is Brockton, Massachusetts and he was called The Brockton Blockbuster during his boxing career. Although Rocky enjoyed sports like football and baseball as a child, he didn’t take up boxing until he was in his 20s and into the military.
Marciano admits that he started in boxing as a way to escape Army Kitchen Patrol (KP) duty. When Rocky Marciano was discharged from the Army at age 23, he began fighting on the amateur boxing circuit. He tried out for the Chicago Cubs baseball team as a professional catcher when he was 24, but was not accepted. At age 25, Marciano was a professional boxer and it didn’t take him long to build a reputation for knocking out most of his opponents. Rocky was a lighter heavyweight at 190 pounds (86,183 kg), but at age 28 he had 37 wins and 32 knockouts before fighting former heavyweight champion, Joe Louis.
On October 26, 1951 Rocky Marciano knocked out Joe Louis in the eighth round, but his victory was bittersweet. Louis was a hero of Marciano and was boxing beyond his prime. Rocky is said to have cried in Joe’s dressing room after the fight. However, Marciano’s win over Louis made Rocky Marciano a serious contender in professional boxing.
On September 23, 1952, Marciano defeated the defending champion, Joe Walcott. He knocked out Walcott in the first round during a 1953 rematch. Rocky Marciano continued his professional boxing career until September 21, 1955, when he knocked out Archie Moore in the ninth round.
Although he retired on April 27, 1956, Rocky Marciano still made one-man appearances. He announced after his retirement that he was happy to be able to spend more time with his wife, Barbara, and their two children, Rocco and Mary Anne. Rocky Marciano died just a day short of his 46th birthday in a plane crash in Iowa on August 31, 1969.
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