47 Facts About Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano competed from 1947 to 1955, and held the world heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956.

Rocky Marciano is the only heavyweight champion to have finished his career undefeated.

Rocky Marciano's father was from Ripa Teatina, Abruzzo, while his mother was from San Bartolomeo in Galdo, Campania.

Rocky Marciano had two brothers, Louis and Peter, and three sisters, Alice, Concetta and Elizabeth.

When he was about 18 months old, Rocky Marciano contracted pneumonia, from which he almost died.

Rocky Marciano attended Brockton High School, where he played both baseball and football.

Rocky Marciano dropped out of school after finishing tenth grade.

Rocky Marciano then worked as a chute man on delivery trucks for the Brockton Ice and Coal Company.

Rocky Marciano worked as a ditchdigger, railroad layer and shoemaker.

Rocky Marciano was a resident of Hanson, Massachusetts; the house he lived in still stands on Main Street.

In March 1943, Rocky Marciano was drafted into the United States Army for a term of two years.

Rocky Marciano continued to fight as an amateur throughout the spring and competed in the AAU Olympic tryouts in the Boston Garden.

Rocky Marciano won his first 16 bouts by knockout, all before the fifth round and nine before the first round was over.

Don Mogard became the first boxer to last the distance with "The Rock", but Rocky Marciano won by unanimous decision.

Rocky Marciano won three more fights by knockout, and then he met Ted Lowry.

Rocky Marciano kept his winning streak alive, beating Lowry by unanimous decision.

Three weeks after the Phil Muscato fight, Rocky Marciano fought Carmine Vingo by a sixth-round knockout in New York.

Rocky Marciano dropped Vingo in the first and second round, but by the fifth Vingo was gaining momentum.

At 1:46 in the sixth round Rocky Marciano knocked out Vingo with a right uppercut.

On March 24,1950, Rocky Marciano fought Roland La Starza, winning by split decision.

Rocky Marciano won on a supplemental point system used by New York and Massachusetts at that time.

The scoring system did not award an extra point for a knockdown and Rocky Marciano scored a knockdown in the fight.

Rocky Marciano scored three more knockouts in a row before a rematch with Lowry, Rocky Marciano again winning by unanimous decision.

On October 27,1951, the 28-year-old Rocky Marciano took on the 37-year-old Joe Louis.

Rocky Marciano, 29, faced the World Heavyweight Champion, 38-year-old Jersey Joe Walcott, in Philadelphia on September 23,1952.

Rocky Marciano lay motionless long after he had been counted out and Marciano became the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Rocky Marciano won the first fight, held at Yankee Stadium on June 17,1954, on points.

Rocky Marciano was knocked down for a four-count in the second round, but recovered and retained his title with a knockout in round nine.

Rocky Marciano announced his retirement on April 27,1956, aged 32.

Rocky Marciano considered a comeback in 1959 when Ingemar Johansson won the Heavyweight Championship from Floyd Patterson on June 26,1959.

Rocky Marciano continued as a referee and boxing commentator in boxing matches for many years.

Rocky Marciano was active in business as a partner and vice president of Papa Luigi Spaghetti Dens, a San Francisco-based franchise company formed by Joe Kearns and James Braly.

Rocky Marciano built a custom home at 641 NW 24 Street in Wilton Manors, Florida, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale.

In late July 1969, shortly before his death, Rocky Marciano participated in the filming of The Superfight: Rocky Marciano vs Ali.

Rocky Marciano was a devout Christian and often attended Catholic mass during training and before a fight.

Rocky Marciano once stated "the biggest thrill I can think of would be an audience with the pope".

Rocky Marciano had hoped to return in the early morning for his 46th birthday celebration with his wife.

Rocky Marciano was coming from a dinner in Chicago at STP CEO Andy Granatelli's home.

Rocky Marciano is interred in a crypt at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Rocky Marciano holds the record with heavyweight Brian Nielsen for the longest undefeated streak by a heavyweight.

Rocky Marciano is the only world heavyweight champion to go undefeated throughout his professional career.

At the time of his first fight with Roland La Starza, some experts believed it was La Starza and not Rocky Marciano who deserved the decision.

Rocky Marciano was named fighter of the year by The Ring three times.

Rocky Marciano received the Hickok Belt for top professional athlete of the year in 1952.

Rocky Marciano is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Joey Rocky Marciano, a professional baseball player, is a cousin twice removed.

The statue was officially unveiled on September 23,2012, which was the 60th anniversary of Rocky Marciano winning the world heavyweight title.