Rocky Marciano rendered a boxing superstar unconscious with a devastating combination.
In his esteemed career, ‘The Brockton Blockbuster’ cemented his status as one of the greatest fighters who has ever lived.
While he wasn’t technically blessed, the Italian-American found a way to drag everyone he faced into deep waters, before drowning them under an unrelenting wave of pressure. Even Muhammad Ali wasn’t convinced he’d have beaten Marciano.
At the peak of his powers, the legend was truly phenomenal, with his defining night coming against a fellow icon of the sport.
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Rocky Marciano knocked Jersey Joe Walcott unconscious
On September 23, 1952, Rocky Marciano challenged Jersey Joe Walcott for the NYSAC, NBA and Ring Magazine titles, inside the Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia, USA.
At the time, the bout was one of the biggest the sport had ever seen, with fans curious whether the knockout artist could overcome the 37-year-old heavyweight King, who at the time, was the oldest champion the division had ever seen.
The fight couldn’t have gotten off to much of a worse start for the challenger, as Marciano was sent hurtling toward the canvas after Walcott landed a thunderous left hook.
In a testament to his bravery, the younger man rose to his feet. But he still spent the next few rounds being peppered by the jab and vicious counter-punches as his countryman built up a big lead.
However, refusing to give up on his dream, Marciano walked through everything his opponent threw at him, landing big shots of his own, which slowly but surely began to tire the title-holder down.
Going into the 13th round, Walcott was ahead on all the scorecards, and despite the punishment he was beginning to absorb, still looked on track to win a decision.
But then, Marciano landed a ruthless right hand, followed by a dynamite left hook, to leave his opponent out for the count, to usher in a new era of heavyweight boxing.
Was Rocky Marciano really undefeated?… The one man many believe beat ‘The Brockton Blockbuster’
Marciano’s victory over Walcott is still considered one of the most dramatic in combat sports history.
And it wasn’t the only big win the superstar had, with the brawler also beating the likes of Joe Louis, en route to walking away from the sport without suffering a loss.
However, is his 49-0 record a reflection of reality?
After a thrilling fight, one boxer was adamant he beat Marciano.