Editing Rocky Marciano (section)

==Professional career==
Although he had one professional fight (against Lee Epperson) on his record, Marciano began fighting permanently as a professional boxer on July 12, 1948. That night, he notched a win over Harry Bilazarian (3–6–0). He won his first 16 bouts by knockout, all before the fifth round and nine before the first round was over. Don Mogard (17–9–1) became the first boxer to last [[The distance (boxing)|the distance]] (full 10 rounds scheduled) with "The Rock", but Marciano won by unanimous decision.
[[File:Rocky Marciano 1951.jpg|alt=|thumb|Marciano's professional training routine was notable for being extremely strict and physically exhausting<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bruno |first=Al |date=December 2022 |title=Rocky Marciano's Training Routine Defines His Unbeaten Boxing Legacy |url=https://www.lagazzettaitaliana.com/people/10103-rocky-marciano-s-training-routine-defines-his-unbeaten-boxing-legacy |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=www.lagazzettaitaliana.com |language=en-gb}}</ref>]]
Early in his career, he changed the spelling of his last name, "Marchegiano". The ring announcer in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], could not pronounce it, so Marciano's handler, Al Weill, suggested they create a pseudonym. The first suggestion was Rocky Mack, which Marciano rejected, deciding to go with the more Italian-sounding "Marciano".<ref>{{cite web |first=Ed |last=Fitzgerald |date=January 1953 |url=http://www.thesportgallery.com/rockymarciano2.html |title=Rocky Marciano – The Blockbuster from Brockton |access-date=October 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502012324/http://www.thesportgallery.com/rockymarciano2.html |archive-date=May 2, 2009 |work=thesportgallery.com}}</ref>

Marciano won three more fights by knockout, and then he met [[Ted Lowry]] (58–48–9). Marciano kept his winning streak alive, beating Lowry by unanimous decision. Four more knockout wins then followed, including a five-rounder on December 19, 1949, with Phil Muscato (56–20–0), an experienced [[heavyweight]] from [[Buffalo, New York]], being the first "name fighter" Marciano faced.

=== Marciano vs Vingo ===
Three weeks after the Phil Muscato fight, Marciano defeated [[Carmine Vingo]] (16–1–0) by a sixth-round knockout in New York. Carmine was a promising prospect who was 16–1, with his loss controversial. Marciano was 24–0 at the time of the fight. The winner would be declared the white hope in the division. 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 Marciano knocked out Vingo with a right uppercut.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rocky Marciano vs. Carmine Vingo - BoxRec|url=https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Rocky_Marciano_vs._Carmine_Vingo|access-date=November 16, 2020|website=boxrec.com}}</ref> Vingo was unconscious and taken to the hospital on a [[stretcher]], as there were no ambulances available. As Vingo was given 50/50 survival odds, a priest administered [[last rites]]; however, Vingo pulled through and survived, befriending Marciano later on in life.

===Marciano vs. Roland La Starza===
{{main|Rocky Marciano vs. Roland La Starza}}
On March 24, 1950, Marciano met his first ranked opponent when he fought [[Roland La Starza]] (37-0), winning by a close split decision. La Starza may have come closer than any other boxer to defeating Marciano as a professional. The scoring for the bout was 5–4, 4–5, and 5–5. Marciano won on a supplemental point system used by New York and Massachusetts at that time. The contemporary scoring system did not award extra points for a knockdown, which Marciano scored when he knocked down La Starza in the fourth round. Referee Watson decided the bout, scoring it for Marciano.

===Subsequent bouts===
Marciano scored three more knockouts in a row before a rematch with Lowry (61–56–10), Marciano again winning by unanimous decision. After that, he scored four more knockouts and, after a decision over [[Red Applegate]] (11–14–2) in late April 1951, he was showcased on national television for the first time, knocking out [[Rex Layne]] (34–1–2) in six rounds on July 12, 1951.

On October 27, 1951, the 28-year-old Marciano took on the great [[Joe Louis]]. Despite Louis being well past his prime, Marciano was a 6½-to-5 underdog.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Sp0VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9AsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5608,1297081&dq=rocky+marciano&hl=en Rocky Marchiano KO's Joe Louis]. ''Eugene Register-Guard'' – October 26, 1951</ref> Marciano knocked Louis out in the eighth round, sending the former champion collapsing out of the ring in what would be his final fight.

After four more wins in 1952, including knockout victories over former European heavyweight champion [[Lee Savold]] (96–37–3) and top contender [[Harry Matthews (boxer)|Harry Matthews]] (81–3–5), Marciano received a shot at the world title later that year.

===Championship fights===
[[File:Roland La Starza vs. Rocky Marciano 1953.jpg|thumb|Marciano sends La Starza through the ropes during their [[Rocky Marciano vs. Roland La Starza|1953 title fight]]|240x240px]]
Marciano, 29, [[Rocky Marciano vs. Jersey Joe Walcott|faced the World Heavyweight Champion]], [[Jersey Joe Walcott]], in [[Philadelphia]] on September 23, 1952. Walcott dropped Marciano in the first round and steadily built a points lead. In the 13th, Walcott used his trademark feint to set up his right hand, but Marciano's "Suzie Q" landed first, a powerful right hook causing Walcott to slump to his knees with his arm draped over the ropes. He lay motionless long after he had been counted out and Marciano became the new World Heavyweight Champion. At the time of the stoppage, Walcott was leading on all scorecards, 8–4, 7–5, and 7–4.

His first defense came the following year in May – a rematch against Walcott, now 39, who this time was knocked out in the first round.

His next defense was held five months later, in what would be a [[Rocky Marciano vs. Roland La Starza|rematch]] with his old rival, Roland La Starza. After La Starza built a small lead on the judges' scorecards all the way through the middle rounds, Marciano eventually gained the upper hand and won the fight by a technical knockout in the 11th round.[[File:Rocky Marciano - 10 April 1954 - St. Paul Armory Wrestling Program.jpg|thumb|Marciano in 1954|left|286x286px]]Marciano then fought [[Rocky Marciano vs. Ezzard Charles|two consecutive bouts]] against former world Heavyweight Champion and [[light heavyweight]] legend [[Ezzard Charles]], who became the only man to ever last a full 15 rounds against Marciano.<ref>Will Hammock (June 5, 2010). "[http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2010/jun/05/the-champ-county-to-honor-legendary-boxer-charles/ The Champ: County to honor legendary boxer Charles today] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906135422/http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2010/jun/05/the-champ-county-to-honor-legendary-boxer-charles/ |date=September 6, 2015 }}." ''Gwinnett Daily Post''</ref> Marciano won the first fight, held at Yankee Stadium on June 17, 1954, on points.  Referee Ruby Goldstein scored the bout 8–5–2 in rounds for the champion. Judge Artie Aidala scored it 9–5–1 for Marciano while judge Harold Barnes had it 8–6–1. Marciano gave Charles a rematch, and the much anticipated fight was held four months later at the same venue. Marciano controlled most of the action during the fight, but was cut badly on the nose at the end of the sixth round. Unable to get the bleeding to stop, and fearing a possible stoppage by the fight doctor, Marciano went in for the finish, and soon succeeded, knocking Charles out in the eighth round.

Marciano's next title defense came on May 16 1955, against the British heavyweight Champion [[Don Cockell]], held at [[Kezar Stadium]] in [[San Francisco]]. Marciano controlled most of the fight, and Cockell was knocked down several times before the fight was stopped in the ninth round.

Marciano's [[Rocky Marciano vs. Archie Moore|final title defense]] was against the number one contender and [[List of world light-heavyweight boxing champions|light-heavyweight champion]], Archie Moore, on September 21, 1955. The bout was originally scheduled for September 20, but because of hurricane warnings, it had to be delayed a day. Marciano was knocked down for a four-count in the second round, but quickly recovered and retained his title with a knockout in round nine.

Marciano announced his retirement on April 27, 1956, at he age of 32.<ref>{{cite book
 |last = Mullan
 |first = Harry 
 |title = Boxing: The Definitive Illustrated Guide to World Boxing
 |publisher = Carlton Books
 |year = 1996
 |location = London, England
 |page = 81
 |isbn = 0-7858-0641-5}}</ref> He finished his career an undefeated champion, with a final record of 49–0, 43 of them ending in knockouts.