'On Rocky Marciano'

I grew up in Avon Massachusetts, eighteen miles south of Boston and four miles north of Brockton, home of Rocky Marciano.

Rocky was the only undefeated world heavyweight champ. He held the champion's belt for four years, from 1952 until he retired in 1956. His professional record was 49-0-0 with 43 knockouts.

All of Brockton and vicinity loved Rocky but he was especially adored by Brockton's blue collar Italian community many of whom worked in the shoe factories that Brockton was then famous for.

Rocky had a 1953 Cadillac convertible with Mass. license plates, 'KO', known to everyone as 'The KO car'.

I'm sure it was apocalyptic, but it used to be said that Rocky was undefeated: "...because each time he fought half the Italians in Brockton mortgaged their homes to bet on him so he wouldn't have dared to come home if he was beaten!.."

One of my school chums was Rocky's first cousin. We got together a couple of years ago after not seeing each other for decades. We had beers and then dinner at George's Cafe on Belmont Street in Brockton. George's is about a half block from Rocky's boyhood home. The cafe walls have many, many pictures of Rocky's fights, his training, 'Welcome Home' parades etc.

For anyone who is curious, or who remembers Rocky and wants to reminisce, here's a great link: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/1047/Rock.html


Addendum:

Brockton, which likes to call itself 'City of Champions', was also the home of 'Marvelous Marvin' Hagler. (Full Disclosure: Marvin moved there from Newark NJ at age thirteen in 1967)
Marvin Hagler is considered by many to have been the greatest Middleweight of all time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Hagler