Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Marciano was born Rocco Marchegiano in Brockton Mass. on September 1st of what year?
2. Rocky was always a tough guy, so he decided to try boxing as a way out of his lower class upbringing. His first official amateur fight was against a former Golden Gloves champion, Henry Lester. How did this fight end?
3. Rocky's mother was dead set against her son becoming a boxer. For a short time early in his career, how did he disguise his roadwork from her to keep her from knowing he was fighting?
4. Marciano was a very small man for a heavyweight, standing somewhere between 5'10' and 5'11'. How much did he weigh when he turned pro as a heavyweight in 1947?
5. The closest Rocky ever came to losing a fight was against Roland LaStarza, who was also undefeated at the time. A master boxer, LaStarza was able to jab and avoid punches long enough to last the ten round bout. Rocky would be awarded a controvertial split-decision victory. What year did this occur?
6. Rocky would later claim that the hardest fight of his career was against a personal hero of his, that he desperately did not want to fight. He did fight him though, and knocked him out in the eighth round. Who was this hero of Rocky's?
7. Marciano had devastating power with either hand, but his most powerful punch was his right cross. He was so fond of this punch that he gave it a pet name. What was this pet name?
8. When Marciano finally got his title shot, it was against 38 year-old Jersey Joe Walcott. Rocky was miles behind on points (many say he'd won only one round) when he knocked Walcott out to become heavyweight champion. In what round did he knock Jersey Joe out?
9. Since their title fight had been so memorable, Marciano agreed to give Jersey Joe Walcott a rematch as his first title defence. How did their second fight end?
10. In all of Marciano's title defences, only one man was able to go the fifteen round distance with him. Who was it?
11. In a rematch with the only fighter that had been able to go the 15 round distance against him, Rocky won in a ninth round knockout. He was badly hurt in this fight however, and was barely able to last long enough to win. How was he hurt?
12. How many times did Marciano defend the heavyweight title before his retirement?
13. The last man to fight Rocky Marciano was Archie Moore, who admitted after the fight that Rocky hit hard, but it was the number of punches and relentlessness of the man that made him so hard to beat. What exactly did Moore describe Marciano as?
14. 'The Ring' magazine selects a standout boxer as their Fighter of the Year every year. Marciano won this award three times, in 1952, 1954 and 1955. Who won this award in 1953 (the only year from '52 to '55 that Rocky didn't win)?
15. Marciano finished his career with a 49 wins and no losses. Of his 49 wins, how many knockouts did he record?
16. Marciano was a fast starter that wanted to knock out his opponents as fast as possible. How many first round knockouts did he record in his career?
17. Rocky retired a very rich man, especially considering the time (1955). To the nearest ten thousand dollars, what was the biggest purse he ever earned for a single fight?
18. After years of retirement, Rocky fought a 'computer' fight against Muhammed Ali in 1969. The two men fought 70 one-minute choreographed rounds showing every possible outcome (Ali KO and decision, Marciano KO and decision), and a computer decided, based on their strengths and weaknesses, what the outcome would be. How did this computer fight end?
19. Who is the only man that fought both Rocky Marciano and Muhammed Ali in professional fights?
20. On August 31, 1969 Rocky Marciano died while on his way home to celebrate his 46th birthday with his family. How did he die?
Source: Author
Misregistered
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gtho4 before going online.
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