The 60th Anniversay of Rocky Marciano vs Ezzard Charles(I)

[Caractacus]

This June 17th marks the Sixtieth anniversary of Rocky Marciano's third title defense.
It was held at Yankee Stadium at Bronx New York City.
It was also seen live at 61 closed-circuit theaters in 45 cities in North America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSPJC7qSAeg

[gilgamesh]

That was also one of the last few fights in which Ezzard Charles performed at a World Class level. After his 2 fights with Marciano he was pretty well washed up completely from that point onward.

[evrenb]

June 17th marks the Sixtieth anniversary of Rocky Marciano's third title defense.
It was held at Yankee Stadium at Bronx New York City.
It was also seen live at 61 closed-circuit theaters in 45 cities in North America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeGFJI_ctVE

Half the film ended up on the cutting room floor

[Caractacus]

Are all 15 rounds of this bout available somewhere?
I had read that in the 14th round Ezzard Charles hit Marciano
with a tremendous punch right in the centre of Marciano's forehead
and the Rock went limp on his feet for half a second.
But to Charles regret,Marciano quickly revived
and became even more determined and relentless for the next two rounds.

[evrenb]

See above...

[Caractacus]

See above...

See Above?see above for what?
are you saying that this is a 'lost' fight?

[Caractacus]

Man-Oh-Man.
Sixty years ago today.
Where has the time gone?
If I recall right,this title fight happened on a Thursday Evening.


WHERE WERE YORE IN '54?

[evrenb]

The complete fight is not known to exist. Half of it was edited and the complete film was lost...neva know though....i was 20 years away from being born!!

[Caractacus]

The complete fight is not known to exist. Half of it was edited and the complete film was lost...neva know though....i was 20 years away from being born!!

What?Are you serious?
Where did you ever read or hear that?

[Caractacus]

I came across this interesting post-fight newspaper commentery published the day after the fight.
Im not sure who wrote it,but it was obviously written by a Man's Man,
and not by some metro-sexual revisionists that seem to be todays boxing commentators.
The author discribes the fight as a "Primeval Brawl".

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 965,422805

[witherspoon]

I came across this interesting post-fight newspaper commentery published the day after the fight.
Im not sure who wrote it,but it was obviously written by a Man's Man,
and not by some metro-sexual revisionists that seem to be todays boxing commentators.
The author discribes the fight as a "Primeval Brawl".

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 965,422805

Brilliant article, the Rock was there for the taking in round 14 according to this, sounds like Ezzard missed a golden opportunity, just like Holyfield in the third Bowe fight.
Thanks for the link, really appreciate that

[Caractacus]

Here is a abridged version of Marciano vs Charles I.
(rounds One,Four,Five,Six,Ten and Fifteen only)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FSPJC7qSAeg

[Caractacus]

Im pretty sure about 20 years ago on the CLASSIC SPORTS NETWORK
That all 15 rounds of it where shown.
Classic Sports Network was bought out by ESPN a couple years later.
The ESPN abridged version is the only one I have seen in the last 10 years or so.

[Caractacus]

BTW That abridged version on youtube from ESPN CLASSIC looks to be a filmed version of the bout
that was to be shown later for overseas theaters.
I think there exists another version,the one recorded live on Kinescope
directly from the closed-circuit theater monitor,
which was recorded from a different angle then the one filmed in 35 mm.

[Ambling Alp II]

Going into the fight, it looked like Charles was slipping. It is a little surprising that he was as competitive as he was. It looks like it was one last hurrah for Charles.

[evrenb]

If you could lead me to the full kinescope of the fight there would be a big cheque waiting for you.

BTW That abridged version on youtube from ESPN CLASSIC looks to be a filmed version of the bout
that was to be shown later for overseas theaters.
I think there exists another version,the one recorded live on Kinescope
directly from the closed-circuit theater monitor,
which was recorded from a different angle then the one filmed in 35 mm.

[Caractacus]

If you could lead me to the full kinescope of the fight there would be a big cheque waiting for you.

Maybe Micky Capp here would know.
He sounds as if he may be a "Seasoned Citizen"himself.

[Caractacus]

Back in 2001 Bill Cayton released a series of audio CD'S of original Radio Broadcasts including some of Joe Louis's and Rocky Marciano's fights.
called BILL CAYTON'S PRIME TIME BOXING.
One CD was that of the orginal ABC Radio broadcast with Legendary Don Dunphy calling of Marciano vs Charles I.
However I dont think that one is even compleat.
Its running time is only 43 minutes and ts missing about 3 rounds of the original radio broadcast from June 17.1954.
Also if I remember correctly,for some reason Bill Cayton chimed in on the CD itself and interrupts the flow of
the original real time broadcast as first heard live, on the CD.
You know why he probably did that dont you?

[Caractacus]

Back in 2001 Bill Cayton released a series of audio CD'S of original Radio Broadcasts including some of Joe Louis's and Rocky Marciano's fights.
called BILL CAYTON'S PRIME TIME BOXING.
One CD was that of the orginal ABC Radio broadcast with Legendary Don Dunphy calling of Marciano vs Charles I.
However I dont think that one is even compleat.
Its running time is only 43 minutes and ts missing about 3 rounds of the original radio broadcast from June 17.1954.
Also if I remember correctly,for some reason Bill Cayton chimed in on the CD itself and interrupts the flow of
the original real time broadcast as first heard live, on the CD.
You know why he probably did that dont you?

Although If I were you,instead of paying out 18 dollars for the CD itself(including postage and handling),
you can also download it directly from iTunes for only about 5 dollars
(unless of course you are one of those people who still need a CD box to hold on to and look while you'r listening to it).

[Caractacus]

Read this link to a chapter in a book

The sixth round of Marciano vs Charles is considered by many ringside observers to have been one of the best rounds in Heavyweight
History.
The tide turned in the fight in the sixth round when Marciano stopped Charles in his tracks with a short hook that made a sound like
"A Steamroller passing over a soupbone".

pp 219-225.


http://books.google.com/books?id=BH4LHM ... g=PA219&dq

[Caractacus]

Anyone here know what was considered the worst beating,the Ezzard Charles had taken in his boxing career
before the first fight with Marciano?

[Caractacus]

Read this link to a chapter in a book

The sixth round of Marciano vs Charles is considered by many ringside observers to have been one of the best rounds in Heavyweight
History.
The tide turned in the fight in the sixth round when Marciano stopped Charles in his tracks with a short hook that made a sound like
"A Steamroller passing over a soupbone".

pp 219-225.


http://books.google.com/books?id=BH4LHM ... g=PA219&dq

I wonder if that short hook that Marciano landed on Charles in the sixth round
the punch that reportedly sounded like a "Steamroller passing over a soupbone"
may have been the infamous "Goozle Punch"?
Other sources say it was landed in the eigth round.
Ezzard Charles was quoted as saying it landed in the ninth round.
and Rocky Marciano had said he thought it was from a wild punch that he had thrown in the 14th round.

[Caractacus]

Here is some info about the Goozle Punch.
From the 3.Febuary.1973 edition of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
(the setting a gym in Kingston Jamacia where George Foreman was working out for the title bout with Joe Frazier).

"Dick Sadler and Drew Bundini Brown began talking about the hardest punches
they had ever seen thrown.
Both of them agreed that one of them was Rocky Marciano's hit on Ezzard Charles-
a blow,as Bundini described it,that landed under the 'goozle pipe'....
which swole up,so the neck and chin became the same".

[Caractacus]

I'm still looking around for a round by round post-fight newspaper reporting of Marciano vs Charles I.
I can't seem to find one yet on the free google newspaper archives.
But that of course that doesnt mean one doesnt exist.
Im sure there is a few out there.
Google stopped digitizing newspapers a few years ago.
(probably a lot of current politicians or people in charge thought
that people may have gotten something on them that way,
thats my theory anyway why google suddenly stopped its newspaper archives project).

[Caractacus]

Back in 2001 Bill Cayton released a series of audio CD'S of original Radio Broadcasts including some of Joe Louis's and Rocky Marciano's fights.
called BILL CAYTON'S PRIME TIME BOXING.
One CD was that of the orginal ABC Radio broadcast with Legendary Don Dunphy calling of Marciano vs Charles I.
However I dont think that one is even compleat.
Its running time is only 43 minutes and its missing about 3 rounds of the original radio broadcast from June 17.1954.
Also if I remember correctly,for some reason Bill Cayton chimed in on the CD itself and interrupts the flow of
the original real time broadcast as first heard live, on the CD.
You know why he probably did that dont you?

Here is a link where you can get a CD of it or even an audio download too.

http://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Marciano-vs ... B00290OXV6