Marciano vs Charles II/Sept.17.1954(60th anniv.)

[Caractacus]

Today will mark the 60th anniversary of the rematch between World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Marciano
and number one contender Ezzzard Charles.
Originally Marciano was planned to face Don Cockell that September,but the first fight with Charles proved to be so
great that a public demand demanded a rematch between the two.

[Caractacus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24dduWIzTHM

[Caractacus]

It was heard live on a coast to coast CBS Radio broadcast
and seen live via Closed circuit in 70 theaters and arenas in 50 cities across the USA.

[Caractacus]

Here are rounds one and two with voice over commentery from Rocky Marciano himself.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV3ykOkXAQc

[Caractacus]

rounds three and four


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYs6Gt3-YKc

[Caractacus]

Rounds Five and Six with more commentery by the Rock.

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

[Caractacus]

Rounds seven and eight and the knock out.
(check out the shape of The Rocks nose as he gets off the stool for round seven,
aahh man,that looks sick).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtznwyeGzN0

[Caractacus]

Here is a bonus for the sixteeth anniversary.
The original CBS radio broadcast with blow by blow by Russ Hodges.
(approx 12 minutes of highlights of the original CBS radio broadcast)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN-XjXONPrU

[Caractacus]

Check out this photo of Marciano's face after the bout after they stopped the bleeding and cleaned off the blood.
(scroll down to very bottom of the page for larger image)


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rocky-Marciano- ... 0595405111

[Tomasino]

Great commentary from the Rock. What a punishing fight that was.

[Caractacus]

here is another photo of the Rocks split nose before it was sewn up.(yuck!)

http://www.boxing-ring.blogspot.com/201 ... es-ii.html

[Caractacus]

here is part of a chapter from the book
ROCKY MARCIANO:A Man of his Times by Russell Sullivan,
that has some good insight into the second fight.
pp 227-232.


http://books.google.com/books?id=BH4LHM ... g=PA227&dq

[Tomasino]

here is another photo of the Rocks split nose before it was sewn up.(yuck!)

http://www.boxing-ring.blogspot.com/201 ... es-ii.html

The Rock was as tough as they come. Loved watching that fight.

[BoxBuzz]

I think the amazing thing to witness is the Rocks nimble retreat to the neutral corner when he knocks Ezz down. It's like he's a track and field star.

In our present era, fighters lumber to the corner at a snails pace to comply with that rule if fights go past 2 rounds...lol.

At every knockdown he moves like a jaguar running to the corner and ready to pounce back when Ezz is allowed to continue .

Far more graceful in his compliance with that rule, than he is in the fight itself.


I'm of course impressed with his obvious conditioning.

[Tomasino]

I think the amazing thing to witness is the Rocks nimble retreat to the neutral corner when he knocks Ezz down. It's like he's a track and field star.

In our present era, fighters lumber to the corner at a snails pace to comply with that rule if fights go past 2 rounds...lol.

At every knockdown he moves like a jaguar running to the corner and ready to pounce back when Ezz is allowed to continue .

Far more graceful in his compliance with that rule, than he is in the fight itself.


I'm of course impressed with his obvious conditioning.

He was a fighting machine. Relentless. He could block and slip punches pretty well too. We both know Archie's master Ezzard was no slouch ;;-)

[Caractacus]

Check out the big right hand that Ezzard Charles throws and lands right on the button of Marciano's chin after the bell had rings at 7:03 of this clip.
I think Russ Hodges the radio blow by blow man had said seconds afterwards,that Marciano had a 'sickening grin" on his face the second it
happened as he walked back to his corner.Probably because he had dropped his hands when the bell rang and number one rule of boxing was
'Protect yourself at all times".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN-XjXONPrU

[Caractacus]

...and to commerate the 61st anniversary of the fight today.
Here is a brief clip of Ezzard Charles and the Heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano training for the fight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5rh5aoQVTI

[Caractacus]

here is some even more briefer footage of The Rock hitting the heavy bag and the speed bag in getting ready for the fight.

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

[Caractacus]

Check out this song that was released in 1957 that possibly(or possibly not) have been inspired by Marciano's thunderous right hand.
Your gonna like it (I gaur-an-tee,and get your cowbell ready !)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0L44Zea9Ms

[yancey]

Were punches to the back of the head considered acceptable back in that '50s era?

[Caractacus]

Ezzard Charles eating that stack of pancakes in that training footage sort of reminds you of a condemed prisioners last meal.

[Caractacus]

...and to commerate the 61st anniversary of the fight today.
Here is a brief clip of Ezzard Charles and the Heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano training for the fight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5rh5aoQVTI

btw did you see that seven foot plus guy in that clip that Ezzard Charles was shooting hoops with.
Was that Wilt"The Big Dipper" Chamberlain?

[punchoutsb]

Such a great fight. When I hear the words "fighting machine" Rocky is always the first to come to mind. He's grossly underrated today because of his size, and honestly I think his undefeated record weighs against him today too IMO. What a great champion. Thanks for sharing, I hadn't seen some of the clips before.

[Caractacus]

I think before the rematch Ezzard Charles was quoted(anyway) as saying,
... if it wasnt for his punching power(Marciano) would be just another bum in the ring"

Im not a Psychiatrist,but that probably wasnt
the wisest thing to say about"The Brockton Block-buster"
(particularly when he found his nose had been slit in two)

[Caractacus]

Did Rocky Marciano do audio commentery on any of the other fights of his on that show series on television back in the early 1960's?