49-0.  For novices of boxing this number will bring to mind the fresh record of Floyd Mayweather, unbeaten American champion who, after his last match on 12 September 2015, has decided to retire.

But this record belongs to a great past with another legend Muhammad Ali has divided and still divides boxing fans about who was the greatest of all time. I’m talking about the legendary Rocky Marciano who was world heavyweight champion from September 23, 1952 to April 27, 1956 and was the only maximum weight of history to retire undefeated, defending the title six times.

Of Italian origin, Marciano was born in Brockton, Querino Marchegiano and Pasqualina Picciuto, two Italian emigrants who had left the country in the early years of the century, in 16 years, thanks to work at the construction site, he developed a powerful and great for boxing.

In ‘ 43, he was drafted into the United States Army and was his first approach to boxing, initially came to escape the ungrateful tasks that the superiors assigned, but over time demonstrated a talent out of the ordinary.

His amateur career consists of 12 meetings culminating with winning the New England Golden Gloves, just one defeat with Coley Wallace did not allow him to remain undefeated even among amateurs.

In 1947 he made his debut among the professionals, the first victim is Lee Epperson who defeated with his deadly right to the body, the first 17 matches were closed from Macdonald all by KO.

In 1951 he met Joe Louis from all considered the stronger Boxer at the time, at least until that time when Rocky landed him with an uppercut-hook combination to 8a recovery.

However Louis was always an idol of Marcian, and after the meeting between the two was a true friendship, which brought Rocky to help former champion, also financially, having fallen out of favor after the withdrawal.

In ‘ 52 Jersey Joe Walcott in Philadelphia was the first boxer to put down Marciano, but the meeting ended the 13th round with the victory of Italian-American boxer who with a powerful directed followed by a hook died light to Merchantville Boxer.

In 1953 he met for the second time another boxing legend, Roland La Starza (beaten for the first time, just from Marciano, after 37 matches) even winning this time though the eleventh resumed, with a terrible right uppercut that sends the opponent off the ropes. In the following years even samples such as Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles manage to resist for more than 10 times.

Marciano is terrifying earning the nickname “The Brockton Blockbuster” (The Brockton bomber) 49 WINS, 43 by knockout including 20 by the third shot. Despite a very crude, slow and with a draw length of very below average heavyweight champion (only 170 cm) manages to put down all the best fighters of the time.

After retiring in 1962, became increasingly insistent the rumours of his return against champion Sonny Liston, but do not place ever since his wife discouraged by any means. In the same year in a plane crash killed Marciano and entered law in the history as the strongest fighter in the history of boxing.

“When the sparring partners have begun to run out,
I realized that there was probably something that worked in what I used to do “(r. Macdonald)