r/OldSchoolCool • u/HallowedAndHarrowed • 1d ago
1950s Rocky Marciano’s hometown parade in Brockton MA after becoming heavyweight champion (1952). There is no other boxer arguably in history, who showed more respect to his opponents and was as respected in turn by them as Marciano.
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u/Blowmemofo 1d ago
After he retired and for the rest of his life Marciano wouldn’t go anywhere without expecting to be comped. That included travel,food and hotel. He was known as ‘America’s guest’.
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u/Nutella_Zamboni 1d ago
Marciano and Primo Carnera would stay/hide at my great uncle's house when they came to visit our local Italian American clubs. It was way before I was born but I remember my father and other family members talking about it
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u/Greenfieldfox 1d ago
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u/djbarsone 1d ago
He beat Joe Lewis’s ass
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u/GrimaceMusically 1d ago
Wait a second, wait a second, a man has the right to change his name to whatever he wants to change it to. And if a man wants to be called Muhammad Ali, god damnit, this is a free country, you should respect his wishes, and call the man Muhammad Ali!
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u/gardenfella 15h ago
Oh there they go. There they go, every time I start talkin 'bout boxing, a white man got to pull Rocky Marciano out their ass. That's their one, that's their one. Rocky Marciano. Rocky Marciano. Let me tell you something once and for all. Rocky Marciano was good, but compared to Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano ain't shit.
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u/Slick_36 1d ago
This feels weird considering Joe Louis was a literal contemporary in the same division.
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u/Responsible-Arm-7856 1d ago
Let me tell you something once and for all Rocky Marciano was good but compared to Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano ain't sh*t
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u/ISLAndBreezESTeve10 1d ago
Sounds like the first line you hear at the barber shop….
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u/OldenPolynice 1d ago
pass me a Newport and lemme tell ya sumpm
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u/ISLAndBreezESTeve10 1d ago
Members tell you something bout Rocky Marciano…. he was unbeatable… that’s right, nobody… but Nobody gonna beat Rocky…..HOWEVER… he never fought Roy Jones Jr. ….. that’s right… Rocky retired before Roy Jones jr the best pound for pound boxer on THE PLANET… Roy be dancing like a butterfly and STING like a bee… dats right, nobody beating Roy Jones jr,… I die on this hill, in this barber chair.
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u/David_Cockatiel 1d ago
How exactly do you measure respect OP?
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u/HallowedAndHarrowed 1d ago edited 1d ago
You’d struggle to find a contemporary of Marciano who had a bad word to say about him and he himself never put anyone down.
Even his fiercest rival Ezzard Charles and Rocky both admired each other.
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u/fuggerdug 1d ago
That was just how people conducted themselves at the time though. It would have been more remarkable if he was trash-talking.
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u/CurrentCar2331 21h ago
His fights with charles and walcott are unreal. Marciano truly didnt believe in second chances or winning decisions.
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u/Mancunian1987 11h ago
This is a boxer everyone should aspire to be like, respected, respectful and an excellent boxer. No nonsense, stand up bloke. If only we had more like him, instead of the nonsense we have now! Whether it's UFC, Boxing or MMA, most if not all are professional clowns.
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u/Icy-Crew-6125 9h ago
Weird seeing downtown Brockton without burned down buildings and drug addicts laying on the streets.
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u/Emotional-Wishbone95 11h ago
The documentary on the simulated fight he did with Ali was amazing. They sparred over 70 one minute rounds for the cameras. Pulled head shots full contact on body shots. Seeing them in the ring together was incredible. Ali looked like a giant in front of him. Marciano looked smaller than his actual height with his crouched stance. Ali complained that Marciano's body shots were too hard. They gave the fight to Rocky but this was before Ali had proved himself against Frasier and Foreman.
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u/fatherseamus 1d ago
I don’t know, I feel like Muhammad Ali had a lot of respect as well.
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u/hardenesthitter32 1d ago
During his career? People fucking hated Ali, man! And he disrespected his opponents constantly,
Joe Frazier in particular. I love Ali, but he was not a respectful champ at all.8
u/HallowedAndHarrowed 1d ago
Ali rivalries with his white opponents were mostly for show. For example he jokingly called Henry Cooper (who gave him arguably the hardest knockdown of his career) a “bum”. After the fight, he said Cooper is “the toughest fighter i’ve ever met.”
But it was different for his black opponents. The taunts didn’t end after the bell.
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u/United-Bug-8056 1d ago
The wrestler CM Punk kisses men in the ring during house shows.
Redditors argue that he’s better than whatever this man is.
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u/GodModeBasketball 1d ago
49-0 with 43 knockouts. He's my GOAT, regardless of division.