Jack Dempsey
250px
Statistics
Real name	William Harrison Dempsey
Nickname(s)	Kid Blackie Manassa Mauler
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Reach	77 in (196 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1895-06-24)June 24, 1895 Manassa, Colorado
Died	May 31, 1983(1983-05-31) (aged 87) New York City, New York
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	83
Wins	65
Wins by KO	51
Losses	6
Draws	11
No contests	1

William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey ("The Manassa Mauler") (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983) was an American professional boxer who held the World Heavyweight Championship from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first million dollar gate. He is listed #10 on The Ring's list of all-time heavyweights and #7 among its Top 100 Greatest Punchers. In 1950, the Associated Press voted Dempsey as the greatest fighter of the past 50 years.^[1] He is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Early life and career[link]

Born in Manassa, Colorado, with the name of William Harrison Dempsey, he grew up in Colorado, West Virginia and Utah, in a poor family of mixed ancestry. His father, Hiram Dempsey, was of Irish, Cherokee descent and his mother, Mary Celia (née Smoot), was also of Irish and Cherokee descent.^[2] Both parents became Mormon converts,^[3] and Jack was baptized on August 2, 1903, after he reached the required age of accountability. Jack would later write, "I'm proud to be a Mormon. And ashamed to be the Jack Mormon that I am."^[4] Because his father had difficulty finding work, the family traveled often. He dropped out of grade school to work. Dempsey left home at the age of 16, eager to start a better life for himself. Due to lack of money, he frequently had to travel underneath trains and sleep in hobo camps. However, Dempsey was a strong, powerful youth who soon discovered a talent for fighting. With the help of his older brother Bernie, he commenced training as a professional boxer. In 1927, tragedy befell Dempsey's family when his other brother, John, shot his own wife, then killed himself in a murder-suicide.^[5]

Desperate for the money, Dempsey would occasionally visit saloons and challenge for fights saying "I can't sing and I can't dance, but I can lick any SOB in the house." If anyone accepted the challenge, bets would be wagered. According to Dempsey's autobiography, he rarely lost these barroom brawls. A little known fact about Dempsey is that for a short time he was a part-time bodyguard for Thomas F. Kearns, president of The Salt Lake Tribune and son of Utah's U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns (no relation to Jack Kearns). The two men remained friends for years afterward.

Dempsey's exact boxing record is not known, because he occasionally boxed under the pseudonym, "Kid Blackie." (His use of the pseudonym continued until 1916). Meanwhile, he first appeared as "Jack Dempsey" in 1914, after an earlier middleweight boxer Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey, drawing with Young Herman in six rounds. After that fight, he won six bouts in a row by knockout (as Jack Dempsey), before losing for the first time, on a disqualification in four rounds to Jack Downey. During this early part of his career, Dempsey campaigned in Utah, frequently entering fights in towns up and down the Wasatch mountain range and keeping in shape with such sparring partners as Frank VanSickle.

He followed his loss against Downey with a knockout win and two draws versus Johnny Sudenberg in Nevada. Three more wins and a draw followed when he met Downey again, this time resulting in a four-round draw.

Ten wins in a row followed — a streak during which he beat Sudenberg and was finally able to avenge his defeat at the hands of Downey, knocking him out in two rounds. Three more non-decisions ensued. (At this point in the history of boxing, many states and counties forbade the use of judges to score a fight, so if a fight lasted the full distance, it was called a draw or non-decision, depending on the state or county where the fight was held).

While the United States fought World War I in 1917, Dempsey worked in a shipyard while continuing to box. Afterward, he was accused by some boxing fans of being a slacker. It was not until 1920 that he was able to clear his name on that account, when evidence was produced showing he had attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army, but had been turned down. After the war, Dempsey spent two years in Salt Lake City, Utah — "bumming around," as he called it — in a very tough America, before returning to the ring.^[6]

Taking the title[link]

Dempsey mock punching Harry Houdini (held back by Benny Leonard)

Among his opponents were Fireman Jim Flynn, the only boxer ever to beat Dempsey by a knockout when Dempsey lost to him in the first round (although many boxing historians, including Monte Cox, believe the fight was a "fix"),^[7] and Gunboat Smith, formerly a highly ranked contender who had beaten both World Champion Jess Willard and Hall of Famer Sam Langford. Dempsey beat Smith for the third time on a second-round KO.

Dempsey's first manager was John J. Reisler.^[8] Dempsey later hooked up with Jack Kearns, an experienced, clever fight manager who carefully and skillfully guided Dempsey to the top.^[9]

In 1918, Dempsey boxed 17 times, going 15–1 with one no-decision. He avenged his defeat against Flynn by returning the favor, knocking him out in the first round. Among others he beat were Light Heavyweight Champion Battling Levinsky (who had never been knocked out before Dempsey did so), Bill Brennan, Fred Fulton, Carl E. Morris, Billy Miske ("newspaper decision"), heavyweight Lefty Jim McGettigan and Homer Smith. In 1919 he won five regular bouts (plus one 1-round special bout) in a row by knockout in the first round.^[10]

Title fight and controversy[link]

Jack Dempsey (date unknown).

On July 4, 1919, he and World Heavyweight Champion Jess Willard met at Toledo, Ohio, for the world title. Some knowledgeable observers such as Benny Leonard predicted a victory for Dempsey against the vastly larger champion but many called the fight a modern David and Goliath. In the event Willard was knocked down seven times — all in the first round — although it should be remembered that rules at the time permitted standing almost over a knocked-down opponent and hitting him again as soon as both knees had left the canvas. Willard's corner would not let him answer the bell for the fourth round. He was widely reported to have suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs, several broken teeth and a number of deep fractures to his facial bones, an unprecedented level of damage in boxing which aroused suspicion that Dempsey had cheated. Many questioned how the force capable of causing such damage had been transmitted through Dempsey's knuckles without fracturing them.^[6] Although some reporting in the aftermath of the match mentions no real injuries^[11] the New York Times account of the contest is representative of ringside coverage of the actual event from major newspapers, it describes severe swelling being visible on one side of Willard's face.^[12] A still photograph appears to show an unusual degree of discoloration and swelling on the face of Willard.^[6]

A disgruntled Kearns, who had been sacked by Dempsey, gave an account that became known as the "loaded gloves theory" in Sports Illustrated, January 20, 1964. Kearns claimed to have informed Dempsey that he had wagered Dempsey's share of the purse on Dempsey winning with a first-round knockout and had applied plaster of paris to the customary wrappings under Dempsey's gloves, Historian J. J. Johnston said "the films show Willard upon entering the ring walking over to Dempsey and examining his hands." That and an experiment conducted by a boxing magazine seem to disprove Kearns' story.^[13] However, Willard's actions in checking the wraps of his opponent, not a normal procedure, implies he was concerned about foul play, Willard later claimed to have been defeated by gangsterism.^[6] Nat Fleischer, later founder of The Ring Magazine, was there when Dempsey's hands were wrapped: "Jack Dempsey had no loaded gloves, and no plaster of paris over his bandages. I watched the proceedings and the only person who had anything to do with the taping of Jack's hands was Deforest. Kearns had nothing to do with it, so his plaster of paris story is simply not true. Deforest himself said that he regarded the stories of Dempsey's gloves being loaded as libel, calling them 'trash' and said he did not apply any foreign substance to them, which I can verify since I watched the taping."^[14]

Another suggestion is that Dempsey had an object resembling a rail spike in his gloved hand which he used as a knuckleduster during the first round, the only one in which Willard was knocked down.^[6] In the Los Angeles Times (July 3, 1979), Joe Stone, an ex-referee and boxing writer, asserted that in film of the fight an object could be seen lying on the canvas after the final knockdown and that this object appears to be removed by someone who seems to be from Dempsey's corner. The countervailing view is that Dempsey can be seen pushing and holding with the palm of the glove which would have made it all but impossible to keep a spike hidden or in place.^[11]

Dempsey, thinking the fight was over, had left the ring at the end of the first round, a clear violation of the rules which Willard's corner might have used to insist the referee disqualify Dempsey. However, Willard had economized by employing non-professional corner-men and they failed to make the necessary timely objection.^[15]

Title defenses[link]

Dempsey and Carpentier in the arena before the fight

After beating Jess Willard and winning the title, Jack Dempsey traveled around the country, making publicity appearances with circuses, staging exhibitions, and even starring in a low-budget Hollywood movie. Dempsey did not defend his title until September 1920. This was against Billy Miske in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Miske was a good fighter but past his prime when he challenged Jack for the title and was knocked out in three rounds.

Dempsey's second title defense was much tougher, against Bill Brennan in December 1920 at Madison Square Garden, New York City. Brennan had given Dempsey a tough match two years earlier. After ten rounds, Brennan was actually ahead on points, and Dempsey's left ear was bleeding profusely. Dempsey rebounded to stop Brennan in the 12th round.

The next fight for "The Manassa Mauler" was against Frenchman Georges Carpentier, who had been a war hero during World War I and was extremely popular on both sides of the Atlantic.^[16] The bout was shrewdly promoted by Tex Rickard, emphasizing the differences between the two men, and George Bernard Shaw, who claimed that Carpentier was "the greatest boxer in the world" and stacked the odds 50 to 1 against Dempsey.^[17] The anticipation for this bout was tremendous.

The Dempsey-Carpentier contest took place on July 2, 1921 at Boyle's Thirty Acres, Jersey City, New Jersey, generating the first million dollar gate in boxing history. A crowd of 91,000 watched the fight. Though it was deemed "the Fight of the Century" and many people who didn't know much about boxing thought Carpentier had a chance to win, most experts anticipated a one-sided win for Dempsey, and they were right. RCA arranged for live coverage of the match making the event the first national radio broadcast reaching mostly homemade radio sets after first being telegraphed to KDKA for broadcast.^[18]

Carpentier got off to a fast start and reportedly even wobbled Dempsey with a hard right in the second round. A reporter at ringside, however, counted twenty-five punches from Dempsey in a single thirty-one second exchange soon after he was supposedly injured by the right.^[17] Carpentier also broke his thumb in that round, which crippled his chances. In the third, the bigger, stronger Dempsey began to take charge and administered a brutal beating to Georges. The Frenchman was eventually stopped in the fourth round.

Dempsey did not defend his title again until July 1923 against Tommy Gibbons in Shelby, Montana. Gibbons was a skilled, clever boxer, but was not powerful enough against the bigger, stronger Dempsey, who won a 15-round decision.

The last successful title defense for Dempsey was in September 1923 at New York's Polo Grounds. His opponent in the fight was the huge, powerful, yet limited contender Luis Angel Firpo, from Argentina. Attendance was 85,000, with another 20,000 trying to get inside the arena. Dempsey won via a 2nd-round KO, but it was an exciting battle. Firpo was knocked down repeatedly yet continued to battle back, even knocking Dempsey down twice. The second time Dempsey was floored, he went sailing head first through the ring ropes, landing on a reporter's typewriter. Dempsey was out of the ring approximately fourteen seconds, more than the ten seconds for knockdowns inside the ring, but less than the twenty seconds stipulated by the rules when knocked out of the ring. This scene is one of the most memorable in sports history. This fight was so important that it was transmitted live to Buenos Aires by radio and people gathered in the streets to listen to it through primitive amplifiers.^[19] These fights, plus his many exhibitions, movies and endorsements, had made Dempsey one of the richest athletes in the world.

Time off from boxing[link]

Jack Dempsey holding his wife, Estelle Taylor, on his shoulder

After the Firpo brawl, Dempsey did not defend his title for another three years. There was pressure from the public and the media for Dempsey to defend his title against black contender Harry Wills. There is disagreement among boxing historians as to whether Dempsey avoided Wills, though Dempsey claimed he was willing. When he originally won the title, however, he had said he would not fight black boxers.^[20] Instead of defending his title, Dempsey continued to earn money by boxing exhibitions, making movies and endorsing products. Dempsey also did a lot of traveling, spending and partying. During this time away from competitive fighting, Dempsey married actress Estelle Taylor and broke up with his long-time trainer/manager Jack "Doc" Kearns. This break-up did not go smoothly and Kearns repeatedly sued Dempsey for huge sums of money. He was also appointed to the executive of the Irish Worker League (IWL) in April 1924. The IWL was a Moscow backed communist movement founded by Irish labour leader, Jim Larkin, in Dublin.^[21]

Loss of title and the "Long Count"[link]

In September 1926, Dempsey fought Irish-American former U.S. Marine Gene Tunney in Philadelphia.^[22] Tunney was an excellent boxer who had lost only once in his career. Nevertheless, Tunney was still considered the underdog.

In a big upset, Dempsey lost his title on points in ten rounds. No longer displaying his legendary punching power or hand speed, Dempsey was easily outboxed by the slick Tunney who would dodge, use excellent pad level and then let loose with a salvo of punches of his own. The attendance for this fight was a record 120,557, the largest attendance ever for a sporting event outside motor racing and soccer. When the battered Dempsey returned to his dressing room, he explained the defeat to his film actress wife Estelle Taylor by saying, "Honey, I forgot to duck." This phrase was later used by President Ronald Reagan to his wife after Reagan was shot during a failed attempt on his life in 1981.

Dempsey contemplated retiring, but after a few months of rest decided to try a comeback. On July 21, 1927, at Yankee Stadium, he knocked out future Heavyweight Champion Jack Sharkey in the seventh round of an elimination bout for a title shot against Tunney. Sharkey was beating Dempsey until the end, when the fight ended controversially. Sharkey claimed that Dempsey had been hitting him below the belt. When Sharkey turned to the referee to complain, he left himself unprotected. Dempsey crashed a left hook onto Sharkey's chin, knocking him out cold. The referee then counted out Sharkey.

The Tunney rematch took place in Chicago, Illinois, on September 22, 364 days after losing his title to Tunney in their first bout. This fight generated even more interest than the Carpentier and Firpo bouts, generating an amazing $2 million gate, a record that stood for many years. According to legend, Al Capone offered to fix the rematch in his favor, but Dempsey refused. Millions of people around the country listened to the bout on the radio and hundreds of reporters covered the event. Tunney was paid a record one million dollars (equivalent to approximately $13,379,310 in today's funds^[23]) for the Dempsey rematch (his official purse was actually $990,000, so he gave the promoters a check of his own for $10,000 so he could receive the "million dollar payday," a photostat of which is still owned by the Tunney family). Dempsey earned about half that.

Dempsey was losing the fight on points when he knocked Tunney down with a left hook to the chin in the seventh round and landed several more punches. A new rule for boxing at the time mandated that when a fighter knocked down an opponent, he must immediately go to a neutral corner. But Dempsey seemed to have forgotten that rule (compare his fight with Willard where he almost stood over his downed opponent ready to strike again) and refused to immediately move to the neutral corner when instructed by the referee. The referee had to escort Dempsey to the neutral corner, which bought Tunney at least an extra five seconds to recover.

The official timekeeper for the fight counted the time Tunney stayed down as 14 seconds. But, after Dempsey finally went to a neutral corner, the referee started his count and Tunney got up at the referee's count of nine. Dempsey tried to finish Tunney off before the round ended, but he failed to do so. A fully recovered Tunney dropped Dempsey for a count of one in round eight, easily won the final two rounds of the fight and retained the title on a unanimous decision. Ironically, the new rule (which was not yet universal) was requested during negotiations by members of the Dempsey camp. Another discrepancy was the fact that when Tunney knocked Dempsey down, the referee started the count immediately, not waiting for Tunney to move to a neutral corner.^[24] Because of the controversial nature of the fight, it remains known in history as the fight of "The Long Count."

Retirement[link]

This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (April 2009)

Dempsey retired after this bout and made countless exhibition bouts. Dempsey's benevolence was also noteworthy. In June 1932, Dempsey sponsored the "Ride of Champions" bucking horse event at Reno, Nevada; the Dempsey Trophy went to legendary bronc rider Pete Knight. In 1933, Dempsey was approached by the MGM to play a boxer. The film, "The Prizefighter and the Lady," directed by W.S. Van Dyke, starred Dempsey with Myrna Loy and obtained good reviews. In 1935, Dempsey opened Jack Dempsey's Broadway Restaurant in New York City's Times Square, which he kept open until 1974. Although closed today, many years later people still have fond memories of the legendary hangout. Dempsey divorced Taylor and in July 1933 married Broadway singer Hannah Williams (who had just divorced Roger Wolfe Kahn) and had two children with her. Shortly after Dempsey divorced Hannah Williams in 1943, the boxer married Deanna Piatelli and was married to her at the time of his death. Together with Deanna's daughter, Barbara, Dempsey would pen the book "Dempsey" later on in life.

When the United States entered World War II, Dempsey had an opportunity to refute any remaining criticism of his war record of two decades earlier. Dempsey joined the New York State Guard and was given a commission as a first lieutenant. Dempsey resigned that commission to accept a commission as a lieutenant in the Coast Guard Reserve. Dempsey reported for active duty in June 1942 at Coast Guard Training Station, Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, New York, where he was assigned as "Director of Physical Education." Dempsey also made many personal appearances at fights, camps, hospitals and War Bond drives. Dempsey was promoted to lieutenant commander in December 1942 and commander in March 1944. In 1944, Dempsey was assigned to the transport USS Wakefield (AP-21). In 1945, Dempsey was on the attack transport USS Arthur Middleton (APA-25) for the invasion of Okinawa. Dempsey also spent time aboard the USS General William Mitchell (AP-114), where he spent time showing the crew sparring techniques. Dempsey was released from active duty in September 1945 and he was given an honorable discharge from the Coast Guard Reserve in 1952.^[25]

True to his passion for the sport, Dempsey wrote a book on boxing called Championship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense, which was published in 1950. The book emphasizes knockout power derived from enabling fast motion from one's heavy bodyweight. Though no longer in print, Dempsey's book became and remains the recognized treatise in boxing and has influenced such works from Edwin Haislet and Bruce Lee.

Dempsey was also something of a cross-trainer; he wrestled in training camp and later took judo lessons. He later wrote a book on this, How to Fight Tough',' which dealt with close-quarters combat incorporating boxing, wrestling and jiujitsu.^[26]

Dempsey made friends with Wills and Tunney after retirement and many books were written about his life. Dempsey even campaigned for Tunney's son John V. Tunney when he ran for the U.S. Senate, from California. One of Dempsey's best friends was Judge John Sirica, who presided over the Watergate trials.

Death[link]

In 1977, in collaboration with his daughter Barbara Lynn, Jack published his autobiography, titled Dempsey. In May 1983, Dempsey died of heart failure at age 87. With his wife Deanna at his side, his last words were ... "Don't worry honey; I'm too mean to die." He is buried in the Southampton Cemetery in Southampton, New York.

Dempsey is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. The street where Madison Square Garden is located is called Jack Dempsey Corner.

Boxing record[link]

Boxing record

66 Wins (51 T(KO)'s, 14 decisions, 1 disqualification), 6 Losses (1 T(KO), 5 decisions), 11 Draws[27] Date Result Opponent Location Method Round Time Record 1927-09-22 Loss Gene Tunney Soldier Field, Chicago, IL Decision (Unanimous) 10 3:00 66-6-11 Fight was for NBA and World Heavyweight titles. 1927-06-21 Win Jack Sharkey Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, NY KO (Left hook) 7 (15) 0:45 66-5-11 1926-09-23 Loss Gene Tunney Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, PA Decision (Unanimous) 10 3:00 65-5-11 Lost NBA and World Heavyweight titles. 1923-09-14 Win Luis Ángel Firpo Polo Grounds, New York City, NY KO (Short right) 2 (15) 0:57 65-4-11 Retains New York State Athletic Commission and World Heavyweight titles 1923-07-04 Win Tommy Gibbons Shelby, MT Decision (Unanimous) 15 3:00 64-4-11 1922-07-24 Win Jimmy Darcy (born Valeriu Trâmbiţaş) Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, NY Decision 4 3:00 63-4-11 Wins NYSAC Heavyweight title. 1921-07-02 Win Georges Carpentier Boyle's Thirty Acres, Jersey City, NJ KO (Right hook) 4 (12) 62-4-11 Retains World Heavyweight title and won NBA Heavyweight title. 1920-12-14 Win Bill Brennan Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY KO (Body punches) 12 (15) 1:57 61-4-11 Retains World Heavyweight title. 1920-09-06 Win Billy Miske Benton Harbor, MI KO (Right hook) 3 (10) 1:13 60-4-11 Retains World Heavyweight title. 1919-07-04 Win Jess Willard Bay View Park Arena, Toledo, OH TKO (Corner stoppage) 3 (12) 3:00 59-4-11 Wins World Heavyweight title. 1919-04-02 Win Tony Drake New Haven, CT KO 1 0:11 58-4-11 1919-02-13 Win Eddie Smith Altoona, PA KO 1 57-4-11 1919-01-29 Win Kid Henry Easton, PA KO 1 56-4-11 1919-01-23 Win Kid Harris Rajah Theater, Reading, PA KO 1 (3) 55-4-11 1919-01-22 Win Jack Hickey Orpheum Theater, Harrisburg, PA KO 1 (3) 54-4-11 1919-01-15 Win Jim Maguire Grand Theatre, Trenton, NJ KO 1 (3) 1:00 53-4-11 1918-12-29 Win Gunboat Smith Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, NY KO (Short right) 2 (8) 52-4-11 1918-12-16 Win Carl E. Morris Louisiana Auditorium, New Orleans, LA KO (Left hook) 1 (20) 51-4-11 1918-11-28 Win Billy Miske Olympia Club, Philadelphia, PA Decision 6 50-4-11 1918-11-18 Win Dan Flynn Olympia Club, Philadelphia, PA KO (Left hook) 1 (6) 2:16 49-4-11 1918-11-06 Win Battling Levinsky Olympia Club, Philadelphia, PA KO (Right punch) 3 (6) 48-4-11 1918-09-14 Win Jack Moran Moana Springs Arena, Reno, NV KO 1 (10) 47-4-11 1918-09-13 Loss Willie Meehan San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA Decision 4 3:00 46-4-11 1918-08-17 Win Terry Kellar Westwood Field Gym, Dayton, OH TKO 5 (15) 46-3-11 1918-07-27 Win Fred Fulton Federal League Baseball Park, Harrison, NJ KO (Right hook) 1 (8) 0:18 45-3-11 1918-07-06 Win Dan Flynn Atlanta Auditorium, Atlanta, GA KO 1 (10) 44-3-11 1918-07-04 Win Bob Devere Joplin, MO KO 1 (12) 43-3-11 1918-07-01 Win Kid McCarthy Tulsa, OK KO 1 (12) 42-3-11 1918-05-22 Win Dan Ketchell Excelsior Springs, MO KO 2 (10) 1:00 41-3-11 1918-05-20 Win Arthur Pelkey Stockyards Stadium, Denver, CO KO 1 (15) 1:00 40-3-11 1918-05-03 Draw Billy Miske Auditorium, St. Paul, MN Decision draw 10 3:00 39-3-11 1918-03-25 Win Tom Riley Joplin, MO KO 1 (15) 39-3-10 1918-03-06 Win Fred Saddy Memphis, TN KO 1 (8) 38-3-10 1918-02-25 Win Bill Brennan Auditorium, Milwaukee, WI TKO 6 (10) 37-3-10 1918-02-14 Win Fireman Jim Flynn Fort Sheridan, IL KO 1 (10) 1:10 36-3-10 1918-02-04 Win Carl Morris Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, NY Disqualification 6 (10) 35-3-10 1918-01-24 Win Homer Smith Racine, WI KO 1 (10) 1:55 34-3-10 1917-11-02 Win Carl Morris Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, CA Decision 4 3:00 33-3-10 1917-10-02 Win Gunboat Smith Recreation Park, San Francisco, CA Decision 4 3:00 32-3-10 1917-09-26 Win Bob McAllister Arena, Emeryville, CA Decision 4 3:00 31-3-10 1917-09-19 Win Charley Miller Arena, Emeryville, CA KO 1 (4) 30-3-10 1917-09-07 Draw Willie Meehan Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, CA Decision draw 4 3:00 29-3-10 1917-08-10 Draw Willie Meehan Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, CA Decision draw 4 3:00 29-3-9 1917-08-01 Win Al Norton Arena, Emeryville, CA KO 1 (4) 29-3-8 1917-07-25 Win Willie Meehan Arena, Emeryville, CA Decision 4 3:00 28-3-8 1917-04-11 Draw Al Norton West Oakland Club, Oakland, CA Decision draw 4 3:00 27-3-8 1917-03-28 Loss Willie Meehan Arena, Emeryville, CA Decision 4 3:00 27-3-7 1917-03-17 Draw Al Norton West Oakland Club, Oakland, CA Decision draw 4 3:00 27-2-7 1917-02-13 Loss Fireman Jim Flynn Murray, UT KO (Right hook) 1 (15) 0:10 27-2-6 1916-11-28 Win Young Hector Salida, CO KO 2 (10) 27-1-6 1916-10-16 Win Dick Gilbert Salt Lake Theater, Salt Lake City, UT Decision 10 3:00 26-1-6 1916-10-07 Win Terry Kellar Ely, NV Decision 10 3:00 25-1-6 1916-09-28 Win Young Hector Murray Fire Hall, Murray, UT TKO (Retired) 3 (10) 24-1-6 1916-07-14 Draw John Lester Johnson Harlem Sports Club, New York City, NY Decision Draw 10 3:00 23-1-6 1916-07-08 Win Bert Kenny Fairmont Athletic Club, The Bronx, NY Decision 10 3:00 23-1-5 1916-06-24 Win Andre Anderson Fairmont Athletic Club, The Bronx, NY Decision 10 3:00 22-1-5 1916-05-30 Win Bob York Elko Theater, Price, UT KO 4 (6) 21-1-5 Billed for Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight title. 1916-05-17 Win Dan Ketchell Provo, UT KO 3 (6) 20-1-5 1916-05-03 Win Terry Kellar Alhambra Theater, Ogden, UT Decision 10 3:00 19-1-5 Billed for World Light Heavyweight title. 1916-04-08 Win Joe Bonds Ely, NV Decision 10 3:00 18-1-5 1916-03-17 Win George Christian Elko Theater, Price, UT KO 1 (15) 17-1-5 1916-03-09 Win Cyril Kohen Mozart Theatre, Provo, UT KO 4 (6) 16-1-5 1916-02-23 Win Boston Bearcat Armory, Ogden, UT KO 1 (4) 15-1-5 1916-02-21 Win Jack Downey Manhattan Athletic Club, Salt Lake City, UT KO (Right punch) 2 (4) 14-1-5 1916-02-01 Win Johnny Sudenberg Bijo Hall, Ely, NV KO 2 (10) 13-1-5 1915-12-20 Win Jack Gillian Manhattan Athletic Club, Salt Lake City, UT TKO 1 (4) 12-1-5 1915-12-13 Draw Jack Downey Manhattan Athletic Club, Salt Lake City, UT Decision draw 4 3:00 11-1-5 1915-11-19 Win George Copelin Cripple Creek, CO KO 6 (10) 11-1-4 1915-10-23 Win Andy Malloy Montrose, CO KO 3 10-1-4 1915-10-07 Win Andy Malloy Gem Theater, Durango, CO Decision 10 3:00 9-1-4 1915-08-01 Win Fred Woods Moose Hall, Montrose, CO KO 4 8-1-4 1915-06-11 Draw Johnny Sudenberg Tonopah, NV Decision draw 10 3:00 7-1-4 1915-05-31 Draw Johnny Sudenberg Goldfield, NV Decision draw 10 3:00 7-1-3 1915-04-26 Win Emmanuel Campbell Jockey Athletic Club, Reno, NV TKO (Referee stoppage) 4 (4) 7-1-2 1915-04-05 Loss Jack Downey Manhattan Athletic Club, Salt Lake City, UT Decision 4 3:00 6-1-2 1915-04-01 Win Chief Gordon Utah KO 6 6-0-2 1915-03-03 Win Johnny Pierson Utah KO 7 5-0-2 1915-02-26 Draw Laverne Collier Pocatello, ID Decision draw 4 3:00 4-0-2 1915-02-02 Win Joe Lyons Utah KO 9 4-0-1 1915-01-01 Win Jim Johnson Salt Lake City, UT KO 1 3-0-1 1914-11-30 Win Billy Murphy Manhattan Athletic Club, Salt Lake City, UT KO 1 (4) 2-0-1 1914-11-02 Win Young Hancock Manhattan Athletic Club, Salt Lake City, UT KO 1 (4) 1-0-1 1914-08-17 Draw Young Herman Ramona, CO Decision draw 6 3:00 0-0-1 Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jack Dempsey

• Professional boxing record for Jack Dempsey from BoxRec
• Comprehensive video highlights of Dempsey and his contemporaries
• Jack Dempsey's New York Restaurant
• Video Highlights of Dempsey
• Biography at Utah.gov
• Picture of Dempsey contracting to fight Wills in 1925
• Free Downloadable Menu from Jack Dempsey's New York Restaurant

Rocky Marciano (born Rocco Francis Marchegiano; September 1, 1923 – August 31, 1969) was an American professional boxer and the World Heavyweight Champion from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go untied and undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times.

Early years[link]

Marciano was born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts to Pierino Marchegiano and Pasqualina Picciuto. Both of his parents were immigrants from Italy: his father was from Ripa Teatina, Abruzzo, while his mother was from San Bartolomeo in Galdo, Campania. Rocky had three sisters—Alice, Concetta and Elizabeth—and two brothers—Sonny and Peter. When he was about eighteen months old, he got pneumonia, from which he almost died.

In his youth, he played baseball, worked out on homemade weightlifting equipment (later in his life, Marciano was also a client of Charles Atlas)^[1] and used a stuffed mail bag that hung from a tree in his back yard as a heavy bag. He attended Brockton High School, where he played both baseball and football. However, he was cut from the school baseball team because he had joined a church league, violating a school rule forbidding players from joining other teams. He dropped out of school after finishing tenth grade.

Marciano then worked as a chute man on delivery trucks for the Brockton Ice and Coal Company. He also worked as a ditch digger and as a shoemaker. Rocky was also a resident of Hanson, Massachusetts; the house he lived in still stands on Main Street.

In March 1943, Marciano was drafted into the Army for a term of two years. Stationed in Swansea, Wales, he helped ferry supplies across the English Channel to Normandy. After the war ended, he completed his service in March 1946 at Fort Lewis, Washington.^[2]

Amateur career[link]

Marciano's amateur record was 8–4.^[3] While awaiting discharge, Marciano, representing the army, won the 1946 Amateur Armed Forces boxing tournament. His amateur career was interrupted on March 17, 1947, when Marciano stepped into the ring as a professional competitor. That night, he knocked out Lee Epperson in three rounds. In an unusual move, however, Marciano returned to the amateur ranks and fought in the Golden Gloves All-East Championship Tournament in March 1948. He was beaten by Coley Wallace.^[4] He continued to fight as an amateur throughout the spring and competed in the AAU Olympic tryouts in the Boston Garden. There, he knocked out George McInnis, but hurt his hands during the bout and was forced to withdraw from the tournament. That was his last amateur bout.^[5]

In late March, 1947, Marciano and a few of his friends traveled to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to try out for the Fayetteville Cubs, a farm team for the Chicago Cubs baseball team.^[6] Marciano lasted three weeks before being cut. After failing to find a spot on another team, he returned to Brockton and began boxing training with longtime friend, Allie Colombo. Al Weill and Chick Wergeles served as his managers and Charley Goldman as his trainer and teacher.

Professional career[link]

Although he had one professional fight (against Lee Epperson), on his record, Marciano began fighting permanently as a professional boxer on July 12, 1948. That night, he notched a win over Harry Bilizarian (3–6–0). He won his first sixteen bouts by knockout, all before the fifth round, and nine before the first round was over. Don Mogard (17–9–1) became the first boxer to last the distance (full 10 rounds scheduled) with "The Rock," but Marciano won by unanimous decision.

Early in his career, he changed the spelling of his last name. The ring announcer in Providence, Rhode Island could not pronounce Marchegiano, so Marciano's handler, Al Weill, suggested they create a pseudonym. The first suggestion was Rocky Mack, which Marciano rejected. He decided to go with the more Italian-sounding "Marciano."^[7]

Marciano won three more fights by knockout and then he met Ted Lowry (58–48–9), who, according to many scribes and witnesses, probably managed to win three or four of the ten rounds from Marciano. Nevertheless, Marciano kept his winning streak alive by beating Lowry by unanimous decision. Four more knockout wins followed, including a five rounder on December 19, 1949 with Phil Muscato (56–20–0), an experienced heavyweight from Buffalo, New York and the first "name fighter" Marciano would face. Three weeks after that fight, Marciano beat Carmine Vingo (16–1–0) by a fifth round knockout in New York that almost killed Vingo.

Marciano vs. La Starza[link]

On March 24, 1950, Marciano fought Roland La Starza, winning by split decision. La Starza may have come closer than any other boxer to defeating Marciano. The scoring for the bout was 5–4, 4–5, 5–5 and Marciano won on a supplemental point system used by New York and Massachusetts at that time. It should also be noted that this scoring system did not award an extra point for a knockdown and Marciano scored a knockdown in this fight. Referee Watson decided the bout, scoring it 9–6 for Marciano. Both boxers were undefeated at the time of the fight, with La Starza's record at 37–0.

Subsequent bouts[link]

Marciano won three more knockouts in a row before a rematch with Lowry (61–56–10). Marciano again won by unanimous decision. After that, he won four more by knockout, and, after a decision win over Red Applegate (11–14–2) late April 1951, he was showcased on national television for the first time, when he knocked out Rex Layne (34–1–2) in six rounds on July 12, 1951.

On Oct. 27, 1951, the 28 year old, Marciano, took on the 37 year old, Joe Louis. Coming into the bout, Marciano was 6½ to 5 underdog.^[8] Marciano would upset the favorite, Louis, in what would be the latter's last career bout, a result that left him with mixed emotions, as Louis had been his childhood idol.

After four more wins, including victories over 35 year old, Lee Savold (96–37–3) and Harry Matthews (81–3–5), Marciano got his shot at the title.

Championship fights[link]

Marciano, 28, faced the World Heavyweight Champion, 38-year-old Jersey Joe Walcott in Philadelphia on September 23, 1952. Walcott dropped Marciano in the first round and steadily built a points lead; but in the thirteenth, Walcott used his trademark feint to set up his right hand, but Marciano's "Suzie Q" landed first. Marciano landed a glancing left hook as Walcott slumped to his knees with his arm draped over the ropes. He lay motionless long after he had been counted out and Marciano became the new World Heavyweight Champion. At the time of the stoppage, Walcott was leading on all scorecards, 8–4, 7–5 and 7–4.

His first defense came a year later, a rematch against Walcott, 39, who this time was knocked out in the first round.

Next, it was Roland La Starza's turn to challenge Marciano. After building a small lead on the judges' scorecards all the way to the middle rounds, Marciano won the rematch by a technical knockout in the eleventh round.

Then came two consecutive bouts against former World Heavyweight Champion and light heavyweight legend, Ezzard Charles, 33, who became the only man to ever last fifteen rounds against Marciano.^[9] Marciano won the first fight on points and the second by an eighth-round knockout. Then, Marciano met British and European Champion, Don Cockell. Marciano knocked him out in the ninth round.

Marciano's last title bout was against 38 year old, Archie Moore, on September 21, 1955. The bout was originally scheduled for September 20, but because of hurricane warnings, it had to be delayed a day. Marciano was knocked down for a four count in the second round, but recovered and retained his title by way of a knockout in round nine.

Marciano announced his retirement on April 27, 1956.^[10]

After boxing[link]

Marciano considered a comeback in 1959 when Ingemar Johansson won the Heavyweight Championship from Floyd Patterson on June 26, 1959. After only a month of training in three years, Marciano decided against it and never seriously considered a comeback again.^[11]

After his retirement, Marciano entered the world of television, first appearing in the Combat! episode "Masquerade" and then hosting a weekly boxing show on TV in 1961. For a brief period, he worked as a troubleshooting referee in wrestling (Marciano was a good wrestler in high school). He continued as a referee and boxing commentator in boxing matches for many years. He was also active in business as a partner and vice president of Papa Luigi Spaghetti Dens, a San Francisco based franchise company formed by Joe Kearns and James Braly.

In late July 1969, shortly before his death, Marciano participated in the filming of the fantasy, The Superfight: Marciano vs. Ali. The two boxers were filmed sparring, then the film was edited to match a computer simulation of a hypothetical fight between them, each in their prime. It aired on January 20, 1970, with one version Marciano winning and the second version having Ali winning. When asked if he could have defeated Ali in a real fight, Marciano replied: "I'd be conceited if I said I could, but I'd be lying if I said I couldn't."

Death[link]

In 1969, on the eve of his 46th birthday, Marciano was a passenger in a small private plane, a Cessna 172^[12] headed to Des Moines, Iowa. It was at night and bad weather had set in. The pilot, Glenn Belz, had only 231 total hours of flying time, only 35 of them at night, and was not certified to fly in instrument meteorological conditions. Belz tried to set the plane down at a small airfield outside Newton, Iowa, but hit a tree two miles short of the runway. Rocky, Belz and 22-year-old Frankie Farrell (son of Italian mobster Louis Fratto) were killed on impact. The National Transportation Safety Board report said, "The pilot attempted an operation exceeding his experience and ability level, continued visual flight rules under adverse weather conditions and experienced spatial disorientation in the last moments of the flight."^{[13] [14]} Marciano was on his way to give a speech to support a friend's son and there was a surprise birthday celebration waiting for him. He had hoped to return early morning for his 46th birthday celebration with his wife. He was coming from a dinner in Chicago at STP CEO Andy Granatelli's home.

He is interred in a crypt at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His wife, who died five years after him at the age of 46, is entombed next to him. His father died in March 1972, his mother in early January 1986.

Legacy[link]

Rocky Marciano Statue in Italy

In 1971, Nat Fleischer, perhaps boxing's most famous historian and also editor and founder of Ring magazine, named Marciano as the all-time 10th greatest Heavyweight Champion.^[15] Nat Fleischer wrote that in terms of boxing ability Marciano was "crude, wild swinging, awkward, and missed heavily. In his bout with Light Heavyweight Champion Archie Moore, for example, he missed almost two-thirds of the fifty odd punches he tossed when he had Archie against the ropes, a perfect target for the kill."^[16]

John Durant^{[disambiguation needed ]} author of The Heavyweight Champions wrote in 1971 (pg. 123) “Critics do not rate Rocky with the great ones, like Jeffries, Johnson, Dempsey, Tunney, and Louis. He never faced top-fighters like they did. It was not Rocky’s fault, of course, that there was not much talent when he was fighting. He fought them all and that is what a champion is supposed to do.”

In December 1962, a Ring magazine poll of 40 boxing experts had Jack Dempsey rated the #1 Heavyweight of all time, with Joe Louis 2nd, Jack Johnson 3rd and Marciano 7th. Charley Rose, a historian, and John McCallum's Survey of Old Timers (survey of a group of historians and writers), rated Marciano at #8 and #9 of greatest heavyweights of all time.^[17]

In 1998, Ring named Marciano as the 6th greatest Heavyweight Champion ever. In 2002, Ring numbered Marciano at #12 on the list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years. In 2003, Ring rated Marciano #14 on the list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. In 2005, Marciano was named the fifth greatest heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization.^[18] A 1977 ranking by Ring listed Marciano as the greatest Italian American fighter. In 2007, on ESPN.com's list of the 50 Greatest Boxers of All Time, Marciano was ranked #14.

Marciano holds the record with heavyweight Brian Nielsen for the longest undefeated streak by a heavyweight. He also has the record for being the only World Heavyweight Champion to go undefeated throughout his career. Willie Pep, a featherweight, had a perfect 62–0 record before he was defeated once, followed by a 72–0–1 undefeated streak. Packy McFarland was a lightweight (fighting between 1904–1915) who lost his first fight and then won his next 98, though he never won the lightweight title. Heavyweight Champion Gene Tunney never suffered a defeat at heavyweight and retired as champion, although he did lose one fight at light heavyweight.

Throughout history, only a few boxers have retired as undefeated world champions. As of 2009 apart from Marciano only Michael Loewe, Pichit Sitbangprachan, Harry Simon, Sven Ottke and Joe Calzaghe retired with a perfect record containing neither defeats nor draws.

Marciano was knocked down to the canvas only twice in his professional career. The first occurred in his first championship against Jersey Joe Walcott, 38, and the second occurred against Archie Moore, 38.

On the bootleg tapes of The Beatles in session in 1965 recording Think For Yourself, John Lennon can be heard reflecting and joking about a meeting he had with Marciano, in which Marciano talked about Joe Louis.

Marciano's punch was tested and it was featured in the December 1963 issue of Boxing Illustrated: "Marciano's knockout blow packs more explosive energy than an armour-piercing bullet and represents as much energy as would be required to spot lift 1000 pounds one foot off the ground."^[19][20]

Marciano was named fighter of the year by Ring three times. His three championship fights between 1952–54 were named fights of the year by that magazine. In 2006, an ESPN poll voted Marciano's 1952 championship bout against Walcott as the greatest knockout ever. Marciano also received the Hickok Belt for top professional athlete of the year in 1952. In 1955, he was voted the second most important American athlete of the year.

Marciano is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.

A bronze statue of Marciano was planned for a 2009 completion date in his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts, to be a gift to the city by the World Boxing Council. The artist Mario Rendon, head of the Instituto Universitario de las Bellas Artes in Colima, Mexico, was selected to sculpt the statue.^[21] After years of delays in the planning stages,^[22] the groundbreaking for the statue was held on April 1, 2012 on the grounds of Brockton High School.^[23]

A bronze statue of Marciano has been erected in Ripa Teatina, Italy, to celebrate the birthplace of Marciano's father.

Professional boxing record[link]

49 Wins (43 knockouts, 6 decisions), 0 Losses, 0 Draws[24]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Win	49–0	Archie Moore	KO	9 (15)	21/09/1955	Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title.
Win	48–0	Don Cockell	TKO	9 (15)	16/05/1955	Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, California, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title.
Win	47–0	Ezzard Charles	KO	8 (15)	17/09/1954	Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title. 1954 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win	46–0	Ezzard Charles	UD	15	17/06/1954	Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title.
Win	45–0	Roland La Starza	TKO	11 (15)	24/09/1953	Polo Grounds, New York, New York, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title. 1953 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win	44–0	Jersey Joe Walcott	KO	1 (15)	15/05/1953	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States	Retained World Heavyweight title.
Win	43–0	Jersey Joe Walcott	KO	13 (15)	23/09/1952	Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Won World Heavyweight title. 1952 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win	42–0	Harry Matthews	KO	2 (10)	28/07/1952	Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, United States	World Heavyweight Title Eliminator.
Win	41–0	Bernie Reynolds	KO	3 (10)	12/05/1952	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	40–0	Gino Buonvino	KO	2 (10)	21/04/1952	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	39–0	Lee Savold	RTD	6 (10)	13/02/1952	Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	38–0	Joe Louis	TKO	8 (10)	26/10/1951	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	37–0	Freddie Beshore	KO	4 (10)	27/08/1951	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Win	36–0	Rex Layne	KO	6 (10)	12/07/1951	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	35–0	Willis Applegate	UD	10	30/04/1951	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	34–0	Art Henri	TKO	9 (10)	26/03/1951	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	33–0	Harold Mitchell	TKO	2 (10)	20/03/1951	Auditorium, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Win	32–0	Keene Simmons	TKO	8 (10)	29/01/1951	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	31–0	Bill Wilson	TKO	1 (10)	18/12/1950	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	30–0	Ted Lowry	UD	10	13/11/1950	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	29–0	Johnny Shkor	TKO	6 (10)	18/09/1950	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	28–0	Gino Buonvino	TKO	10 (10)	10/07/1950	Braves Field, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Win	27–0	Eldridge Eatman	TKO	3 (10)	05/06/1950	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	26–0	Roland La Starza	SD	10	24/03/1950	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	25–0	Carmine Vingo	KO	6 (10)	30/12/1949	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	24–0	Phil Muscato	TKO	5 (10)	19/12/1949	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	23–0	Pat Richards	TKO	2 (8)	02/12/1949	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	22–0	Joe Dominic	KO	2 (10)	07/11/1949	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	21–0	Ted Lowry	UD	10	10/10/1949	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	20–0	Tommy DiGiorgio	KO	4 (10)	26/09/1949	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	19–0	Pete Louthis	KO	3 (10)	16/08/1949	New Page Arena, New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States
Win	18–0	Harry Haft	KO	3 (10)	18/07/1949	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	17–0	Don Mogard	UD	10	23/05/1949	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	16–0	Jimmy Evans	TKO	3 (10)	02/05/1949	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	15–0	Jimmy Walls	KO	3 (10)	11/04/1949	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	14–0	Artie Donato	KO	1 (10)	28/03/1949	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	13–0	Johnny Pretzie	TKO	5 (10)	21/03/1949	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	12–0	Gilley Ferron	TKO	2 (6)	14/12/1948	Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	11–0	James Patrick Connolly	TKO	1 (8)	29/11/1948	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	10–0	Bob Jefferson	TKO	2 (6)	04/10/1948	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	9–0	Gilbert Cardone	KO	1 (4)	30/09/1948	Uline Arena, Washington, United States
Win	8–0	Bill Hardeman	KO	1 (6)	20/09/1948	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	7–0	Humphrey Jackson	KO	1 (6)	13/09/1948	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	6–0	Jimmy Weeks	TKO	1 (6)	30/08/1948	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	5–0	Eddie Ross	KO	1 (6)	23/08/1948	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	4–0	Bobby Quinn	KO	3 (4)	09/08/1948	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	3–0	John Edwards	KO	1 (4)	19/07/1948	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	2–0	Harry Bilzerian	TKO	1 (4)	12/07/1948	Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Win	1–0	Lee Epperson	KO	3 (4)	17/03/1948	Valley Arena, Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States	Pro debut for Marciano who used name Rocky Mack.