1954 Rocky MARCIANO vs Ezzard CHARLES Heavyweight Championship (1st Meeting) AP Media Boxing Wire Photo
Available is this April 5, 1954 AP Wire Photo of the contract signing between Heavyweight Champion ROCKY MARCIANO,
the BROCKTON BLOCKBUSTER vs Challenger the Cincinnati Cobra EZZARD CHARLES for their title fight on June 17, 1954 at Yankee Stadium, New York.
For four rounds it was all Charles. The 185½-pound, 18-5 underdog boxed beautifully, and had
the 187½-pound ROCKY, bleeding profusely from a wide, inch-and-a-quarter gash over his left eye.
ROCKY rallied in the latter rounds and had a thrilling, come-from-behind 15-round decision over the game,
undaunted EZZARD CHARLES in the savage scrap from Yankee Stadium.
The lean Cincinnati Cobra, who failed for the second time in an attempt to became the first ex-champion
to regain the heavyweight crown, would get his chance in September in a rematch vs ROCKY.
The 29-year-old unbeaten MARCIANO, who went 15 rounds for the first time in his career,
fought his rematch with CHARLES on September 17, 1954 and KO'd CHARLES in the 8th round to retain his Heavyweight Title.
Marciano remains the only fighter to have stopped every opponent he ever faced for the world heavyweight title,
and holds the highest knockout-to-win ratio in world heavyweight title fights at 85.7%.
His career knockout-to-win percentage of 87.8% remains one of the highest in heavyweight boxing history.
Marciano is ranked #14 in The Ring magazine's list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time.
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