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50 Years Ago This Month, Rocky Marciano KOed Muhammad Ali
At the dawn of the year 1970, Rocky Marciano had been dead for five months and 1012 days had elapsed since Muhammad Ali had last stepped into the ring. But before the first calendar month was over, Marciano and Ali would sling leather in a battle witnessed by roughly a million people in theaters and arenas across North America and by millions more on TV in England and Japan.
What they witnessed, of course, was a simulation, a faux fight. But it wasnât as if Marciano and Ali were animated figures. They actually did share the ring, pulling their punches and occasionally landing a real punch by accident, over the course of 75 one-minute rounds filmed against a black backdrop behind locked doors at Chris Dundeeâs Fifth Street Gym in Miami. Dundee, the older brother of the famous trainer Angelo Dundee, served as the third man in the ring.
The âfightâ between the 45-year-old Marciano (49-0, 43 KOs) and the 28-year-old Ali (29-0, 23 KOs) was the brainchild of Murry Woroner. A man in his mid-40s who grew up in the Bronx, Woroner entered the radio field at a station in the coal-mining town of Harlan, Kentucky, and made several other stops before turning up in Miami where he started his own production company.
Three years earlier, the resourceful Woroner had concocted a heavyweight tournament consisting of 15 fantasy fights that he sold to 380 radio stations around the world. There were 16 entrants, seven deceased, and the last man standing became the mythical greatest heavyweight champion of all time.
A large panel of boxing historians rated each fighter on a host of variables, the results were coded onto punch cards that were fed into a bulky contraption called a computer, and the computer determined the winner of each match. (In the finals, Marciano rallied to stop Jack Dempsey in the 13th round.)
Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, was the only active fighter in the tournament. He was eliminated by turn-of-century stalwart James J. Jeffries in the second round.
Ali/Clay was so incensed by the verdict that he sued Woroner for defamation of character. Jack Johnson had run circles around Jeffries when Jeffries came out of retirement in 1910, and in Aliâs eyes it was absurd to think that he wouldnât have conquered Jeffries in a similarly one-sided fashion.
Murry Woroner reportedly gave Ali $10,000 to drop the suit with the proviso that Ali film a simulated match with Marciano if Marciano could be lured out of retirement. Exiled from boxing and with his bankroll slowly dwindling, Ali accepted the offer. He received an unspecified guarantee plus a percentage of the profits.
In the late spring of 1969, when Marciano consented to participate, he had been out of the ring for 13 years. In retirement, his legend grew his larger â he was the only former heavyweight champion to retire undefeated â and so also did his waistline. A proud man, he lost 50 pounds before the first fake punch was thrown.
Marciano was a bleeder. A lot of ketchup was used during the filming, but lore has it that during one segment Marciano was cut between the eyes so severely that it necessitated a three-week recess. But Ali wasnât unscathed either. He was sidelined, however briefly, when the lumps in his arms became too tender — or so it was written.
After the footage was edited and boiled down to a manageable length, it was placed in a vault where it was guarded, said Time magazine, more closely than the gold in Fort Knox. Only a handful of people knew how the âfightâ would turn out and they were sworn to secrecy. Couriers delivered the final cut to exhibitors less than an hour before it was to be shown, an added measure of protection.
This was a first-class production. Every living former heavyweight champion â except Gene Tunney, who declined to participate â and other ring notables such as The Ring magazine founder Nat Fleischer, was interviewed and appeared on camera. Veteran New York sportscaster Guy LeBow, who had narrated the radio tournament, returned as the blow-by-blow guy.
LeBow wasnât as well-known to boxing fans as Don Dunphy, but he was the perfect choice because of his familiarity with recreations. He had previously worked for the New York Giants baseball team whose road games (and all games in 1958, their first season in San Francisco) aired on a New York radio station with the announcer sitting in a studio working off a Western Union ticker.
Marciano vs. Ali ran on Jan. 20, 1970, a Tuesday, with the opening credits appearing at 7:30 PM Pacific time; three hours later, to the very minute, in the East. At a few of the venues, the movie was conjoined with other entertainment. At Boston Garden, it was paired with a six-fight card. The ending of the fight, which saw Marciano win by stoppage at the 57-second mark of round 13, met with the roaring approval of the Beantown crowd, especially the Italians in the audience who venerated Marciano as if he were the Pope.
Ali, who watched the movie at a theater in Philadelphia, was foiled once again, and once again by a dead man. Three weeks after the final day of filming at the Main Street Gym, and not quite five months before the film appeared on the big screen, Marciano died when the small airplane in which he was an occupant, crashed in an Iowa cornfield.
Of course, Ali held no grudge against Marciano. The two reportedly came to like and respect each other during the course of their Miami adventure. Aliâs beef was with the computer which he characterized as a Mississippi redneck.
Seven different endings were filmed. Itâs widely assumed that the version shown on TV in England was different than the version shown in the United States. Thatâs partly true.
Rocky Marciano wasnât as venerated in England as he was in his native country. Conversely, Muhammad Ali was a far less controversial personality. A much smaller percentage of the British population were inclined to root against him.
When the fantasy fight aired in England, there was a great outcry that Ali had gotten a raw deal. To appease their viewers, a different version was acquired by the TV network. The revision, which aired three days after the original broadcast, showed Ali winning the fight on cuts. However, the round in which the fight was halted wasnât perfectly clear.
Theater owners were forbidden to show the film more than once. If you missed it, you missed it, but eventually a surviving print was located and turned into a DVD. Released in 2005, it was re-titled âThe Superfight: Marciano vs. Ali.â The posters for the original included both names under which Ali was known, but the words âCassius Clayâ were dropped from the promotional materials for the DVD.
Murry Woronerâs fantasy fight hardly settled the argument as to who would have won if Ali and Marciano had met in their respective primes. Many that favor Ali believe he would have won in a cakewalk (similar to Jack Johnson over the aforementioned Jeffries), whereas those favoring Marciano invariably see him taking a lot of punishment before he wears down Ali with his relentless pressure (similar to the first Ali-Frazier fight with Marciano assuming the role of Joe Frazier).
Where do you stand?
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Luis Nery is Devoured by a Monster in Tokyo: Naoya Inoue KO 6
In March of 1988, three days after the official opening of the Tokyo Dome, Mike Tyson christened the arena for boxing with a second-round stoppage of Tony Tubbs. The announced attendance, 51,000, was a record for a boxing match in Japan that would stand for 36 years. A multitude somewhat larger (the exact tally isnât yet official) was on hand today to witness their hero Naoya âMonsterâ Inoue get off the deck to humble Tijuana import Luis Nery.
A former two-division world title-holder, Nery stunned the faithful in the second minute of the opening round when he put Inoue on the canvas with a sweeping left hook. It was the first time that the âMonsterâ had ever been knocked down and (shades of Tyson-Douglas!) it appeared for a moment that another monster upset was brewing in the building that locals fondly call the Big Egg. But Inoue returned the favor in round two when he caught the lunging Nery off-balance and put him down with a sharp left hook and was in control of the fight from that point on.
Inoue produced a second knockdown in round five with a short left hook and closed the show in the following round with a vicious right hand that snapped Neryâs head back and splattered him against the ropes. Referee Michael Griffin waived it off without a count. The official time was 1:22.
Inoue, who won his first pro title in his sixth pro fight, improved to 27-0 (24 KOs) while successfully defending his unified 122-pound title. It was his eighth straight win inside the distance, a run that began with a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney at the MGM Bubble in Las Vegas. Luis Nery, who lost for only the second time in 37 fights, was 2-0 in previous visits to Japan, stopping Shinsuke Yamanaka twice, the second KO of which rucked Yamanaka off into retirement and established Neryâs reputation as a bully.
There were three other world title fights on the card, all of which went the full 12 rounds.
In a mild upset, Yokohama southpaw Yoshiki Takao won a world title in his ninth pro fight, overcoming Australiaâs Jason Moloney (27-3) to capture the WBA bantamweight belt. Moloney mustered a big rally in the final round but couldnât seal the deal. There were no knockdowns but Takao had a point deducted in round two for low blows. The scores were 117-110 and 116-111 twice.
Takuma Inoue, Naoyaâs younger brother, successfully defended his WBA world bantamweight title in his second title defense with a unanimous decision over Osakaâs Sho Ishida (34-4). Takuma, who improved to 20-1, is a good technician but with only five stoppages to his credit, lacks the firepower of his celebrated brother.
In a rematch, WBA super flyweight title-holder Seigo Yuri Akui scored a unanimous decision over countryman Taku Kuwahara. The scores were 118-110 and 117-111 twice.
Akui (20-2-1) was making the first defense of the title he won in January with an upset of long-reigning title-holder Artem Dalakian. In their previous meeting at adjacent Korakuen Hall, Akui saddled Kuwahara (13-2) with his first defeat, scoring a 10th-round stoppage.
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Canelo Alvarez Turns Away Jaime Munguia to Remain Undisputed King at 168
Saul âCaneloâ Alvarez remains Mexicoâs top fighter and the undisputed super middleweight world champion with a resounding victory by unanimous decision over the hard-charging Jaime Munguia on Saturday.
If Mexico had a monarchy Alvarez would be king.
âI am the best Mexican fighter,â said Alvarez.
An announced crowd of 17,492 saw Guadalajaraâs Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) patiently analyze the battle plan of Tijuanaâs Munguiaâs (43-1, 34 KOs) and then unravel it methodically every round at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
It was a battle for Mexico that pitted two dangerous fighters with Munguia entering the prize ring undefeated and hungry to establish himself as Mexicoâs new power. He just wasnât ready.
After Munguia opened up quickly behind a solid jab and combinations, Alvarez calmly blocked and parried the Tijuana fighterâs attacks for three rounds and then it happened.
After success in the first three rounds Munguia opened up with another attack in the fourth that Alvarez calmly timed and snapped a right uppercut to the chin that floored the Tijuana fighter for the first time in his career. He got up from the knockdown and was able to stave off a further Canelo attack.
The momentum suddenly changed and for good.
Alvarez stalked Munguia every round with a more aggressive approach and sometimes set traps for counters. Though the Mexican redhead found success he was unable to floor the taller Munguia again. But he did come close including the seventh when a left hook to the body visibly hurt Munguia. He survived.
It must have been frustrating for Munguia whose improvement in his boxing skills have been noticeable in his last three fights. Even in this fight his ability to defend and return fire against Caneloâs clever moves was a vast improvement over his career three years ago. But its not enough when battling one of the best fighters pound-for- pound in the world.
Four-division world champion Alvarez strategically proved his skills are another level that only a few today possess. It was a valuable lesson for Munguia to learn the same lesson Canelo received against Floyd Mayweather a decade ago.
Experience counts.
âHeâs a fighter with a lot of experience,â said Munguia who had hoped his youth and stamina would help against the 33-year-old Alvarez.
Canelo said Munguia was a great fighter and very strong.
âI take my time,â said Alvarez âHeâs strong but a little slow I saw every punch.â
Though it was the fifth consecutive fight without a knockout, Alvarez was satisfied with the unanimous decision to keep the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF super middleweight titles. It was the first time two Mexican super middleweights fought for all the titles.
Alvarez said this win again proves he can fight whoever he chooses after fighting boxing greats like Miguel Cotto, Mayweather and other champions.
âI can do whatever I want to do,â said Alvarez.
Other Bouts
Mario Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) floored Fabian Maidana (22-3, 16 KOs) in the third round but found the hard-punching Argentine too tough to finish off. Instead, he used a steady stream of jabs to win by unanimous decision after 12 rounds.
A touch left followed by a rifle right cross dropped Maidana. Instead of giving up, the younger brother of the great Marcos Maidana unleashed his own big blows to force Barrios into a more careful strategic fight mode. Especially after one or two blows caused a swelling on his right eye.
But Maidana never could find the antidote for Barriosâs jab that won the majority of the rounds for the San Antonio, Texas fighter. After 12 rounds all three judges scored it 116-111 for Barrios who keeps the interim welterweight title.
After a sluggish start, Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) found his footing midway through the super bantamweight match against Jesse Magdaleno (29-3, 18 KOs) and ended the match with a one-punch belt to the body to win the battle of former champions.
Magdaleno took the lead in the fight with clever boxing but slowly Figueroa cranked up his punch out-put and while during a furious exchange the fighter from Weslaco, Texas connected with a left to the body. Magdaleno could not beat the count at 2:59 of the ninth round.
Figueroa retains the interim super bantamweight title.
Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) used a power jab to separate from Venezuelaâs Gabriel Maestre (6-1-1, 5 KOs) to retain the WBA welterweight world title by unanimous decision.
Despite two years from a ring appearance, Stanionis was able to out-work Maestre, a 37-year-old who was fighting for his first world title. Both had faced each other years ago as amateurs.
No knockdowns were scored but the fast-paced fight was won by the busier Stanionis whose jab was his primary weapon. All three scores favored the Lithuanian fighter 117-111, 118-110, 119-109.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Mielnicki, Ramos and Scull Victorious on Cinco de Mayo Weekend in Las Vegas
Two 10-round junior middleweight prelims aired as teasers for tonightâs four-fight pay-per-view at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the opener; New Jerseyâs Vito Mielnicki Jr (pictured) scored his tenth straight win, advancing to 18-1 (12) with a wide decision over SoCalâs Ronald Cruz. Mielnicki, 21, put Cruz on the canvas in round three and again in round four, but So Calâs Cruz (19-4-1) stayed the course and maintained his distinction of never being stopped. The judges had it 99-89, 98-90, and 96-92 for âWhite Magicâ who had the noted trainer Ronnie Shields in his corner.
In the second bout â the main go of the prelims, so to speak â 23-year-old Arizona southpaw Jesus Ramos rebounded from his first loss (a narrow defeat to Erickson Lubin in this same ring) with a ninth-round stoppage of Johan Gonzalez who was making his third start in the U.S., having fought mostly in Venezuela and Panama.
Gonzalez was rugged, but his record heading in (34-2 with 33 KOs) was deceptive as he was out-classed by Ramos (21-1, 17 KOs) who was credited with landing roughly twice as many punches before he brought the bout to a conclusion. A counter left hook put Gonzalez down hard. He beat the count, but Ramos swarmed after him, rocking him with punches. There were only 5 seconds remining in the ninth frame when referee Harvey Dock waived it off. Gonzalez protested, but it was the right call.
Also
Super middleweight William Scull made his U.S. debut in an 8-round fight. A native of Cuba who had been living in Germany and now hangs his hat in Argentina, Scull, 31, scored a knockdown in the fifth round en route to winning a unanimous decision over New Orleansâ Sean Hemphill (16-2).
Scull is ranked #1 by the IBF, but you wonât find his name in the Top 15 of the other three major sanctioning bodies. Does the obscure William Scull have Canelo Alvarez in his future?
In another undercard bout of note, Mexico City super bantamweight Alan Picasso improved to 28-0-1 (16 KOs) with a fifth-round stoppage of Coloradoâs Damien Vazquez (17-4-1). Picasso, 23, is ranked #2 at 122 by the WBC.
Check back later as TSS West Coast bureau chief David Avila weighs in with a recap of the Canelo-Munguia fight and the three fights preceding it. The bouts are available for purchase on multiple pay-per-view platforms: e.g. Prime, DAZN, and PPV.com.
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