Marciano V. Cockell

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 823, 6 May 1955, Page 18

Marciano V. Cockell

T 5.0 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17 (New Zealand time) a 26-year-old British farmer will walk into the centre of the ring in the Kezar Stadium (seating capacity 63,000) in San Francisco, shake hands with a gentleman /named Mr. Rocco Francis Marchegiana, and then try to take the title of world’s champion heavyweight boxer from him. 'Mr. Marchegiana, known more _pro--nounceably as Rocky Marciano, will resist. ,The result of this difference of ‘opinidn will be of interest to all concerned, including New Zealand listeners, who will hear a round-by-round rebroadcast of the fight from 2YA, at a time not yet fixed, on the evening of the bout. If the challenger, Don Cockell, wins he will be the first British world heavyweight champion since Bob Fitzsimmons beat Gentleman Jim Corbett in 1897. As it is, he is the first British contender since Tommy Farr went the distance with, but lost on points, to Joe Louis. What are Cockell’s chances? For those who like their form straight, this might help: Probably Cockell has met only two top-ranking American fighters, first, La Starza, whom he beat on points: in London, and who lasted 11 rounds with Marciano; and secondly, Harry Matthews, avery good light-heavy-weight, whom Cockell beat three times. On the other hand, the American coloured boxer, Jimmy Slade, a former. light-heavyweight contender, beat Cockell in four rounds when Cockell was being groomed by Jack Solomon for the world light-heavyweight championships. All of this suggests that there are others who may well have had a prior claim to a bout with Marciano, notably the Cuban fighter, Valdez. Nevertheless, American sports writers are perhaps ‘being rash for writing a history of the match (with Marciano an early victor) before the bell goes, for Cockell will weigh in at 15 stone, probably about a stone heavier than Marciano, and further, most sports writers seem to rate Cockel] the better boxer. _ Whatever Marciano’s shortcomings as a scientific boxer he has so far had one great virtue: he has always won. All of his first seven professional fights (the first was on July 12, 1948) he won by k.o.’s, six in the first round and one in the third. The first time he was knocked down himself was by. the champion Jersey Joe Walcott in 1952--but he got right up again and took the title off Walcott in the 13th. By that time he had had 43 bouts, all 43. of ‘them wins-including 38 Anock-outs. Since then he has defended his title four times: against Walcott, La Starza and Ezzard Charles (twice). Incidentally, the Kezar Stadium is three stories high and oval-shaped, containing a running track, while within that is an American football gridiron, 120 yards long and nearly 100 yards wide. A tunnel, a quarter of a mile long, connects ‘the stadium with the dressing rooms outside-quite a distance to carry the unlucky one.