The Tragic 1969 Death Of World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, on September 1, 1923, to Italian immigrant parents, grew up poor, and held several dead-end jobs, including work as a ditch digger, after he dropped out of high school at 16, per the Boxing News. After taking up boxing at 24, he quickly rose through the ranks. But the possibility of death always haunted the boxing ring.

During his rise to fame, Marciano, who was known as a brutal fighter with a powerful punch, a lack of grace, but a willingness to take hits to make hits, fought one of his toughest battles in 1949, per the Associated Press and Boxing News 24/7. The fight held at Madison Square Garden in December of that year pitted Marciano against Carmine Vingo, and ended in the sixth round with Vingo being sent to the hospital and receiving Last Rites after being given a 50-50 chance of survival. Vingo underwent brain surgery and eventually recovered, but remained partially paralyzed for two years. Marciano had been so shaken up by what happened that he wanted to quit boxing, but Vingo talked him out of it, per Boxing News 24/7.

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