Despite Threats, Brockton Needs To Construct Statue For Rocky Marciano

Colin Linneweber

Senior Analyst Written on August 26, 2009

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BOSTON - CIRCA 1955: (UNDATED FILE PHOTO) Baseball legend Ted Williams (1918 - 2002) of the Boston Red Sox (L) laughs as American boxing great Rocky Marciano (1923 - 1969) swings a bat circa 1955. The 83-year-old Williams, who was the last major league player to bat .400 when he hit .406 in 1941, died July 5, 2002 at Citrus County Memorial Hospital in Florida. He died of an apparent heart attack. (Photo by Getty Images)

(Photo by Getty Images)

40 years ago next Monday, former undefeated heavyweight champion of the world Rocky Marciano died instantly when a private plane that he was a passenger in struck a tree near a small airfield outside Newton, Iowa.

Marciano, who remains the only heavyweight champion in boxing history to retire having won every fight in his professional career with an unblemished record of 49-0, was pronounced dead on the eve of his 46^th birthday.

Marciano, the son of immigrants from Italy, was born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts.

“The Rock from Brockton,” who almost succumbed to a case of pneumonia when he was a toddler, is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

As a fitting tribute to the fighter that Ring Magazine ranked the sixth greatest heavyweight champion ever in 1998, a bronze statue of Marciano was planned to be unveiled outside of Brockton High School’s football stadium in time for his birthday on September 1.

Unfortunately, construction on the statue, a gift provided to the city of Brockton by the World Boxing Council (WBC), has been delayed because of financial difficulties and threats.

WBC President Jose Sulaiman revealed that sanction fees paid to the council by boxing promoters have dropped nearly 50 percent and construction of the $300,000, 24-foot bronze statue will now not be completed until later this year, or sometime in 2010.

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written on August 26, 2009 Opinion

Despite Threats, Brockton Needs To Construct Statue For Rocky Marciano

Colin Linneweber

40 years ago next Monday, former undefeated heavyweight champion of the world Rocky Marciano died instantly when a private plane that he was a passenger in struck a tree near a small airfield outside Newton, Iowa.

Marciano, who remains the only heavyweight champion in boxing history to retire having won every fight in his professional career with an unblemished record of 49-0, was pronounced dead on the eve of his 46^th birthday.

Marciano, the son of immigrants from Italy, was born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts.

“The Rock from Brockton,” who almost succumbed to a case of pneumonia when he was a toddler, is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

As a fitting tribute to the fighter that Ring Magazine ranked the sixth greatest heavyweight champion ever in 1998, a bronze statue of Marciano was planned to be unveiled outside of Brockton High School’s football stadium in time for his birthday on September 1.

Unfortunately, construction on the statue, a gift provided to the city of Brockton by the World Boxing Council (WBC), has been delayed because of financial difficulties and threats.

WBC President Jose Sulaiman revealed that sanction fees paid to the council by boxing promoters have dropped nearly 50 percent and construction of the $300,000, 24-foot bronze statue will now not be completed until later this year, or sometime in 2010.

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Despite Threats, Brockton Needs To Construct Statue For Rocky Marciano

Colin Linneweber

40 years ago next Monday, former undefeated heavyweight champion of the world Rocky Marciano died instantly when a private plane that he was a passenger in struck a tree near a small airfield outside Newton, Iowa.

Marciano, who remains the only heavyweight champion in boxing history to retire having won every fight in his professional career with an unblemished record of 49-0, was pronounced dead on the eve of his 46th birthday.

Marciano, the son of immigrants from Italy, was born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts.

“The Rock from Brockton,” who almost succumbed to a case of pneumonia when he was a toddler, is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

As a fitting tribute to the fighter that Ring Magazine ranked the sixth greatest heavyweight champion ever in 1998, a bronze statue of Marciano was planned to be unveiled outside of Brockton High School’s football stadium in time for his birthday on September 1.

Unfortunately, construction on the statue, a gift provided to the city of Brockton by the World Boxing Council (WBC), has been delayed because of financial difficulties and threats.

WBC President Jose Sulaiman revealed that sanction fees paid to the council by boxing promoters have dropped nearly 50 percent and construction of the $300,000, 24-foot bronze statue will now not be completed until later this year, or sometime in 2010.

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Rocky Marciano

Muhammad Ali

Lennox Lewis

Other

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Marciano, who remains the only heavyweight champion in boxing history to retire having won every fight in his professional career with an unblemished record of 49-0, was pronounced dead on the eve of his 46^th birthday.