Rocky Graziano
Rocky Graziano | |
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![]() | |
Statistics | |
Real name | Thomas Rocco Barbella |
Nickname(s) | The Rock / Rocky / Rocky Bob / Thomas Rocky Graziano / Roco / Painter Rock |
Rated at |
Welterweight Middleweight |
Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
Reach | 68 1⁄2 in (174 cm) |
Nationality | American |
Born |
Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | January 1, 1919
Died |
May 22, 1990 71) New York City, New York, U.S. | (aged
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Wins | 67 |
Wins by KO | 52 |
Losses | 10 |
Draws | 6 |
No contests | 0 |
Thomas Rocco Barbella (January 1, 1919[1] – May 22, 1990), better known as Rocky Graziano, was an American professional boxer who held the World Middleweight title.[2] Graziano is considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history, often displaying the capacity to take his opponent out with a single punch. He was ranked 23rd on The Ring magazine list of the greatest punchers of all time. Graziano fought many of the best middleweights of the era including Sugar Ray Robinson. His turbulent and violent life story was the basis of the 1956 Oscar-winning drama film, Somebody Up There Likes Me, based on his 1955 autobiography of the same title.
Early life
Rocky Graziano was the son of Ida Scinto and Nicola Barbella. Barbella, nicknamed "Fighting Nick Bob", was a boxer with a brief fighting record. Born in Brooklyn, Graziano later moved to an Italian enclave centered on East 10th Street, between First Avenue and Avenue A in Manhattan's East Village. Graziano grew up as a street fighter and learned to look after himself before he could read or write. He spent years in reform school, jail, and Catholic protectories.[3] His father, who got occasional work as a longshoreman, kept boxing gloves around the house and encouraged Graziano and his brothers to fight one another. When Graziano was as young as three years of age, his father would make him and his brother Joe (three years Rocky's senior) fight almost every night in boxing gloves. At age 18 he won the Metropolitan A.A.U. welterweight championship. Despite the fame and money that professional fighting seemed to offer, he didn't want to become a serious prize fighter. He didn't like the discipline of training any more than he liked the discipline of school or the Army.[4]
Amateur career
Graziano heard from a couple of his friends about a tournament going on with a gold medal for the winner. Rocky entered under the name of Joe Giuliani. Trainer Tobias (Toby) Zaccaria, Kings county Brooklyn NY, He fought four matches and ended up winning the New York Metropolitan Amateur Athletic Union Boxing competition (1939). He sold the gold medal for $15 and decided that boxing was a good way to make cash.[5]
A couple of weeks into amateur fighting, he was picked up for stealing from a school. He went to Coxsackie Correctional Facility, where he spent three weeks, with boyhood friend Jake LaMotta, and then he went on to the New York City Reformatory where he spent five months. After Rocky got out of the Reformatory, he headed back to the gym to make money, where he met Eddie Cocco, who started his professional career. He entered the ring under the name Robert Barber. A couple of weeks later Rocky was charged with a probation violation and sent back to reform school, where he was charged with starting a minor riot and sent to Rikers Island.
When he got out of jail he enlisted in the military but went AWOL after punching a captain. He escaped from Fort Dix in New Jersey and started his real boxing career under the name of "Rocky Graziano". He won his first couple of bouts. After gaining popularity under the name of Graziano, he was found by the military. After Graziano's fourth bout, he was called into manager's office to speak with a couple of military personnel. Expecting to be prosecuted and sent back to the military or jail, Graziano fled. He returned to the military a week later. He turned himself in, but he was pardoned and given the opportunity to fight under the army's aegis.[5]
Professional career
As he grew older, Rocky was scouted and seeing no other way to raise his standard of living, he signed a few boxing contracts, but the rigors of training disgusted him. He and his early managers went their separate ways. He wound up with Irving Cohen, who had the sense to give him a long leash. Cohen changed Rocky's name from Barbella to Graziano (his grandfather's surname) and lined up a fight. Refusing to train much, Graziano nevertheless showed his killer instinct and won by a knockout. Other fights were lined up with Cohen trying, in his subtle way, to overmatch Rocky, get him defeated, and thereby show Rocky the value of getting into condition. He even demanded a match against Sugar Ray Robinson.[6]
In March 1945, at Madison Square Garden, Graziano scored a major upset over Billy Arnold, whose style was similar to that of Sugar Ray Robinson; he was a slick boxer with lightning-fast combinations and a knockout punch. The Ring Magazine and various newspapers across the United States touted Arnold as the next Joe Louis or Sugar Ray Robinson. Arnold was a heavy favorite to defeat Graziano, and then to go on to fight for the world title, but Graziano absorbed a beating in the early going, before going on to batter and knock out Arnold in the third round of the scheduled eight-round bout.[7] Following his defeat to Graziano, Billy Arnold was never the same.
He is most famous for his three title bouts with Tony Zale, all for the middleweight title. In their first match (September 27, 1946), after flooring Graziano in the first round, Zale took a savage beating from Graziano, and was on the verge of losing the fight by TKO. However, he rallied and knocked out Graziano in the sixth round to retain his title. The rematch, a year later in Chicago (July 16, 1947), was a mirror image of their first fight. The referee almost stopped the second fight in the third round because of a severe cut over Graziano's left eye, which would have awarded the victory to Zale, but Graziano's cutman, Morris ("Whitey") Bimstein, was able to stop the bleeding to let the fight continue. Graziano was battered around the ring, suffered a closed eye and appeared ready to lose by a knockout, then rallied and knocked Zale out in the sixth round, becoming world middleweight champion.[5] Their last fight was held in New Jersey the following year (June 10, 1948). Zale regained his crown, winning the match by a knockout in the third round. The knockout blows consisted of a perfect combination of a right to Graziano's body, then a left hook to Graziano's jaw. Graziano was knocked unconscious. His last attempt at the middleweight title came in April 1952, when Sugar Ray Robinson knocked him out in three rounds. He retired after losing his very next fight, a 10-round decision to Chuck Davey.[5]
Career trouble
In 1946, Graziano was suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) for failure to report a bribe attempt. In 1948, Abe Green, then-National Boxing Association's President, announced that they were indefinitely suspending Graziano in all parts of the world under NBA supervision, following similar action by the California State Athletic Commission. This was due to Graziano's "running out" on a scheduled December 1 bout with Fred Apostoli. The suspension covered all of the American States, Great Britain, the European Boxing Federation, Cuba, Mexico, and Canada. Boxing promoter Ralph Tribuani got Graziano a license to box in Delaware, which led to the reinstatement of Graziano by both the NBA and NYSAC and Rocky's return to prosperity.
Post-boxing career
After his retirement from boxing, he co-hosted a short-lived series, The Henny and Rocky Show with famous comedian Henny Youngman. He was a semi-regular on The Martha Raye Show, as Raye's boyfriend.[8] He appeared as a regular on the United Artists TV series Miami Undercover for its entire run, and appeared in several series and shows, including The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, Car 54, Where Are You?, and Naked City. He portrayed Packy, an ex-boxer, in the 1967 film Tony Rome.
In the 1960s, Graziano opened a pizza restaurant, Rocky Graziano's Pizza Ring, on Second Avenue in Kips Bay, Manhattan, creating a modest franchise for the restaurant in the New York City area. He became the celebrity spokesman for Lee Myles Transmissions in the New York City area, appearing on dozens of television commercials from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s.
Personal life
Graziano married Norma Unger, of German-Jewish descent, on August 10, 1943. They remained together until his death from cardiopulmonary failure on May 22, 1990 in New York City at age 71. The couple had two children. Graziano's funeral Mass was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral.[9]
Accolades
- Graziano is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
- Graziano was named to Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers of all time.
- In 2007, Graziano was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame.
Professional boxing record
67 Wins (52 knockouts), 10 Losses (3 knockouts), 6 draws[10] | |||||||
Res. | Record | Opponent | Type | Round Time |
Date | Location | Notes |
Loss | 67–10–6 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | 1952–09–17 | ![]() |
|
Loss | 67–9–6 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (15) 1:53 |
1952–04–16 | ![]() |
For World Middleweight title. |
Win | 67–8–6 | ![]() |
TKO | 1 (10) 2:45 |
1952–03–27 | ![]() |
|
Win | 66–8–6 | ![]() |
TKO | 4 (10) 2:21 |
1952–02–18 | ![]() |
|
Win | 65–8–6 | ![]() |
TKO | 10 2:45 |
1951–09–19 | ![]() |
|
Win | 64–8–6 | ![]() |
DQ | 2 (10) | 1951–08–06 | ![]() |
|
Win | 63–8–6 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | 1951–07–10 | ![]() |
|
Win | 62–8–6 | ![]() |
KO | 5 (10) 2:17 |
1951–06–18 | ![]() |
|
Win | 61–8–6 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (10) 1:56 |
1951–05–21 | ![]() |
|
Win | 60–8–6 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (10) 1:18 |
1951–03–19 | ![]() |
|
Win | 59–8–6 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (10) 0:48 |
1950–11–27 | ![]() Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|
Win | 58–8–6 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | 1950–10–27 | ![]() |
|
Win | 57–8–6 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (10) 2:25 |
1950–10–16 | ![]() |
|
Win | 56–8–6 | ![]() |
KO | 7 (10) 2:10 |
1950–10–04 | ![]() |
|
Win | 55–8–6 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (10) 2:14 |
1950–05–16 | ![]() |
|
Win | 54–8–6 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | 1950–05–09 | ![]() |
|
Win | 53–8–6 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (10) 1:03 |
1950–04–24 | ![]() |
|
Draw | 52–8–6 | ![]() |
SD | 10 | 1950–03–31 | ![]() |
|
Win | 52–8–5 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (10) 2:21 |
1950–03–06 | ![]() |
|
Win | 51–8–5 | ![]() |
MD | 10 | 1949–12–06 | ![]() |
|
Win | 50–8–5 | ![]() |
TKO | 10 | 1949–09–14 | ![]() |
|
Win | 49–8–5 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) 2:19 |
1949–07–18 | ![]() |
|
Win | 48–8–5 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) 0:46 |
1949–06–21 | ![]() |
|
Loss | 47–8–5 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (15) | 1948–06–10 | ![]() |
Lost World Middleweight title |
Win | 47–7–5 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | 1948–04–05 | ![]() |
|
Win | 46–7–5 | ![]() |
TKO | 6 (15) | 1947–07–16 | ![]() |
Won World Middleweight title The Ring Fight of the Year |
Win | 45–7–5 | ![]() |
TKO | 5 (10) | 1947–06–16 | ![]() |
|
Win | 44–7–5 | ![]() |
TKO | 1 (10) | 1947–06–10 2:14 |
![]() |
|
Loss | 43–7–5 | ![]() |
KO | 6 (15) | 1946–09–27 | ![]() |
For World Middleweight titles The Ring Fight of the Year |
Win | 43–6–5 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (10) 1:52 |
1946–03–29 | ![]() |
|
Win | 42–6–5 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | 1946–01–18 | ![]() |
|
Win | 41–6–5 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (10) 1:49 |
1945–09–28 | ![]() |
|
Win | 40–6–5 | ![]() |
KO | 10 2:37 |
1945–08–24 | ![]() |
|
Win | 39–6–5 | ![]() |
KO | 10 0:16 |
1945–06–29 | ![]() |
The Ring Fight of the Year |
Win | 38–6–5 | ![]() |
TKO | 4 (10) | 1945–05–25 | ![]() |
|
Win | 37–6–5 | ![]() |
TKO | 4 (10) | 1945–04–17 | ![]() |
|
Win | 36–6–5 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (8) | 1945–03–09 | ![]() |
|
Loss | 35–6–5 | ![]() |
MD | 10 | 1944–12–22 | ![]() |
|
Loss | 35–5–5 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | 1944–11–03 | ![]() |
|
Win | 35–4–5 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (8) 0:44 |
1944–10–24 | ![]() |
|
Draw | 34–4–5 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | 1944–10–06 | ![]() |
|
Draw | 34–4–4 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | 1944–09–15 | ![]() |
|
Win | 34–4–3 | ![]() |
SD | 8 | 1944–08–14 | ![]() |
|
Win | 33–4–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | 1944–07–21 | ![]() |
|
Win | 32–4–3 | ![]() |
TKO | 6 (8) 2:47 |
1944–06–27 | ![]() |
|
Win | 31–4–3 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (8) | 1944–06–07 | ![]() |
|
Win | 30–4–3 | ![]() |
TKO | 7 (10) | 1944–05–29 | ![]() |
|
Win | 29–4–3 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (8) | 1944–05–09 | ![]() |
|
Win | 28–4–3 | ![]() |
KO | 5 (10) | 1944–04–10 | ![]() |
|
Win | 27–4–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | 1944–03–14 | ![]() |
|
Win | 26–4–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | 1944–03–08 | ![]() |
|
Win | 25–4–3 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (8) 1:20 |
1944–03–04 | ![]() |
|
Win | 24–4–3 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (8) | 1944–02–24 | ![]() |
|
Loss | 23–4–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | 1944–02–09 | ![]() |
|
Win | 23–3–3 | ![]() |
TKO | 5 (8) | 1944–01–18 | ![]() |
|
Win | 22–3–3 | ![]() |
TKO | 1 (6) 2:31 |
1944–01–07 | ![]() |
|
Win | 21–3–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | 1944–01–04 | ![]() |
|
Win | 20–3–3 | ![]() |
TKO | 1 (8) 2:52 |
1943–12–27 | ![]() |
|
Win | 19–3–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | 1943–12–06 | ![]() |
|
Win | 18–3–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | 1943–11–30 | ![]() |
|
Loss | 17–3–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | 1943–11–12 | ![]() |
|
Draw | 17–2–3 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | 1943–10–27 | ![]() |
|
Win | 17–2–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (6) | 1943–10–13 | ![]() |
|
Win | 16–2–2 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (8) 1:02 |
1943–10–05 | ![]() |
|
Win | 15–2–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 8 | 1943–09–21 | ![]() |
|
Loss | 14–2–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | 1943–09–10 | ![]() |
|
Win | 14–1–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | 1943–08–24 | ![]() |
|
Win | 13–1–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 4 | 1943–08–20 | ![]() |
|
Win | 12–1–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | 1943–08–12 | ![]() |
|
Win | 11–1–2 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (6) 2:16 |
1943–07–27 | ![]() |
|
Win | 10–1–2 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (6) | 1943–07–22 | ![]() |
|
Win | 9–1–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (6) | 1943–07–08 | ![]() |
|
Win | 8–1–2 | ![]() |
KO | 5 (6) 1:37 |
1943–06–24 | ![]() |
|
Win | 7–1–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 4 (6) 0:39 |
1943–06–16 | ![]() |
|
Win | 6–1–2 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (6) 1:45 |
1943–06–11 | ![]() |
|
Draw | 5–1–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | 1942–05–25 | ![]() |
|
Win | 5–1–1 | ![]() |
KO | 4 | 1942–05–12 | ![]() |
|
Win | 4–1–1 | ![]() |
KO | 4 | 1942–05–04 | ![]() |
|
Loss | 3–1–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 6 | 1942–04–28 | ![]() |
|
Draw | 3–0–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 4 | 1942–04–20 | ![]() |
|
Win | 3–0 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (4) | 1942–04–14 | ![]() |
|
Win | 2–0 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (4) | 1942–04–06 | ![]() |
|
Win | 1–0 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (4) | 1942–03–31 | ![]() |
See also
Notes
- ↑ Alternative birth dates have been cited; however his gravestone states January 1, 1919 and his widow confirmed that this as the correct date
- ↑ "The Lineal Middleweight Champions". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia.
- ↑ Graziano, Rocky; Barber, Rowland (1955). Somebody Up There Likes Me. New York: Simon And Schuster.
- ↑ Lardner, Rex. "The Improbable Graziano". Sport Magazine Article. SPORT. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 Berger, Phil (May 23, 1990). "Rocky Graziano, Ex-Ring Champion, Dead at 71". New York Times.
- ↑ Lardner, Rex. "The Improbable Graziano". SPORT Magazine Article. SPORT. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
- ↑ Google info re Graziano
- ↑ Adams, Val (November 29, 1953). "Rocky Graziano: TV Actor and Ex-Fighter". The New York Times. p. X11. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ↑ SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Leave Your Worry on The Doorstep, New York Times, May 26, 1990.
- ↑ "Rocky Graziano Professional boxing record". BoxRec.com.
Achievements | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Tony Zale |
World Middleweight Champion July 16, 1947– June 10, 1948 |
Succeeded by Tony Zale |
External links
- Rocky Graziano at Find a Grave Rocky Graziano's Grave
- Professional boxing record for Rocky Graziano from BoxRec
- TV credits
- Gravesite
- Rocky Graziano profile at ESPN
- #1 Graziano Raisin Bran commercial on YouTube
- #2 Graziano Raisin Bran commercial on YouTube
- #3 Graziano Raisin Bran commercial on YouTube
- #4 Graziano Raisin Bran commercial on YouTube