Marcianos 3 minute bomb run on the durable Don Cockell

Quack Quack Quack!

 

You’re legally blind statement is wrong

I coach high school wrestling. A kid on my time is legally blind in one eye. He can still see fine in his other eye and a little bit in his bad eye...he is allowed a touch start if he wants to, but he never uses it . You don’t have to be 100 percent blind in an eye to be declared legally blind

 

Here is something on Lastarza from a Philadelphia Boxing Historian I spoke with


"I just watched the LaStarza - Rocky Jones 2 match from Eastern Parkway Arena and I believe that LaStarza was the most benign heavyweight contender I ever saw. Too much emphasis on LaStarza is given to the 1st Marciano fight. Are we forgetting that this was Rocky's first fight back after the traumatic events of the Vingo fight which shook Rocky to the point where he pondered quitting boxing.
Of course Rocky would be somewhat gun shy and less aggressive. Roland in his 37 previous fights was carefully matched (Brion being the only fringe contender) before they took a gamble with what his board of directors thought would be a timid Marciano. After that fight Roland avoided and refused matches that were offered to him against Charles, Clarence Henry, Baker, Coley Wallace, and Bivins, when a victory over any one of these would establish Roland as a live contender. His win over faded Rex Layne and dull return bout victory over lightheavy Jones and a decent win on Bucceroni, after losing their first match, should never have made him eligible for the title match but Weill knew that Rocky would destroy him and the fight would draw good money in New York so the bout was made.
Rocky Jones was a close friend of mine, and he told me before his second fight with LaStarza he was approached by Jimmy (Amato) White, a contact man for the IBC and managers guild, and was told "We don't want any of that stuff you pulled in Akron."
After the second round Rocky was told in his corner to "ease up." Roland won a very careful, play safe decision. LaStarza's career post Marciano II could be best described as "hapless."

 

Mcvey

This should put it to bed


"The National Boxing Assocation'squarterly ratings realeased today named Nino Valdes as the only logical contender for Rocky Marciano's World heavyweight title. Valdez is the first heavyweight to be chosen as most logical contender since the N.B.A picked Charles before his first fight with Marciano."- New York Times Oct 7 1954

 

Anyone ever actually do a film review on don cockell ?


Build: weak, 30lb of extra fat ranging from a condition which was out of his control, more of a natural middleweight

Athleticism: weak. Had no explosiveness, did not move well, did not show any types of moves in the ring that you would classify as athletic.

Size: weak. Only 5’10 very short stubby arms 70” reach. Dimensions of a middleweight

Skills: below average. High guard, moved inside and swarmed often because of his short arms. Didn’t really have a style because his poor shape and weak tools prevented him from establishing class on the outside. Wasn’t a counterpuncher, didn’t throw combinations, didn’t snap his jab, didn’t go to the body well, didn’t have a high work rate, didn’t feint well, wasn’t graceful on his feet.

Punching ability: weak. No power to speak of. Punching accuracy below average. Poor timing on his punches. Didn’t have a lot in his arsenal. No left hook. His straight right had no mustard behind it. No combinations. Didn’t throw a good uppercut.

Speed: below average. Hand speed was decent, but his reflexes were poor. Handspeed may have been his best tool. His footwork was awful, his movement was awful. A slow plodder with average handspeed

Chin: weak. Floored and knocked out by light punchers

Heart: very good. Always fought with tremendous bravery and courage. No questions here

 

This deserves a second posting, a second reading and full consideration.

 

Legally blind is a legal and medical term and has a definition in the United States--"a person has less than 20/200 vision in the best eye after best correction (contact lenses or glasses) or a field of vision of less than 20 degrees in the better eye."

I have a friend who has only one eye--lost the other at three, I think, but he is not legally blind and in fact does not even wear glasses. By the way he boxed as a amateur. I assumed he lost his eye boxing until he corrected me and said it was removed years earlier.

Detached retina has also been thrown around. I have had a detached retina in my right eye for about 15 years now. When it happened I had all the symptoms--vitreous floaters, lightning flashes, blurred vision--but they improved by themselves. My opthalmologist uses that machine which produces color images of the inside of the eye on me every six months. She uses the term "detached retina" for my eye and she's the doc. I would conclude the severity of a detached retina varies with individual cases. In my case she is letting it go unless it deteriorates. But since my lens replacements for cataracts, I don't even use glasses for anything but driving.

bottom line is stay away from terms which have legal or medical meanings. I have no idea what the situation was with Clarence Henry or how bad it was, but he clearly retained vision through his life. So I think "eye injury" or "impaired vision" is prudent unless you have exact information.

 

Fair enough. I don’t believe Jackson beat Henry anywhere near his peak

 

"He suffered a detached retina in the gym in 1953"

The year he took off started in 1952.

"I've been told he went legally blind in one eye"

So. Who told you? Does this person actually know for certain?

"Do you think Jackson would have beat a prime, healthy Clarence Henry"

Why go to a fantasy question? I don't know and no one else does. Henry lost to Frank Buford so it certainly is possible he could lose to Jackson.

"Joe Rein"

He was probably typing quickly and used "blind" in a generic sense. I don't think it fair to him to extrapolate into a specific medical diagnosis.

"you make excuses for all of Marcel Cerdan's injuries"

What I posted was that I agree that Cerdan always had an excuse for a so-so or bad performance.

"I guess it helps now that you have a stooge following you around."

You seem to want to get insulting. Go ahead. One thing you better realize is that old folks have had their lives and aren't necessarily that interested in what someone else thinks of them. My opinions are my opinions and if someone agrees with them that is their business. If they disagree, that is also their business. And boxing and boxing history is not a particularly important subject in the large scheme of things which is why I enjoy debating it as hopefully no one's ego should be so involved that they have to get personal.

 

Marciano carried him. Once he opened up around the 7th round it was curtains for Don soon after.

 

This is a reasonable stance imo.

 

Marciano himself said," I hit him harder than I hit anyone, my best punches didnt seem to affect him.".
Marciano never carried anyone it wasn't in his DNA,he tried it in an early fight ,forgot himself and put the guys lights out.Colombo asked him"what happened ,I though you were going to get some rounds in?Rocky replied," I tried I just forgot myself,I couldn't do it"

 

That should be the last word!

 

They say he carried LaStarza so he could administer him a prolonged beating.

 

Well he didn't.He lost the early rounds and then began concentrating on the body and stopped loading up with single punches.