Rocky Gattelari vs...

Rocky was at his best at 112.

 

what...have you just discovered a boxing history book flame-n-go...?


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I remember Fenech's KO of southpaw Payakarun at bantamweight. But it was one of only two blemishes on his record - his other loss to Rojas was nothing to be ashamed of either. On the positive Payakarun recorded wins over Pintor & Meza.

Shiniaki won the bantamweight title in about his 7th fight, and only had 15 in total, including the two TKO losses to Fenech.

In both cases it would IMO depend largely how Rocky went carrying extra weight and fighting bigger opponents than he was used to. He went 13 rounds with Burruni for the WBC title at Flyweight and 13 rounds with Lionel at Bantam (both losses). But his record is otherwise clean except for the absolute debacle, after 10 years out of it, against Ferreri.

I tend to think an at peak Rocky would struggle with either of them mainly due to size.

 

Sad tale, but hopefully of interest:

From the book "The Rocky Road"
By Rocky Gattellari
William Heinemann 1989.

I was going to fight Paul Ferreri. He was a world-rated boxer, while I had been away from the ring for eleven years. And was aged thirty-seven. I was accepting this fight for one reason only, I needed the money. My night club, Rocky's Restaurant in Edgecliffe was in difficulties.

John Singleton picked up the cues. He told me, 'I've got an idea. You would make some honest money quickly and be able to save the restaurant. Boxing is dying in Australia, Mundine can't draw breath. But I'm sure the public would love to see the Gattellari brothers fight again.'

The promoters, Singleton and Laws, put together the cream of Australian boxing, Tony Mundine, Barry Michael, Wally Carr, Brian Roberts. The dreaded afternoon, Sunday, 18 February 1979 came quickly. The bloodthirsty mob found the prospect of seeing the cocky dago smashed up once more a lure and the fight was telecast live on national television.

I speared him with a straight left, and another. I can beat this bum, I said to myself. His southpaw stance suited me. 'Com'on, old man, com'on,' he taunted. 'I'll knock you right out, you bum,' I answered disdainfully.
My needling worked too well. He grabbed me by the neck and threw me against the middle rope. Off balance I fell to the canvas. His punches had not hurt me but his twisting of my neck certainly had. I felt as if a bullet had penetrated the back of my head. A sharp pain shot down my spine.
During the second and third rounds the injury to my neck became my sole preoccupation. Not being able to move my neck I copped a right swing to the head midway through the third round. Fererri then hit me with a left rip to the stomach which momentarily took my breath away.

The punches were nothing compared to the pain from jerking my neck. Damn you *******s, my insides cried. If I get slaughtered you'll feel you got your money's worth. 'My neck, my neck, do something quick,' I hollered at the end of the third round. 'What we do, Rocky? What we do?' The words of my daughter rang in my head. 'Don't get hurt, Daddy. Please don't get hurt.' My thoughts went back to Lionel Rose [1967]. My perseverance in the Rose fight could have cost me my life. I surely was not going to let something similar happen again. 'Stop the fight,' I cried. 'Stop the fight. Call the ref and stop the fight.'

. . . I was again leaving the ring to callous booing but this time my reaction was different. I felt a strange sense of achievement: whether they liked it or not, I was doing what was right for me; for once I was my own man. And in a way I was gaining a measure of revenge against that howling mob.

 

Yes, your right, always sad when a fighter has to come back to try and earn money the best way he can. Seldom ends up in success.

 

Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, there are differing accounts of the Gattelari VS Ferreri match-up. In John Singleton's book he claims it was Gattelari's hand that was the cause of the stoppage. One way or the other, it was an absolute farce that people paid good money to watch. A sad blemish on Gattelari's record and name.


From the book "SINGO. The John Singleton Story"
By Gerald Stone.
HarperCollins 2002.

John Singleton and John Laws tried their luck in the boxing ring, promoting a Sunday afternoon of fights at Sydney's Hordern pavilion. Singleton dreamed up a great slogan, Rocky Arvo, and Laws ran radio commercials featuring the theme music from the Rocky movie, until Warner Bros threatened to sue. A newspaper ad proclaimed : John Laws and John Singleton present the greatest ever afternoon of boxing.

Five thousand fans jammed the showground auditorium paying to $200 ringside to watch a comeback by the fondly remembered Rocky Gattellari. He was a 1965 contender for the world flyweight championship, whose restaurant folded. Singleton hit on the bright idea of helping him raise some money by organising a match against the then reigning flyweight, Paul Ferrari.

I asked Paul not to go too hard on him, Singleton can confided. Ferrari needn't have worried about having to pull his punches. After the third round Gattellari's corner threw in the towel, claiming the comeback kid had injured his hand.

From ringside, Laws recalls:
I could lip-read what Gattellari said. Paul hits him, bang, bang, bang and he goes backwards and sits of the rope and says, 'I've had enough.' Expecting a riot I went under the ring with wife Caroline. Later in the dressing rooms the two boxers came to grips, wrestled and punched each other semi-naked in the showers.

Singleton's solicitor John Tesoriero who paid $200 for a f--- joke was not amused when Gattellari asked if he could get worker's compensation for hurting his hand. Later Singleton was auctioneer at a charity function. Singo announces:

Here's an interesting item. Rocky Gattellari's boxing gloves. They've never been used.