Rocky Mattioli

In the first minute I spoke to Mattioli at Palmers - he told me he would win a world title.
.......I couldn't gauge whether he was arrogant or truthful at that time, I suppose a bit of both... We travelled regularly together on our ways home from Palmer, on the same train... on weekends, my dad and I used to pick him up and drive him to the gym and drop him back home at his Uncles place in Box Hill.

Mattioli came to Palmers after he had fought my brother Glenn. We thought Glenn had outboxed him, but Mattioli had got the points over four rounds, showing electrical bursts in his boxing moves, being the budding champion he was. I studied Mattioli at Palmers gym and I sparred with Rocky regularly and ferociously.

I was taller and heavier than him, he was a light middle. I was a school boy, Mattioli had matured more quickly, and was physically, a strong man.....he was only about a six month older than me. Mattioli mastered ring craft, he hit like a mule, his hand speed was faster than any other fighter I ever sparred with or seen. He would try to command centre ring all the time. He shifted his right foot up behind his left foot and this gave him immense leverage. He mastered enough of the Palmer methods to duck and weave and catch punches and counter punch.

Mattioli was vicious. His punches were always explosive, loaded and dynamic. He was like an assassin when he nailed his opponents, there was no mercy in the after shock mess he would create and deliver. His left hook was 100% efficient, in its small arc and delivered like a lightening bolt from a left hand held slightly out infront of his right glove over his chin....his right hand counter punches were also lightening fast.... his left jabs were always predetermined rapid bolts of lightening, and always thrown behind a steel fortress of defence. I never saw or felt a harder left jabber than his - never once did I see him throw out a tokenry left jab. His counter punching was precision; he would back himself, let you have the first (bee's dick) move, then outspeed you with a variety of chosen counter punches. I would say his style was electric - all shock and horror.

No other fighter I fought or sparred ever had as much dash, or was the wound up ball of
energy that the Rock was. He was the very best boxer I have ever witnessed.

When he left Palmers in 1973, he left behind some sour feeling of sorts. I could not see why he would break ties with, or leave the great legend Palmer (to be trained initially by some boxing photographer) but the Rock was so determined to win a world title. He knew exactly when to move on; he was able to estimate "Australia's boxing potential" for himself, and how he might fit or not fit into it at that stage. And, boxing had become severely deflated; perhaps a bit worn out to some degree, by TV Ringside, and a lack of promotors. Typical of The Rock, he sought his own new connections and horizons, bravely marching on to reach his destiny.

Returning to his childhood homeland...he would continually back this destiny. He worked extremely hard, upped his work output and tempo daily, and won his world title. He was a brilliant and tough fighter. Had he ventured to USA instead of Australia, he would have probably been an all time legend and great over there.

An unknown factor about Rocky was his great generosity. He was a great gym friend in older days, when I was a school kid (not working) he would say at the gym, "Here you go have these" and hand me his satin boxing shorts, or, "Here you go, have these" some boxing boots, a stylish leather jacket, some new chizel toe shoes he said were too tight for himself....despite my protests, he would tell me "You need them !" He would always stop if asked to donate money, and put money in charitble collection tins (Flinders Street railway station) on our way home on the train.....he was also a champion bloke who cared about others.

I think we tend to forget about the Rock, probably because he went to Italy and won his title from there, and because he rarely comes back.

He was a great fighter, who luckily stepped into Auz to try and reach his pinacle....and did.

Bravo Rocco.

I remember Mattioli as the very best of that time. Bravo Rocco Mattioli.

 

atigerofold,

Very Nice Post,,,,

Too bad Rocky couldn't get by 'Mo-Hope',,,,,,,, Maurice just had his number in 1979 and 1980.

Rocky, at age 26 1/2, just left his fight in the gym, when he got battered by 'Mo-Hope' in
the rematch at Wembley in July 1980.

Would have loved to see Rocky versus Wilfred Benitez in May 1981.

Rocky would have had a better style versus 'El Radar' than 'Mo-Hope' had.

 

Nice memories Terry! :good

 

July 1980,

Too bad for Rocky Mattioli,

After the 'second loss' to Maurice Hope, he lost interest.

He just missed out on all those 'big' 1980 thru 1984 fight pay-day's.

 

This is great info Pepe.....
I was looking for some info on Jose Duran....good stuff and thank you.

 

Yes,

Many people confuse Juan Carlos 'Pepe' Duran, the former WBA Light-Middleweight
Champion from Spain (late-1960's and 1970's fighter), with the other Duran.

Juan Carlos Duran, was a very good 'European-style' boxer, a straight-up style, with
a good basic left jab, and good general boxing skills.

Good footwork, a sneaky right-hand, and durable with excellent endurance.

Little known fact;

If Juan Carlos 'Pepe' Duran had successfully defended his WBA Light-Middleweight Championship
on October 28, 1976 versus 'Argentinian' Miguel Castellini, Juan Carlos was offered the winner
of the Carlos Monzon vs. Rodrigo Valdez II (1977 Middleweight Championship bout).

But Juan Carlos lost, and that ended that.