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From the bestselling author of The Prince of Providence, a revelatory biography of Rocky Marciano, the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.
The son of poor Italian immigrants, with short arms and stubby legs, Rocky Marciano accomplished a feat that eluded legendary heavyweight champions like Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson: He never lost a professional fight. His record was a perfect 49-0.
Unbeaten is the story of this remarkable champion who overcame injury, doubt, and the schemes of corrupt promoters to win the title in a bloody and epic battle with Jersey Joe Walcott in 1952. Rocky packed a devastating punch with an innocent nickname, "Suzie Q," against which there was no defense. As the champ, he came to know presidents and movie stars - and the organized crime figures who dominated the sport, much to his growing disgust. He may have "stood out in boxing like a rose in a garbage dump," as one sportswriter said, but he also fought his own private demons.
In the hands of the award-winning journalist and biographer Mike Stanton,
Unbeaten is more than just a boxing story. It's a classic American tale of immigrant dreams, exceptional talent wedded to exceptional ambitions, compromises in the service of a greater good, astounding success, disillusionment, and a quest to discover what it all meant. Like Suzie Q, it will knock you off your feet.
Sommario
Prologue: Two Funerals 1
1 The Terrific Three 13
2 Brawler in the Brig 38
3 Rocky Mack 59
4 Suzie Q's Broadway Debut 76
5 Timmmberrr! 91
6 A Good Dream and a Hard Fall 119
7 The Octopus 133
8 Requiem for a Heavyweight 153
9 Twelve Inches to Glory 180
10 The Lion and the Lamb 209
11 The Mongoose and the Mob 233
12 America's Guest 264
13 The Fiftieth Fight 293
Epilogue: Ghosts 312
Appendix: Rocky Marciano's Professional Ring Record 323
A Note on Sources 325
Bibliography 355
Acknowledgments 367
Illustration Credits 374
Index 375
Info autore
Mike Stanton
