BROCKTON - Before he retired as the only heavyweight champion who knew neither defeat nor draw, Rocky Marciano was the Rock of Brockton.
But the rock the World Boxing Council plans to commission in Marciano's honor will be in Boston, not in the "city of champions" 25 miles south of the Hub. That's because the WBC wants tourists and casual boxing fans to see the statue of Marciano and draw attention to one of the legends of the sport. They're afraid that only boxing aficionados would make the trip to Brockton.
"We want people to see Rocky even if they are not looking for him, and then they will have the opportunity to appreciate him as a legend in the sport of boxing," said World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman, in a telephone interview from his headquarters in Mexico City. "Boston is visited by people of the world."
In Brockton, where Marciano was born and raised, and where he learned the sweet science, some people are as bent out of shape over the decision as one of the many noses the Brockton Blockbuster pasted with his jab. People here remember the early days, when Rocco Francis Marchegiano was a son of a shoe-factory worker whose Brockton fans yelled "timmmmber" every time he felled a foe.
"That's stupid," said Dean Seidschlaw, 65, of Brockton, referring to the WBC's decision as he sat at the bar in George's Cafe on Belmont Street. "Boxing is the biggest sport in Massachusetts and Brockton is the place that made it that way. I think they are making a mistake."
The cafe is a veritable shrine to boxing. Pictures of Marciano adorn almost every wall, including a shot of Marciano next to John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Charlie Tartaglia, the owner of the cafe, said he and several friends have wanted for years to put a statue in the city, but, "we were told it would cost about $70,000," too much for them to raise.
"Rocky Marciano, that's a name that is known around the world," he said.
Marciano was undefeated in 49 professional fights, with 43 knockouts. He reigned as world champ from when he knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott in Philadelphia in September 1952 to April 1956, when he retired. He died Aug. 31, 1969.
Sulaiman said 42 representatives from 10 continental federations voted during the WBC's 45th convention, held this month in Manila, on whether to have the statue in Boston or Brockton; the result was 37 votes in favor of Boston, five votes for Brockton and two no-votes. Sulaiman added that the three US voters chose Boston.
It was unclear how excited Boston was about getting the statue. Mayor Thomas M. Menino did not return a call seeking comment.
Word of the decision came as Marciano fans were pushing to rename the Post Office in downtown Brockton in the champ's honor. The high school football stadium already bears Marciano's name, as does the street where he grew up. There is also a plaque in a park near his childhood home.
"I have a lot of respect for Jose; he's done a great job for boxing, but he doesn't know the area." said Peter Marciano, 66, Rocky's younger brother. He recalled his brother once became upset during one of his earlier fights when an announcer said he hailed from Boston, rather than Brockton.
"To put it simply, there is a love relationship between Rocky and the city of Brockton," Marciano said. "I think that if they were to dig up Rocky and ask him, there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that he would want the statue in Brockton. That would cap everything off."
"Goody" Petronelli, the owner of Petronelli's Gym in downtown Brockton, agreed.
"The statue should definitely be in Brockton," said Petronelli, who has owned the gym since 1969 and has trained several world-class fighters. "It's the home of the champ."
Sulaiman said the WBC will be contacting the City of Boston soon to work out the details. He said the statue will be created by a renowned Mexican sculptor and will be roughly twice the actual size of the boxer.
"We don't want to hurt Brockton, we want to honor Brockton by having the statue in a place where more people will see it," Sulaiman said. "And the people of Brockton can travel to Boston and say look, this is our hero."
