USA TODAY US Edition

MARCIANO JR.: ‘EXHIBITION’ SHOULD NOT COUNT

- — Josh Peter

Rocky Marciano Jr. said his father’s revered career boxing record of 49-0 should not be at risk Saturday with Floyd May

weather Jr. expected to improve to 50-0 with a win against Conor

McGregor. Marciano called the bout between Mayweather, one of the most skilled fighters in boxing history, and McGregor, a mixed martial arts star making his pro boxing debut, an “exhibition match.” “No matter what happens, I don’t think it should go towards Mayweather’s profession­al (record), win or lose,” Mar- ciano told USA TODAY Sports on Monday. “This fight to me isn’t a true boxing match.” What makes his father’s 49-0 record so special, Marciano said, is he competed as a heavyweigh­t. Marciano won by knockout in 43 of his bouts

(87.8%) while fighting profession­ally between 1947 and 1955. He died in 1969 in an airplane crash at 45. “Heavyweigh­ts, most of them, hold the highest knockout percentage for a reason,” Marciano said. “They’re bigger, they’re stronger and one punch can take a heavyweigh­t out. So it’s a lot more difficult to stay undefeated than it is for someone in the lower weight class.” Mayweather, who will be fighting at 154 pounds Saturday, has won by knockout in 26 of his fights

(59%). But Marciano said Mayweather has had “an incredible, wonderful, exciting career” and that he watched each of Mayweather’s last two fights — victories against Manny Pacquiao and Andre Berto, when Mayweather improved to 49-0 and retired, before coming out of retirement to fight McGregor. Marciano said he turned down an invitation from friends to attend the fight in Las Vegas and has no plans to watch it on pay-per-view. “It’s not a fight that I’m interested in,” he said. “I see the interest in it, but I don’t think it’ll be an interestin­g fight.”

 ?? 1952 AP PHOTO ?? Rocky Marciano finished his career 49-0 with 43 knockouts.
1952 AP PHOTO Rocky Marciano finished his career 49-0 with 43 knockouts.

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